Personal Desire In The Glass Roses By Alden Nowlan

How can someone pursue a personal desire if they spent their life trying to conform? Alden Nowlan’s short story, “The Glass Roses” explores this through the protagonist, Stephen. Stephen’s personal desire to feel accepted conflicts with his feeling of having to become like the pulp cutters because he is not mentally or physically ready to fit in with grown men. This results in Chris finding a way to become his own person. Stephen’s journey to pursue his personal desire is shown through setting,

Within the first few lines of The Glass Roses, the setting is established as a cold and inhospitable environment. The bitter Canadian landscape is often battered by howling winds and enveloped by a thick layer of snow. This harsh physical landscape closely mirrors Stephen’s perception of the icy-cold stoics he works with. These men, who are all well-versed lumbermen, have “humped backs and ox-like shoulders”, the “huskiest and most solemn” of which is Stephen’s own father. These characteristics starkly

source for their identity and dreams for the future. As well, others’ impressions of the individual considerably affects their view of themselves. This interaction can either build their self esteem or tear it down. In his short story, “The Glass Roses”, Alden Nowlan explores the idea that when an individual is coming of age and is struggling to determine their identity, how others’ perceive them - specifically father figures - deeply influences how they perceive themselves. Stephen, the protagonist