Introduction
Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner Angle of Repose (1971) by Wallace Stegner is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that explores the lives of two generations of American pioneers, weaving a story about the complexities of human relationships, the forces of nature, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment. Set against the backdrop of the American West, Angle of Repose delves deeply into themes of love, sacrifice, and the inherent difficulties of life on the frontier. Stegner’s novel is a rich exploration of history, personal ambition, and the resilience required to navigate both the physical landscape and the emotional terrain of life.
The novel is framed through the perspective of Lyman Ward, an aging historian who is confined to a wheelchair, recounting the life of his grandparents, Oliver and Susan Burlingame. Lyman’s research into his grandparents’ lives in the late 19th century serves as a lens for the reader to examine issues of marital discord, personal identity, and the shifting cultural ideals that came with the expansion of the American frontier.
While Angle of Repose is a deeply personal story of a man researching the history of his family, it is also an exploration of broader themes concerning the American experience—particularly the idealization of the West, the physical and emotional costs of pioneering, and the shifting gender roles of the time. Stegner’s rich, evocative prose brings to life not only the West’s untamed landscape but also the intricacies of human relationships within the context of its challenges.
At its core, Angle of Repose is about finding balance—an “angle of repose”—in life and love amidst the shifting sands of time, ambition, and the pull of the land. This novel examines how personal histories, often shaped by hardship and sacrifice, become intertwined with larger historical narratives. Stegner weaves together a tapestry of past and present, exploring how individuals grapple with their roles in shaping history while facing their own personal struggles.
Summary of Angle of Repose
The Frame Story: Lyman Ward’s Narration
The novel begins in the 1960s, with Lyman Ward, a retired historian, confined to a wheelchair after a series of physical ailments and a failed marriage. Lyman’s own life is marked by a deep sense of loss, both personally and professionally. He has recently separated from his wife, Ellen, and his loneliness drives him to reflect on the lives of his grandparents, Oliver and Susan Burlingame. Lyman is determined to understand the complexities of his grandparents’ relationship and their life on the frontier, so he sets about writing a history of their lives, using their letters, journals, and his own memories.
Through Lyman’s eyes, the reader is introduced to the story of Oliver and Susan Burlingame, focusing primarily on Susan’s experiences as she moved with her husband across the American West in the late 1800s. Lyman’s work is also a journey of self-discovery, as he comes to terms with his own personal failings and unresolved emotions regarding his family and his past.
Oliver and Susan Burlingame: The Pioneers’ Journey
Oliver Burlingame is a successful, idealistic, and ambitious engineer who dreams of bringing progress to the American frontier. His work takes him and his wife, Susan, from Colorado to California, where they encounter the harsh realities of life in the West. In many ways, Oliver embodies the quintessential idealist of the time—committed to progress, to making the West a better place for future generations—but his vision of the future is at odds with the realities he and his wife must face.
Susan Burlingame, on the other hand, is an intelligent, educated, and somewhat reluctant pioneer. She comes from a privileged background and is unprepared for the difficulties of frontier life. Initially, Susan finds herself struggling with the isolation, lack of cultural amenities, and harsh conditions of the places Oliver takes her. However, as she writes letters to her family, she begins to reveal the depth of her character and her growing understanding of the sacrifices required for survival on the frontier.
The novel focuses on the tensions within their marriage—tensions that arise from Oliver’s relentless ambition and Susan’s personal yearning for fulfillment and comfort. Their relationship, which begins with passion and hope, is tested by the overwhelming demands of their circumstances.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
Oliver’s career causes him to constantly move and change locations, whereas Susan’s desire for a stable, predictable life becomes increasingly at odds with her husband’s ceaseless pursuit of progress. Their marriage, much like the land they inhabit, becomes a battleground of differing visions for the future.
Throughout the novel, Susan’s letters serve as a poignant record of her inner life and a way for the reader to understand the emotional complexities of her character. The narrative moves between Susan’s past and Lyman’s present-day reflections, allowing the reader to see how the past and the present inform one another.
The Strains of Marriage and Gender Roles
One of the central conflicts of Angle of Repose lies in the differences between Susan and Oliver’s views on the American West. For Oliver, the West represents endless opportunity and the promise of personal success through hard work and perseverance. For Susan, it is a place that threatens her personal well-being, stripping her of her comfort and security. As Oliver’s ambition grows, he becomes increasingly focused on his engineering projects, while Susan’s emotional needs are increasingly neglected.
This gendered division in their relationship plays out not only in their marriage but also in their respective roles within the larger society. Susan, as a woman, feels confined by the limitations placed on her gender, as she is often expected to support Oliver’s dreams at the expense of her own.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
This dynamic of sacrifice—particularly the emotional and intellectual sacrifice of women on the frontier—forms a crucial theme in the novel. Susan’s emotional and personal journey becomes an exploration of self-worth, as she tries to reconcile her own desires and identity with her role as a supportive wife.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
Lyman’s Own Struggles
Lyman’s own life is marked by a sense of defeat and disillusionment. As he pieces together the lives of his grandparents, he reflects on his own failed marriage with Ellen and the emotional distance between them. Lyman’s reflections on his personal history bring a sense of melancholy and regret to the narrative. As a historian, Lyman sees the stories of his grandparents through a lens of intellectual curiosity, but as he becomes more deeply involved in their past, he begins to confront his own unresolved issues, including his inability to communicate openly with his ex-wife and the challenges he faces in accepting his physical limitations.
Lyman’s narrative serves as both a counterpoint to the story of Oliver and Susan and a parallel to their struggles. Like his grandparents, Lyman must come to terms with the choices he has made, the sacrifices he has allowed, and the personal compromises that have shaped his life.
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The Tragic Unfolding of Events
As Oliver’s career progresses, he takes on a project in California, where the couple settles in a remote town. However, despite his professional success, Oliver’s personal and family life begins to unravel. The tension between his ambitious goals and Susan’s growing dissatisfaction reaches a breaking point. In the end, Susan finds herself alone and facing a future without Oliver, having given up much of her personal identity in the name of supporting him.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
Despite the hardships they endure, Susan’s letters reveal a woman who has grown through her struggles, a woman who has come to understand that life on the frontier is as much about personal sacrifice and adaptation as it is about hope and progress. In the final stages of the novel, as Lyman continues his research, he begins to gain insight into both his grandparents’ complicated relationship and his own emotional wounds, learning that the angle of repose—the point of balance in life—is elusive but necessary.
Themes in Angle of Repose
1. The American Dream and the Frontier
One of the central themes of Angle of Repose is the idea of the American Dream and how it plays out in the context of the American frontier. Oliver Burlingame represents the archetypal figure of the frontier pioneer—someone who believes that hard work, perseverance, and ambition will lead to success. His vision of the West is one of limitless opportunity. However, Stegner subtly critiques the myth of the American frontier by showing the human cost of this relentless drive for progress. The dream of the West is not as simple or as fulfilling as Oliver envisions; it comes at the expense of personal happiness and emotional fulfillment.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
Through Susan’s eyes, the novel also questions the idealization of the frontier. Susan’s experiences reveal the hardships of life on the frontier, from isolation to the constant strain on her personal life. The novel thus presents a nuanced view of the American Dream, one that is tempered by the difficulties of survival and the costs of ambition.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
2. Gender and Identity
The theme of gender and the role of women in shaping history is another key aspect of the novel. Susan Burlingame’s story is one of personal growth, but also one of sacrifice. As a woman on the frontier, she is often expected to put aside her own ambitions in service to her husband’s dreams. This creates a tension between Susan’s desire for intellectual and emotional fulfillment and her role as a wife in a patriarchal society.
The novel explores the idea that women on the frontier were forced to make significant sacrifices in order to support their families. While Oliver is free to pursue his ambitions, Susan’s world is constrained by her role as a wife and mother. Her letters express her frustration with her limited role and her desire for something more, making her one of the most complex and compelling characters in the novel.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
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3. The Complexity of Relationships
At its core, Angle of Repose is a study of relationships—particularly the complex and often contradictory nature of marriage. Oliver and Susan’s relationship, while deeply affectionate at its start, becomes increasingly strained as both characters’ needs and desires diverge. The novel illustrates how love can be complicated by ambition, sacrifice, and changing personal goals. It shows how the pressures of frontier life, with its demands on time, energy, and emotional resources, can erode the foundation of even the strongest relationships.
The novel also explores how family history shapes future generations. Lyman’s reflections on his grandparents’ relationship help him understand his own struggles, particularly his failed marriage to Ellen. The connection between past and present, and the way that history shapes personal identity, is a recurring theme throughout the novel.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
4. The Cost of Progress
Stegner also examines the cost of progress, particularly through Oliver’s character. While Oliver’s engineering projects promise to bring about positive change, the novel suggests that progress often comes at a personal cost. The emotional toll of ambition, particularly on one’s family, is a central concern of the novel. In pursuing progress for the sake of his career, Oliver fails to recognize the damage it causes to his marriage. The novel critiques the idea that material success or professional achievement is worth the personal sacrifices it demands.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
Conclusion
Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose is a profound exploration of the emotional complexities of human relationships, the sacrifices required by ambition, and the price of progress. Through the lives of Lyman Ward and his grandparents, the novel reflects on the difficulties of life on the American frontier, the intricacies of marriage, and the toll that the pursuit of success takes on personal well-being. Stegner’s rich prose and deep thematic exploration make Angle of Repose a compelling and thought-provoking work of historical fiction.Angle Of Repose Summary And Themes By Wallace Stegner
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(FAQ)
1. What is the main plot of Angle of Repose?
Angle of Repose tells the story of Lyman Ward, a retired historian, who reflects on the lives of his grandparents, Oliver and Susan Burlingame. Lyman’s research into their history reveals the complexities of their relationship as pioneers in the American West, highlighting themes of sacrifice, ambition, and the emotional toll of frontier life.
2. What is the meaning of the title Angle of Repose?
The title refers to a concept in physics, specifically the steepest angle at which an object remains stable. It is used metaphorically to describe the characters’ search for balance in their lives—particularly between their ambitions, their emotional needs, and the sacrifices they make for progress.
3. How does the novel explore gender roles?
The novel explores gender roles primarily through Susan, whose sacrifices for her husband Oliver’s ambitions highlight the limited opportunities for women in the 19th century. Susan struggles to find her own identity and fulfillment while supporting her husband’s professional dreams, and the novel critiques the societal expectations placed on women.
4. Is Angle of Repose a historical novel?
Yes, Angle of Repose is a historical novel that examines the lives of pioneers on the American frontier in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through the lives of Oliver and Susan Burlingame, the novel explores the challenges of life on the frontier and the personal sacrifices made in pursuit of the American Dream.
5. What are the main themes of Angle of Repose?
The main themes of Angle of Repose include the American Dream and its costs, the emotional complexities of marriage, gender roles and sacrifice, and the impact of progress on personal relationships. The novel also reflects on how history shapes personal identities and the ways in which individuals cope with the challenges of life.
6. What role does Lyman Ward play in the novel?
Lyman Ward is the narrator of Angle of Repose, and his research into his grandparents’ lives serves as both the framing device and the emotional heart of the novel. Lyman’s reflections on his own life and his family’s history allow him to explore themes of loss, personal failure, and self-acceptance.
