Stage notes The Leaving.docx - a Characters Budge Wilson...

a) Characters
Budge Wilson begins her story “The Leaving” by introducing a character who is referred
to as a “she.” It is later revealed that this “she” being discussed is the “Maw '' of the
narrator. Maw in the story is a mother to five children and the wife of an abusive
husband. In the first few paragraphs the reader comes to know that Ma (Elizabeth) wants
to flee and take her daughter, the narrator with her because she’s a woman. This is
significant because it reveals the fact that she is a daring woman. Not only that, but the
fact that she plans on taking her daughter reveals that they have a sturdy relationship,
they share similar experiences because after all they are the only women in the family.
The author further goes on to communicate details on the physical appearance of Ma, she
says “Maw was a tall rangy woman. She had a strong handsome face, with high
cheekbones and a good firm chin line.” The use of the word handsome adds a masculine
energy to her, masculine energy is often associated with bravery. “Her eyes were veiled
as though she had shut herself off from her surroundings, and was thinking private
thoughts or nothing at all.” These lines communicate that she is trying to disconnect
herself from the chaos that prevails around her. Along with this the author also wrote “My
mother was not a complainer. She was an endurer.” This line truly shows how determined
she is, Ma unlike most women of this time is willing to stand up against her husband
fighting for the respect she deserves as his equal rather than “just a woman.” All of the
traits mentioned previously allow Elizabeth to go through an empowering inner journey.
Sylvie , the narrator of Budge Wilson’s story “The Leaving” is the 12 year old daughter of
Maw and Pa. The audience gets limited information on her physical appearance, but the
insight we get from her narration makes up for it. This story features several important

inner journeys, and Sylvies too is a very important one. The author shows Sylvie
transforming from an innocent child to an understanding individual. In the beginning of
the story Sylvie says “I didn’t want to go anywhere.” The fact that she does not want to
go anywhere proves that she does not realize that there are problems within their
household. The issues present have been normalized since she’s young and her home is
all she has known. This is significant because it allows the reader to truly see her change
as she evolves into a very understanding individual. Overall, Sylvie is a well behaved
young girl who obeys her parents rules and this is communicated when she says “If your
father wanted you to shovel snow or fetch eggs, he told you, and you did it… Same with
Maw.” She attends school and is looking forward to being the “fairy in the school play.”
This proves that she values school in general and her education. Sylvie is also a very
caring and considerate individual, this is revealed when she questions whether her