Fall on Your Knees
Faizan Sadiq
Frances Piper: The Devil’s Advocate?
In Fall On Your Knees, Ann-Marie MacDonald presents a vivid and life-like character in Frances Piper. Frances Piper is one of the four Piper girls, and she is different from the rest of them. From her early childhood, Frances is a bold and naughty girl who is always getting herself into trouble. She has a great mischievous streak which troubles her father, James Piper, immensely. James Piper himself has a demon-like personality at various times throughout the novel, some of which he collects from his father in his early childhood. In a similar fashion to Frances’s father’s past, the reader can visualize Frances getting accustomed to her father’s personality and see her become a demon herself, trying to get back at her father. In a way, Frances can be seen as the Devil’s advocate. However, how can a young and sweet girl carry such a negative impact to her family, especially when she is the heart of this novel? Although Frances can be visualized as the Devil’s advocate by her actions, various characters, and the loss of her innocence through her father, Frances is a sweet, young, and seldom frightened girl who is trying to live a life that her grandmother, mother, and sisters have not – a life filled with new adventures, and life risking actions, all while maintaining a good heart.
The life that could never be attained by Materia is achieved by Frances to some extent. Frances is always looking for adventures and risk. Moreover, Frances Piper’s change in nature can be seen the day of the funeral of Materia, her mother. She cannot control the laughter that escapes her while the funeral is taking place. However, she is amazed when James and Mercedes, her sister, think that she is crying. In that moment of her life, Frances learns something “that will allow her to survive and function for the rest of her life. She finds out that one thing can look like another . . . Some would simply say Frances learned how to
Frances Piper: The Devil’s Advocate?
In Fall On Your Knees, Ann-Marie MacDonald presents a vivid and life-like character in Frances Piper. Frances Piper is one of the four Piper girls, and she is different from the rest of them. From her early childhood, Frances is a bold and naughty girl who is always getting herself into trouble. She has a great mischievous streak which troubles her father, James Piper, immensely. James Piper himself has a demon-like personality at various times throughout the novel, some of which he collects from his father in his early childhood. In a similar fashion to Frances’s father’s past, the reader can visualize Frances getting accustomed to her father’s personality and see her become a demon herself, trying to get back at her father. In a way, Frances can be seen as the Devil’s advocate. However, how can a young and sweet girl carry such a negative impact to her family, especially when she is the heart of this novel? Although Frances can be visualized as the Devil’s advocate by her actions, various characters, and the loss of her innocence through her father, Frances is a sweet, young, and seldom frightened girl who is trying to live a life that her grandmother, mother, and sisters have not – a life filled with new adventures, and life risking actions, all while maintaining a good heart.
The life that could never be attained by Materia is achieved by Frances to some extent. Frances is always looking for adventures and risk. Moreover, Frances Piper’s change in nature can be seen the day of the funeral of Materia, her mother. She cannot control the laughter that escapes her while the funeral is taking place. However, she is amazed when James and Mercedes, her sister, think that she is crying. In that moment of her life, Frances learns something “that will allow her to survive and function for the rest of her life. She finds out that one thing can look like another . . . Some would simply say Frances learned how to
Cited: Georgis, Dina. "Falling for Jazz: Desire, Dissonance, and Racial Collaboration." Canadian Review of American Studies, 35.2 (2005): 215-229. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. Robinson, Laura. "Remodeling An Old-Fashioned Girl – Troubling Girlhood in Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Fall on Your Knees." Canadian Literature, 186 (2005): 30-45. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2009. Parro, Gabriella. "’Who’s Your Father, Dear?’ Bloodlines and Miscegenation in Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Fall on Your Knees." Canadian Review of American Studies, 35.2 (2005): 177-193. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2009.