The Crazy Man
The Crazy Man is a Canadian children's story written by Pamela Porter in 2005. This juvenile fiction book has received many awards and was selected for the Governor General’s Literary Award. The story is set in 1965 about a girl named Emaline who lives on a farm in Saskatchewan. Emaline's family falls apart after a terrible tractor accident. After chasing her beloved dog, Emaline's father accidentally ran over her leg with a tractor leaving her permanently disabled. Because of guilt, Emaline's father shot her dog, Prince, and ended up leaving Emaline and her mother on their own. The narrative follows Emaline as she deals with prejudice, fear, her disability, and the absence of her father.
 First edition | |
| Author | Pamela Porter |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Karine Daisay (design) |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's Literature |
| Publisher | Groundwoods Books/House of Anansi Press (first edition) |
Publication date | 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 214 pp (first edition) |
Plot Summary
The Crazy Man is set in 1965 in Saskatchewan, Canada. Pamela Porter reinforces the harsh times by incorporating day-to-day life during the Vietnam War, Communism, and The Cold War. Financial times were tough.
The novel begins by introducing the protagonist Emaline, who is a twelve-year- old girl who like other little girls, loves playing with friends and going to school. Emaline lives on a farm where she is involved in a terrible tractor accident. This accident happens while trying to save her dog, Prince from being run over by a tractor. Emaline succeeds in saving her dog but unfortunately her leg is caught in the tractor. Shortly after, Emaline's father, Cal decides to leave everything behind. This includes the family farm, his family, crippled child, and all responsibilities. To make matters worse, he shoots Prince the family dog. He does this as he blames himself for Emaline's tractor accident, and the fact that he was reluctantly forced into the family business of farming. Emaline's father blamed himself, but took it out on the dog.
Emaline can not understand why her loving father would do this to her and her mother. Throughout the novel, she continuously wonders why her father left and when her father would come back; “I think about dad. How in the world could someone just disappear?”.[1] As a result Emaline blames herself. The guilt Emaline feels about her father leaving consumes her thoughts.
Since Cal is no longer on the farm, there is no one left to seed the farm fields. During the spring time, Clarice, Emaline's mother has to find someone to seed the fields for them as farming is the only source of income for the family. Clarice cannot find anyone to seed their fields so she ends up hiring a big man who is a mental patient from the mental hospital. This infuriates the town, as they assume that this man will harm and terrorize them. A towns person explains to others“That man is from the mental, stay away from him.” [1] The town's people make it necessary to purposely drive by Emaline's house to tease and laugh at “The Crazy Man” working in the farm fields known as Angus. Frank, the town mechanic drives by daily and yell out“ I hear you have a sub-human out there” and others would call Angus “The Gorilla.” [1] What the town people do not realize is that Angus is an extremely gentle and caring individual who would not hurt anyone or harm anything.[2] In fact Angus is a very good farmer and great gardener. He treats everything he touches with respect. However the town's people can not see past his mental illness, and on many occasions they accuse him of stealing from the local grocery store, later to find out that all accusations are false.
The towns people realize that Angus is not only like everyone else, he is actually a brave and compassionate individual. He displays this by courageously saving a young boy named Joey Record. Angus does this even after Harry Record (Joey Record's father) drives Angus to the other end of town in attempt to make Angus suffer in a snowstorm. On Angus’s long and bitterly cold walk back to the farm he comes across Joey freezing in the snow. Despite the mistreatment Angus has experienced, he willingly scoops Joey up with his big arms and walks him to the hospital to save his life. After the town has heard what Angus has done their opinions on him have changed dramatically. Instead of teasing and being frightened of him, all the towns people want to shake his hand and thank him. Angus is a hero. The novel wraps up with the farm fields growing beautifully, the best they have ever grown and Emaline, Clarice, and Angus happily dancing under the Northern Lights without Cal,enjoying life like they once had before the tractor accident. Like Miss Tollofsen always said, “Everyday is a fresh start. No matter what hijinks someone had done the day before.”[1] The main message of the novel is to treat every individual with respect regardless of their background or appearance. Because of Angus's mental disorder, he is an example of an unlikely hero.
Information about the Author
Pamela Porter of Sydney, British Columbia is an influential Canadian writer and poet. Porter received her undergraduate degree in English from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and later gained her MFA in creative writing from the University of Montana.[3] Pamela Porter was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on July 14, 1956. As Pamela grew up she lived in several other places within the United States such as Texas, Louisiana, Washington, and Montana. Although Porter lived in many places, she eventually settled down after meeting her husband. Currently Porter and her husband live in North Saanich British Columbia, Canada and every summer Porter and her family visit her husband’s farm in Saskatchewan to help work the fields and enjoy relaxing summer vacations. This is interesting because Porters novel The Crazy Man is set on the farmlands of Saskatchewan.[3]
Awards
Pamela Porter has won a phenomenal amount of prestigious awards for her novel The Crazy Man. She has revieved the Governor General’s Literary Award,The Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award, The Bilson Award for Historical Fiction, and lastly the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award.[3]
Character backgrounds
- Cal Bitterman- Emaline's Father and Clarice’s husband. Cal shoots the family dog after Emaline has a terrible accident with the farm tractor. Cal blames himself for the accident. Cal leaves everything behind without any notice and goes to work the railroad. He has no contact with his family after he leaves.
- Prince- The family dog in which Emaline loves and later finds out her father has killed.
- Clarice- Emaline's mother and husband to Cal.
- Emaline- Protagonist and narrerator of the novel, story is based around her and her feelings around Angus and her father.
- Reverend Douglas- Preacher and Mayor of Saskatchewan, passes a law in order to have Emalines hospital fees paid for by the government.
- Miss Sadie Tollfsen- Emaline's sixth grade teacher who visits her while in the hospital and encourages her artwork. She is not only Emaline's teacher but her friend.
- Jamie Record- Son of Harry and Vida Record, school friend and neighbor of Emaline.
- Joey Record- Son of Harry and Vida Record, school friend and neighbor of Emaline's. Joey almost freezes to death from a blizzard before Angus saves him.
- Harry Record- Parent of Jamie and Joey, husband of Vida. Harry strongly dislikes Angus and he attempts to murder Angus.
- Vida Record- Wife and mother of Harry, Jamie, and Joey.
- Mei Wang- Emaline's friend from school. It is made clear in the novel that she and her family are Chinese.
- Dr. Phillips- Emaline's doctor who works with Emaline to heal her broken leg from Emaline's tractor accident.
- Angus- "The Crazy Man" hired by Clarice to seed the farm when her husband walkes out on them. Angus suffers from a mental illness and is not well received from the town until the end of the novel.
- Frank- Town mechanic who drives by the farm only to taunt Angus and the family.
- Mr. McGilivary- Town grocer of OK Economy grocery who accuses Angus of stealing.
- D’Arcy Pettit- Chief Constabulary Officer (RCMP).
- Miss Griffin- Town Librarian.
- Mr. Sidlosk- Angus’s doctor from the mental hospital. He helps Angus build a shoe for Emaline so she can walk properly.
- Louise- Secretary at El Rancho Motel, where Emaline's father Cal stays after he leave the family.
- Mr. Liddle- Emaline's seventh grade teacher who encourages her to volunteer at an animal shelter.
- Mrs. Spiske- the owner of the animal shelter where Emaline volunteers.
- Meeka- Emaline's new dog (after Prince) which she got from the animal shelter where she volunteers.
References
- 1 2 3 4 Porter, Pamela (2005). The Crazy Man.
- ↑ Parravano, Martha (February 2006). Horn Book Magazine http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=01856087-42f7-4a4a-a1c0-115030f9a722%40sessionmgr15&vid=6&hid=21. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - 1 2 3 Jenkinson, Dave (October 2007). "Pamela Porter". The Manitoba Library Association.
- Tompson, Angela. “The Crazy Man,” Resource Links. 11.2 (2005): n.pag. Web. 24
October 2013. http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/215236127/abstract?accountid=14656
- Parravano, Martha. “The Crazy Man.” Education Research Complete, Horn Book
Magazine. 82. 1 (2006): n.pag. Web 24 October 2013 http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=01856087-42f7-4a4a-a1c0-115030f9a722%40sessionmgr15&vid=4&hid=21
- Webb, Julie. “The Crazy Man.” School Library Journal. 51. 12 (2005): n.pag. Web. 24
- Jenkinson, Dave. “Pamela Porter Profile” The Manitoba Library Association.
(2007): n.pag. 24 October 2013 http://umanitoba.ca/cm/profiles/porter.html
- Porter, Pamela. The Crazy Man. Toronto: Groundwood Books/ House of Anansi
Press, 2005. Print