Barometer Rising Analysis
ISU Journal #1
A prevalent theme in Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan is women are not seen as equals to men in this time period. This theme often expressed using the character Penelope (Penny) Wain. Penny works as a ship designer in a mainly male shipyard. There are few women in the ship designing field and some men do not approve of Penny’s position in the shipyard. Simon Perry, an employee at the shipyard, admits to Penny, “How the likes of you works in a place like this beats me . . . It ain’t natural for a woman to be smart at this sort of work.” (MacLennan, 13) Not only does Simon find it difficult to believe that Penny actually works at the shipyard, he claims women are not supposed to be good at this work anyway. Men in this book see
A prevalent theme in Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan is women are not seen as equals to men in this time period. This theme often expressed using the character Penelope (Penny) Wain. Penny works as a ship designer in a mainly male shipyard. There are few women in the ship designing field and some men do not approve of Penny’s position in the shipyard. Simon Perry, an employee at the shipyard, admits to Penny, “How the likes of you works in a place like this beats me . . . It ain’t natural for a woman to be smart at this sort of work.” (MacLennan, 13) Not only does Simon find it difficult to believe that Penny actually works at the shipyard, he claims women are not supposed to be good at this work anyway. Men in this book see