Society's firewood A literary essay on Margaret Laurence's 'The Half-Husky' by Mark Rozema What is it that determines what a person is to become? Is it our genetic makeup or is it our environment – the sum of our experiences that brings our personalities upon us? In the short, loosely autobiographical story; 'The Half-husky' the author; Margaret Laurence, gives her say on this. Harvey's attitude and personality correspond with his environment; Vanessa's attitude is in tandem with her environment, and Nanuk has both a loving and a savage side. Is this simply his nature or is it the sum of...
a heated basement, cold outside or a combination of both. Margaret Laurence answers one of life's big questions in The Half-Husky; nature vs. nurture. She suggests that environment determines a person's value to society, not blood or breed. You have some control over the environment that you live your life in, you choose your friends. Hang out with the 'birch logs' and you might find that some of their bark rubs off onto you. Place yourself in healthy situations. So where are you stored, in the basement among the birch logs or outside in the pile of useless poplar?