The Stone Diaries

A recurring symbol in the novel is the stone, which appears in many forms throughout, from the literal stones that are carved from the quarry in Manitoba to the name “Stone” present in the title. In some way, stones have literally and figuratively shaped the lives of the characters. Cuyler and Magnus are both stonecutters in Tyndall, a small village known for its stonecutting business. Cuyler becomes well-known for building stone monuments, both the tower on Mercy’s grave and the pyramid in Indiana. Daisy’s mother, Mercy, is given the surname “Stone” because the Stonewall Orphanage gives this name to children of unknown parentage.

Both the name and the rock itself are used to build connection and a solid sense of identity that seems to contradict an actual stone: cold, hard, unforgiving. Similar to the way Cuyler carves the rock with words and pictures, the narrative carves the stone into Daisy’s picture of a family. She even imagines herself turned to stone at the moment of death. As Daisy notes, “Life turned to stone” (301); this comment is meant as a reassuring statement of life rather than a pessimistic view of death.