Letteratura Canadese

Commonwealth and federal state

Canada is a Commonwealth political position, operating as a federal state with a parliamentary monarchy that is independent from the UK, maintaining only a formal relation. The Governor General is the person who represents the Queen/UK. The cultural blend between British and American influences makes it difficult to give birth to a national identity. Canada is a bilingual country with French and English as official languages alongside various native languages.

Historical development

The 1867 Confederation marked the first Unitary Act, leading to a period between 1867 and 1930 where Canada worked on building a nation without a distinct cultural identity. In 1930, the Group of 7 initiated the first national pictorial movement, involving the East Coast (Atlantic Ocean) and areas around Toronto and Montreal. Canada is a vast state with very few inhabitants, leading to a unique relationship between the inhabitants and the landscape/wilderness.

Canadian Renaissance and cultural movements

Susanna Moodie, a British middle-aged woman, moved with her family to Canada because of the crisis in the UK. The Canadian Renaissance in the 1960s and 1970s saw everyone looking back to Moodie to find identity. The National Film Board of Canada was established to help the nation create an identity through the production of documentaries (Grierson) and cartoons (MacLaren) to educate people.

Literary influences and identity

During the 30s of the 19th century to the 1960s-80s, literature was influenced by transcendentalism with figures like Melville and Hawthorne embracing modernism and new literary narratives, including open ending novels, intertextuality, and irony. Margaret Atwood utilized Moodie's books to explore the search for a new identity. In 2013, Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize, highlighting the challenge of diversity.

Multiculturalism and identity

The American "melting pot" approach aimed to unite different ethnicities into a unifying culture, while Canada, from a political perspective, introduced the 1970s Multiculturalism Act allowing all ethnicities to cultivate their original language and culture, sponsoring minorities to publish Canadian mosaic. This approach was criticized for potentially causing the ghettoization of diversity.

National symbols and stereotypes

Canada is known for symbols like the maple leaf on its flag, with natives known to have started producing maple syrup. Iconic animals include the moose, beaver, seal, beluga, and caribou. Popular sports include lacrosse, played by Natives, and hockey. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or "giubbe rosse," was created in 1982 by the UK to control the western prairies and is now part of the police force.

Wilderness and cultural mentality

Survival in Canada is a mentality forged against the hostility of nature and the rigidity of climate to develop a specific national identity, not influenced by the UK/US. The "garrison mentality" encourages a defense from the outside world, emphasizing self-reliance.

Peacekeeping role

The term "peacekeeping" is a Canadian concept. In the first half of the 20th century, Canada was asked to defend peace and justice globally. During the Suez Crisis (1956), Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs Lester B. Pearson suggested the UN station a multinational peacekeeping force. Key elements include placating peace forces between opposing sides, offering humanitarian aid, repatriating refugees, clearing mines, and supporting stable politicians. In the 1990s, during the Rwanda crisis, General Dallaire played a crucial role in maintaining peace.

Multiculturalism and immigration

Canada is a land of immigration from Europe and Asia, forming a multiethnic society. Third and fourth-generation immigrants have now integrated, with integration issues mainly involving visible minorities, such as black people. The concept of hyphenated identity emerged, reflecting the blend of stratified and Canadian cultures. The mosaic approach helps preserve original cultures and sponsors literature. In the early '70s, the government invested in multiculturalism to address immigration issues, wanting people to maintain their original cultures and languages. The "salad bowl" metaphor describes keeping cultural differences without melting into one.

Geography

Canada is a huge nation, ranking fourth globally and first considering land and sea areas. It stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and northward, with less than 40 million inhabitants and no average density. It consists of 10 provinces and 3 northern territories. From a political perspective, Queen Elizabeth is the formal head of state.

History

Before conquest, Canada was inhabited by natives, including Inuits in the north and different roots in the south, known as Kanada. Documents from 1000 AD indicate that the Norse reached Newfoundland. In the 1500s, fishing expeditions by Spain and France marked the start of European colonization. In 1534, Jacques Cartier officially colonized the area, entering the Gulf of St. Lawrence. By 1605, the French established themselves in Nova Scotia, attracted by fur trade opportunities.

In 1670, the English created the Hudson's Bay Company, leading to 100 years of friction with the French. By 1713, the French began losing power against the English. In 1763, the French were expelled from Canada but remained part of the English colony. In 1791, Upper (English) and Lower (French) Canada were divided. In 1837, a French rebellion occurred due to economic reasons. In 1841, the provinces were reunited. The 1867 Dominion of Canada was established through the British North American Confederation Act. In 1982, the Canada Act gave Canada control over its constitution, ratified on April 25th, 1982.

Susanna Moodie

Born in 1803 in England and passing in 1885 in Canada, Susanna Moodie's original surname was Strickland. Her brother and sister were both writers. She began writing at 19, and in 1831 married John Moodie, a retired officer from the Napoleonic wars. Due to the economic crisis in the UK, the middle class struggled to maintain their standards, prompting many to emigrate. In 1832, she emigrated to Canada with her husband and daughter, settling on a farm near Petersburg, where her brother already resided.

The first years were challenging as they were unaccustomed to manual labor and practical jobs. Their pioneer life lasted until 1840, during which she continued writing letters and diaries, providing valuable insights into colonial life, Ontario's wildlife, and the community. Economic depression led to a rebellion led by William Lyon Mackenzie in Upper Canada, where her husband served in the army against him alongside loyalists. After the war ended in 1840, John was rewarded by becoming sheriff of Belleville, ending their pioneer life and allowing a return to a middle-class lifestyle with more time for writing. She remained in Belleville after John's death and is buried there.

One of her notable works, "Roughing it in the Bush," was written in Belleville, compiling materials from her pioneer years. Published in 1852, it is a prose work with a few poems, classified as an emigrants guide, emphasizing her struggles during the first eight years in Canada. She even lost a child during this time, an event reinterpreted by Margaret Atwood in a poem. Her aim was to dissuade English people from immigrating to Canada by advising and warning them of the difficulties they could face.

The composition of the book includes:

• Introduction
• Why emigrate: Wealthy people don't leave their mother country unless they "have to" due to urgent causes. Sometimes, emigration is necessary to avoid the shame of failing to maintain one's social status.
• Choice of country: Addressing the middle class, educated to instruct people on what to do but lacking practical experience.