Historical/Literary Context
Canada, like New Zealand was a British colony, and is a member state of the
Commonwealth. Canada gained its independence from Great Britain via the British North
America Act(BNA Act) on July 1, 1867.
Independence was negotiated and achieved democratically; there are a variety of theories
as to how the BNA Act can/should be interpreted. One of the more popular theories is that
the Confederation of Canada was a compact between the two founding nations: France and
Great Britain. This had led to much unrest in the 148 years since, as the French feel that
they have been assimilated and their culture threatened. Also, the First Nations, Mtis, and
Inuit (FNMI) people were essentially ignored as founding partners.
The Canadian experience also differed greatly from American Independence in that the U.S.
declared war on Britain (in 1776), and then aggressively fought for their independence. In
the ninety years of American Independence that preceded Canadian Confederation, the U.S.
continued to aggressively expand, which was one of the reasons for Canadian
Confederation: to prevent American encroachment. The contrast in the birth of these two
nations must be considered when looking at the historical context that is so crucial to the
study of literature.
A Crisis of Identity
Canada became the worlds first officially multi-cultural nation with The Multi-culturalism
Act (1971), and is often described as a cultural mosaic, in contrast to the cultural
melting pot, that has been used to describe the United States. Because of its initial French
colonisation, it is also officially bi-lingual. There are also more than 65 native dialects
spoken representing at least the same number of ethnic groups. Immigration from Eastern
Europe in the 20th century and Asia in the 21st century have given rise to significant
populations of Chinese, Ukrainian, Japanese, Indian, Philippino communities as well as many
dozens more from elsewhere in the world.
The American influence on culture and society is hard to ignore. Sharing the largest border
in the world, with the worlds largest economy, in an era of globalisation, makes it difficult
to differentiate between the two nations. This is furthered by the fact that 75% of
Canadians live within 160km of the U.S. border. Therefore, the cultural behemoth to the
south, and the existence/celebration of more than 200 ethnic groups within its borders,
makes Canadian identity difficult to define.
A Literary Reflection of Canadian Culture
Despite its size geographically (9,093,510.0km2), Canada is a relatively small country. Its
population density is one of the lowest in the world 3.4/km2 (smaller even than New
Zealand at 16/km2). With such a small voice, Canada has a hard time being heard, and with
such a diverse background, it does not know where it is coming from either. Much of the
Canadian climate is in the Arctic Circle, or sub-arctic regions, where temperatures range
from -55C to 20C in the summer. Such weather defines anyone who lives in such a
climates existence. Since literature is reflective of culture and the experience of a nation,
Canadian literature is fraught with themes such as these.
Common Themes in Canadian Literature
Nature - The idea of humans against the elements is one of the key themes in Canadian
literature, particularly early Canadian literature. Canada is a hostile climate, particularly in
The Pioneer Experience - Canadians are generally proud of their country, and proud that
they can handle such an extreme climate. The early settlement of Canada was cruel and
unforgiving, it was very hard work settling and then working land which had been inhabited
by only several hundred thousand people for thousands of years. There are many historical
fiction and non-fiction novels that deal with the colonisation of Canada, and the hard
working blue collar mentality that went into settlement is well celebrated in Canadian
literature. Stories of historical heroes like the Voyageurs are as common to young
Canadians as cowboy and Indian stories are to Americans.
Canadas Position in the World - These are the themes that dominate contemporary
Canadian literature. Authors from a variety of ethnic backgrounds explore issues in modern
day Canadian society, and many rail against the ever-present onslaught of American culture
that is inescapable. The fragmentation of Canadian society, particularly the French-English
divide, and aboriginal relations are common features of shorter literature especially.
Canadian stories set in smaller towns often see characters convey a sense of
disillusionment with the world around them. These feelings are often fuelled by the isolation
felt in such places as they can seem cut off from other towns, and the wider world at large.
Canadas first and only Literary Nobel Laureate(2013), Alice Munros, stories reflect these
latter themes, while the work of people like Mordecai Richler reinforces the former.
The Garrison Mentality - literary critic Northrop Frye has advanced the theory of The
Garrison Mentality in Canadian literature. It holds that characters are always looking
outwards and building metaphorical walls against the outside world. This mentality is
assumed to come from part of the Canadian identity that fears the emptiness of the
Canadian landscape, and the theory itself has grown out of the previous three themes
mentioned here. Texts that explore this theme also fear the oppressiveness of other nations
(especially the United States).
Other Issues Shaping Canadian Literature
Canadian identity is often questioned and hard to define. Canada has arguably the weakest
tie to the Commonwealth because of its proximity to the United States, its economic size
and political independence. Because Canadians in general do not know how to identify what
Canadian being is, but are decidedly not-American. Because of its independence from
Britain, and colonial bi-culturalism, it does not identify readily with the commonwealth nor
does the Commonwealth identify with it reciprocally. Typical Canadian themes are hard to
identify, and there is not one theme that would encapsulate the traditional Canadian
experience.
History remains a prominent feature of Canadian literature. The immigrant experience has
been increasingly reflected in the post-modern era, and as Canadian literature gains
international acclaim, it is these stories that gain notoriety including Man Booker Prize
winner Yann Martels Life of Pi, and Lawrence Hills The Book of Negroes. (published in New
Zealand under the title Someone Knows My Name)
Notable Canadian Authors