IDENTITY AND VICTIMHOOD IN CANADIAN LITERATURE

Abstract

In her Survival: Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature, Margaret Atwood observes that those who suddenly find themselves teaching Canadian literature, something they never studied before, are encountered with two essential questions: “What’s Canadian about Canadian literature, and why should we be bothered?”. In countries other than Canada, these questions become even more important, since many students who study English language and literature are exposed through much of their education mainly to the world-wide famous British and American works and authors, and never think of Canadian literature as a separate entity. Due to this, it is imperative to answer Atwood’s questions, and show that in teaching and studying Canadian literature, its national and cultural aspect should also be taken into consideration. The paper argues that much of Canadian literature relies on the quest for an identity which is distinctly different from the American, English, or French. Selected examples from the literary works of some of the most famous Canadian authors2 serve to illustrate that the quest itself is often hindered by the symbolic gap between Canada’s colonial past and its modern present, as well as between Canadian wilderness and Canadian urban territories. Consequently, Canadian literature abounds with literary figures who are represented as victims, whose victimhood should be perceived as an essential part of Canadian identity.