Canada’s literary enterprise has passed through many stages. Discuss its journey and the impacts that have helped Canada to evolve its own literary traditions and identity.
Solution
The path that literature has taken in Canada has been influenced by a number of different things, such as the country’s colonial past, its relationships with the United States and Britain, and the existence of a variety of indigenous cultures.
In the early days of European colonization in Canada, the literary canon was greatly impacted by works from both the United Kingdom and the United States. Many of the early Canadian authors, such as Susanna Moodie and Catherine Parr Traill, were immigrants who wrote about their experiences adjusting to life in a new nation in their works. Other early Canadian writers also wrote about their experiences. These authors concentrated a lot of their attention on the hard reality of life as a pioneer and the fight to establish themselves in a new area.
A new generation of authors came into being in the late 19th and early 20th century, about the same time that Canada was beginning to forge its own identity. These authors, such as Stephen Leacock and Ernest Thompson Seton, started investigating the distinctive facets of Canadian culture and identity, such as the country’s natural landscapes and the experiences of its indigenous peoples. Other authors in this vein include Margaret Atwood and Louise Erdrich.
In the middle of the 20th century, a collection of authors who came to be known as the “Group of Seven” arose with the goal of writing works that did justice to the breathtaking natural scenery of Canada. These authors, such as A.Y. Jackson and Lawren Harris, wrote of their relationship to the Canadian wilderness and how it inspired their work. Their body of work is widely regarded as one of the most significant contributions to Canadian literature due to the fact that it was instrumental in the formation of the country’s literary identity.
In the years following World War II, Canada’s literary identity continued to develop as a new generation of writers investigated the multicultural character of the country. During this time period, writers such as Mordecai Richler and Margaret Atwood came into their own as voices in the literary world. Richler wrote about the Jewish community in Montreal, and Atwood wrote about the experiences of women and the feminist movement.
In recent years, the literary landscape in Canada has become increasingly diversified, reflecting the expanding variety that exists throughout the country. Indigenous authors such as Tomson Highway and Richard Van Camp have received acclaim on both a national and worldwide scale for their writings that examine aspects of Indigenous history and culture as well as the lives of Indigenous people.
In addition, authors who come from immigrant backgrounds have also made important contributions to the literary environment of Canada. For instance, authors like Dionne Brand and M.G. Vassanji have written about their experiences as immigrants, and in doing so, they have contributed to the expansion of the country’s literary traditions to include a variety of voices and points of view from a wider range of backgrounds.
In general, the voyage of Canadian literature has been influenced by a number of different circumstances, including as the country’s colonial past, its relationship with the United States and Britain, and the existence of a range of indigenous cultures. Canada has been successful in developing its own distinct culture and customs thanks in large part to its rich literary history. This has assisted in fostering a feeling of national pride and cultural understanding, both of which continue to play an essential part in the process of building the country in its current form.