Dialogue Summary

Introduction

Our research was inspired by Alison Calder’s article “What Happened to Regionalism?” Calder’s argument is that place should remain a key component of Canadian literature. In a world that is becoming increasingly globalized, we must not lose sight of place. By ignoring setting, writers are failing to address issues that are specific to certain regions, whether these regions be the prairies, the city, or the Great North. Canada is indeed a modern and evolving country, but there remains places in Canada that are unique to our country. We must not forget about these places.

Central Ideas/Issues

1) There is a disconnect between Canadian literature and Canadians

Despite being nearly 2 decades into the 21st century, there is still a popular idea that Canadian literature include elements from the mid-16th century. Canadian literature critics, as well as many outsiders, have the notion that Canadian literature requires an emphasis on the rugged wilderness that makes up our country. Yes, this rugged wilderness still exists (though arguably not in the quantities that it should), and yes, there are still communities in these areas, but today nearly 80% of Canadians live in cities, and nearly 25% of Canadians are immigrants or landed citizens, with many Canadians never having truly experienced the “wilderness lifestyle”. By not adapting our literature to focus more on urbanism (including minority and immigrants), we are not representing many of the people in this country.

2) We, as Canadians, have a narrow view of what is defined as “Canadian literature”

3) Provincial regionalism and the lack of a national identity.

Canadian literature is very much tied to landscapes but also to provinces. Many of the provinces have a specific genre and history when it comes to their literature. However most provinces are ignored and are excluded by the highly stereotyped national identity that the majority of Canadians do not associate with. Provinces such as Quebec have been left out of the larger identity because it is not consistent with what is considered to be “traditional’ Canadian literature. Language and politics do play a strong role; however Quebecois culture and literature has a distinct and strong identity that is not considered to be apart of the larger national identity. For this reason, when it comes to writing, our “national identity” cannot exactly be considered national.

4) Canadian literature as an umbrella term

Unlike other countries such as the United States of America, Canadian literature is expected to adhere to specific genre and style to be considered a part of this national identity. American literature has varying genres, places and writers a part of their national identity, and tends to focus more on larger themes (e.g. “the American Dream”) rather that place. The term “Canadian literature” has been used to describe a singular kind of literature in Canada for far too long, disregarding different places, genres and people in the process. If we are to evolve in a direction that appropriately represents all Canadians, while addressing relevant issues and themes that Canadians see in their lives, Canadian literature should become an umbrella term for all literature that comes from Canada, regardless of genre, region or person. In this way, it can encompass every voice that lives within the vast nation of Canada.

Conclusion

Canadians like the notion of having strong national identity. Much of this identity comes from who we are NOT- i.e. not American. Canadians tend to enjoy looking at the issues elsewhere in the world, and patting ourselves on the back, telling ourselves that these are not problems that are experienced in our country. This pride (deserved or not) leads to patriotism, and for this reason, many Canadians are happy to fall into the categories of Canadian stereotypes (e.g. a humble attitude, a love of hockey, summers spent out by the lake, etc.). Yet perhaps our strongest point of pride is the multicultural quilt that makes up the country itself. Canada is made up of many different groups of people from very different places around the world, and while there is still much work to be done in this area, generally all encouraged to celebrate and follow their cultures. So why is this not recognized in our literature? We need a wider variety of topics and settings in the literature that we read, not an overarching, somewhat stereotypical representation of a national identity that is not truly a representation of modern-day Canada. Canada is a unique country, made up of diverse people and diverse lands. The stories of fishermen in Newfoundland are not the stories of farmers in Manitoba. The stories of young French Canadians in Quebec are the stories of the elders on Haida Gwaii. The stories of Inuit hunters are not the same as the stories of Syrian immigrants in Toronto. Yet all of these people and places are essential to our Canadian identity. Their places must be represented, and their connections to these places must be represented.We must strive to ensure that Canadian literature, our national writing, represents our nation, from sea to sea.

Questions for Future Research

1. With so many Canadians living in cities, how can we encourage connections to the land?

1. What are the negative effects and positive (if any) effects of the stereotypes that have been created through traditional/popular Canadian literature and other forms of media?

1. Why is it that certain places in Canada (such as Quebec) are left out of the larger national identity? What is this national identity and how did it come to be? How does our writing perpetuate this identity?

1. Can Canada shift this national identity to become more inclusive to the different places, voices and stories? How can we change the stereotype on both a national and global level?