canadian short story

8/14/2019 Canadian Short Story

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Canadian Short StoryCanadian Short StoryNature writingNature writing


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BeginningsBeginnings

Haliburton,Haliburton, The Clock-Maker:The Clock-Maker:- the stories of Sam Slick- the stories of Sam Slick

- the Yankee against the Nova Scotian- the Yankee against the Nova Scotian

- characters at the margins of two cultures- characters at the margins of two cultures The Strickland sisters:The Strickland sisters:

- Susanna Moodies A Visit to Grosse Isle- Susanna Moodies A Visit to Grosse Isleand Brian, the Still-Hunterand Brian, the Still-Hunter

- the effect of fiction- the effect of fiction

- a dominant voice throughout the 19- a dominant voice throughout the 19thth c.c.

-- The Journals of Susanna MoodieThe Journals of Susanna Moodie, 1970, 1970Margaret AtwoodMargaret Atwood


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The Confederation YearsThe Confederation Years

The pull of the USThe pull of the US

marketmarket

Colourful characters:Colourful characters:

Metis, Mounties,Metis, Mounties,

NativesNatives

The lure of the North:The lure of the North:

- romantic tales of- romantic tales of

adventureadventure

- provincial- provincial

stereotypesstereotypes

Mistic Creek, Brenda Schmidt


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ModernismModernism

Stephen Leacock:Stephen Leacock:

Literary Lapses, 1910Literary Lapses, 1910

Sunshine Sketches of a Little town 1912Sunshine Sketches of a Little town 1912

Arcadian Adventures of the Idle Rich 1914Arcadian Adventures of the Idle Rich 1914

-- created the mythic town of Mariposacreated the mythic town of Mariposa

- created an indicative English Canadian- created an indicative English Canadian

form: the short-story cycleform: the short-story cycle


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The Short-Story CycleThe Short-Story Cycle

D.C. Scott,D.C. Scott, In the Village of Viger,In the Village of Viger, 18961896

Stephen LeacockStephen Leacock

J. G. Sime, Sister Women, 1919J. G. Sime, Sister Women, 1919

F. P. Grove,F. P. Grove, Over Prairie Trails,Over Prairie Trails, 19221922

Emily Carr,Emily Carr, Klee WyckKlee Wyck, 1941, 1941

George Elliott,George Elliott, The Kissing ManThe Kissing Man 19621962

Alice MunroAlice Munro Who Do You Think You Are?Who Do You Think You Are?19781978


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The Small Town SettingThe Small Town Setting

Serene, nostalgicSerene, nostalgic

settingssettings

Gentle, ironicGentle, ironic

humor, lampooninghumor, lampooning Simple, sentimentalSimple, sentimental

attachment of theattachment of the

characters to theircharacters to their

placeplaceLunenburg,

a famous small historic town on the

south shore of Nova Scotia


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D.C. ScottsD.C. Scotts In the Village of VigerIn the Village of Viger

Anticipation of:Anticipation of:

- the stark loneliness- the stark loneliness

of Joyces charactersof Joyces characters

inin DublinersDubliners 19141914

- Sherwood Andersons- Sherwood Andersons

Winesburg, OhioWinesburg, Ohio 19191919

- Hemingways- Hemingways In OurIn OurTimeTime 19241924
http://www.nwpassages.com/shoppingcart_add.asp?isbn=0771034601


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Morley CallaghanMorley Callaghan

1903-19901903-1990 Part of the BohemianPart of the Bohemian

circles in Paris in thecircles in Paris in the

1920s1920s

Tapping of the richTapping of the richpossibilities of foreignpossibilities of foreign

marketsmarkets

That Summer in ParisThat Summer in Paris

19631963


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A member of another nation andA member of another nation and

civilization because he dealt too littlecivilization because he dealt too little

with identifiable Canadian detailswith identifiable Canadian details

Recognized the postcolonial culturalRecognized the postcolonial culturalposition of English Canadaposition of English Canada

Recognized the need to focus onRecognized the need to focus on

Canadian life itselfCanadian life itself


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A Native ArgosyA Native Argosy 1929:1929:

- spare, laconic prose- spare, laconic prose

- moralistic, Catholic themes- moralistic, Catholic themes

- vague, North American rather- vague, North American rather

than Canadian settingsthan Canadian settings


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Anthologies of Canadian StoriesAnthologies of Canadian Stories

Robert Weaver edited five volumes ofRobert Weaver edited five volumes of

Canadian stories from Oxford UniversityCanadian stories from Oxford University

Press through the 1950s and 1960sPress through the 1950s and 1960s

In theIn the Second SeriesSecond Series 1968 included:1968 included:Hugh garner, Mavis Gallant, MargaretHugh garner, Mavis Gallant, Margaret

Laurence, Mordecai Richler, Hugh Wood,Laurence, Mordecai Richler, Hugh Wood,

Alice Munro, Dave GodfreyAlice Munro, Dave Godfrey


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Anthologies of Canadian StoriesAnthologies of Canadian Stories

John Metcalf,John Metcalf, Sixteen by TwelveSixteen by Twelve

19701970, The Narrative Voice, The Narrative Voice 19721972

Mordecai Richler,Mordecai Richler, CanadianCanadianWriting Today,Writing Today, 1970s1970s

To bring the short story to theTo bring the short story to the

classroomclassroom


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Mavis GallantMavis Gallant

1922-1922- An expatriate in ParisAn expatriate in Paris

Lives as a foreigner inLives as a foreigner in

another cultureanother culture

In the 1960s almostIn the 1960s almostall her storiesall her stories

appeared first in theappeared first in the

New YorkerNew Yorker

From 1970s aFrom 1970s a

renaissance in Canadarenaissance in Canada


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Alice MunroAlice Munro

1931 -1931 - Dance of the HappyDance of the Happy

Shade,Shade, 19681968

Lives of Girls andLives of Girls and

Women,Women, 19711971

Something Ive beenSomething Ive been

Meaning to Tell You,Meaning to Tell You,19741974

Selected Stories,Selected Stories, 19961996 The Love of a GoodThe Love of a Good

Woman,Woman, 19981998


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Nature-writingNature-writing

Canadian nature as physical challengeCanadian nature as physical challengeDoubting the adequacy of the human pointDoubting the adequacy of the human point

of view as a central focalizing deviceof view as a central focalizing device

Critical models of Canadian identity:Critical models of Canadian identity:

- Northrop Fryes garrison mentality- Northrop Fryes garrison mentality

- Margaret Atwoods survival- Margaret Atwoods survival

- Robert Kroetschs disunity as unity- Robert Kroetschs disunity as unity

- Frank Daveys Canada as a site of social- Frank Daveys Canada as a site of social

contestationcontestation


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Remained anthropocentric rather thanRemained anthropocentric rather thanecocentricecocentric

Focused not on the environment but onFocused not on the environment but on

its human inhabitantsits human inhabitantsStriking limitation given the ratherStriking limitation given the rather

marginal presence of humans in such amarginal presence of humans in such avast territoryvast territory

Nature-writing as a specifically UsNature-writing as a specifically Uspreoccupationpreoccupation


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Nature-writing in the 18th and 19Nature-writing in the 18th and 19thth

CenturiesCenturiesThe explorationThe exploration

narratives of 18narratives of 18thth century:century:

- emphasis on vast- emphasis on vastspacesspaces

- personal darings- personal daringsThe settler narratives ofThe settler narratives of

early 19early 19thth century:century:

- local knowledge- local knowledge

- mocking of human- mocking of human

endeavorsendeavors


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Delos White Beadle,

Canadian Fruit, Flower, and KitchenGarden, 1872

Birds of Ontario,

Thomas McIlwraith,
http://www.biblio.com/books/12239054.html


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Nature-writing: telling storiesNature-writing: telling stories

Earnest Thompson Setons animal storiesEarnest Thompson Setons animal stories

- humanized characters- humanized characters

- inspired others- inspired others

Charles G.D. Robertss animal storiesCharles G.D. Robertss animal stories Archibald Stansfeld Belaney, Grey Owl;Archibald Stansfeld Belaney, Grey Owl;

- faked his own life- faked his own life

- elegiac lament for lost harmony- elegiac lament for lost harmony- autobiographical tale of self-discovery- autobiographical tale of self-discovery


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Modern versionsModern versions

Farley MowatsFarley Mowats Never Cry WolfNever Cry Wolf, 1963 the, 1963 thebest-known modern version of the genrebest-known modern version of the genre

- a parable about the human desire to- a parable about the human desire to

identify with and yet separate oneself fromidentify with and yet separate oneself fromthe animalsthe animals Sharon ButalaaSharon Butalaa The Perfection of theThe Perfection of the

MorningMorning, 1994: nature and human psyche, 1994: nature and human psyche

Mark HumesMark Humes River of the Angry MoonRiver of the Angry Moon,,1998: critique of the damage humans do1998: critique of the damage humans doto ancient ecosystemsto ancient ecosystems

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