What is Canadian Literature?
© Paula E. Kirman
An acquaintance of mine in grade twelve Chemistry said he was going to write the "Great Canadian Novel."
"It is going to be about beavers and Mounties," he said with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek.
Flash cut to university. As an English major, I needed three credits in Canadian literature, either prose or poetry. I opted for prose. We covered everything from Prairie campfire stories to post-modern, ambiguously plotted novels with intricate typographics, to, of all things, Harlequin romances.
"Any course on Canadian Literature would not be complete without a look at Canada's biggest publishing house," said our perky professor.
So what exactly fits into the canon of Canadian Literature? It seems broad -- if the author is Canadian, then his or her work is a part of the country's literary history.
Then how do we explain Carol Shields, the Pulitzer Prize winner for her novel The Stone Diaries? She may have made her home in Winnipeg, but as those in the know realize, Pulitzer Prizes are generally only awarded to American citizens! And yet we collectively claim Stone Diaries -- and Shields -- as our own.
My own feeling is that the definition of Canadian Literature goes deeper than merely whether or not the author is a Canadian. It goes into matters of theme, setting and style. Of course, anything written by a Canadian author can be an all-inclusive guideline, but in situations like Shields' where the lines are a bit blurred, one has to look at the theme of the novel as well as the setting. Personally, I have no qualms calling a book which is set in Flin Flon Canadian, even if the writer is from Indiana. Or if the author has lived in Toronto for the past twenty years but never got around to taking out Canadian citizenship.
After all, to imply that there is a hard and fast rule for what constitutes Canadian Literature is like saying there is only one Canadian consciousness or identity. We all come from different backgrounds of ethnicity, language and world views -- sort of like a multitude of solitudes.
I certainly would get very bored if every "Canadian" novel I read dealt with beavers and Mounties. I also do not think Harlequin Romances, while a commercial jackpot, adequately represents the dept and breadth of the country's literary talents. Bring on Robert Kroetsch, with his sardonic and playful stories of Prairie antics, and Michael Ondaatje with his exotic locations and characters. Kudos to the grumpy but articular Mordecai Richler with his Yiddish-tinged poison tongue. Thank you Margaret Atwood . . . . for being Margaret Atwood.
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