CANADIAN LITERATURE

Canadian literature is literature originating from Canada. Like the

literature of every nation state Canada is influenced by its socio-political
context Canadian writers Canadian produced a variety of genres. Influences on
Canadian writers are broad, both geographically and historically Canadas
dominant cultures were originally British and French, as well as aboriginal.
After prime ministers announcement of implementation of policy of
multiculturalism within Bilingual framework in 1971, Canada gradually
became home to a more diverse population of readers and writers. The
countrys literature has been strongly influences by international immigration,
particularly in recent

decades some critics of Canadian literature. Critics

against such thematic criticism of Canadian literature, such as Frank Davey,

have argued khak a focus on theme diminishes the appreciation of complexity
of the literature produced in the country, and create the impression that
Canadian literature is sociological- oriented.
Canadian literature, whether written in English on French, often reflects
the Canadian perspective on : (1) nature, (2) frontier life and (3) Canadas
position in the world, all three of which tie into the Canadas ethnic and
cultural diversity are reflected in its literature, with many of its most prominent
writers focusing on ethnic life.

Like the literature of every nation state,

Canadian literature also has some common traits. They include failure, human,
Anti-Americanion, multiculturation , nature , satire, and irony, self identity,
southern orantio golthic (a sub-genre which critiques the stereotypical
protestant mentality southern orantio), the underdog hero, urban rural so on.
Because Canada only officially became a country on July 1, 1867, it has
been argued that literature written before this time was colonial for example,
susanna Moodie and catheriene parr trail, English sisters who adopted the
country as their own more to Canada in 1832. They recorded their experiences
as pioneer in trails The Blackwoods of Canada (1836) and Canadian erusoes
(1852), Moodies Roughing it in the Bush (1852) and Life in the clearings

(1853) however, both women wrote until their death placing them in the
country for more than fifty years and certainly well past confederation.
Moreover their books often death with survival and the suggested Canadian
environment; these theme re-appear in other Canadian works, including
Margaret Atwoods survival Moddie and parr Traills sister Agnes Strickland
remained in England and wrote rlegant royal biographies, creating a strak
contrast by Canadian and English literature.
However, one of the earliest Canadian writers critically always included
in Canadian writer critically always included in Canadian writers urtually
always included in Canadian literacy anthologies is Thomas Haliburton (17961865), who died just two years before Canadians official birth. He is
remembered for his comic character Slik, who appeared in The clockmarker
and other humorous through Haliburtions life. Arguably, the best known living
Canadian writer internationally is Margaren Alwood. Some great 20th centuary
Canadian authors include Margaret Laurence. Gabrielle Roy and Carol shields.
This group along with Nobel laureate Alice Munro, who has been called the
best living writer short stories in English, were the first to elevate Canadian
literature to the world stage. During the post war decades only a handful of
books of any literacy merit were published each year in Canada, and Canadian
literature was viewed as an appendaged to British and American writing. Peot
Reonard cohens movel Losers (1966), was labeled by one reviewer, most
revolting books ever written in Canada. Canadian author Farley Mowat, best
known for his work, Never cry wolf, also author of Lost in the Barrens (1956).
Governor Generals Award winning childrens book.
Margaret Atwood has been a published author for more than fifty years.
She is well known for the intricauies of her poetry, the power of fiction and the
ilumumination of her literary criticism. As her reputation has grown steadily in
international circles, she has produced more than forty books that have been
translated into more than forty languages. But she has rooted most her writings
in her own country of Canada.

Born in the city of Qttawa Canadas capital, on 18 November 1939, Alwood

spent her early years in ottawa and in morthern Quebec, where her father, a
biologist, pursued his entomological studies atwoods parents are from Nova
scotial, and her extended family lives there are great readers, and though they
did not encourage their daughter to become a write. Akwood began to write at
the age of five but there was a dark period between the age of light and sixteen
when she didnt write.
It was at Torontos leaside inigh school that the sixteen year old atwood
realized that writers in the --. The country was not conversant with it own
cultural identity for many of the writers of the period, publication had to take
place elsewhere, their band of readers distinctly negligible in Canada. Armed
with a determination to write, Atwood enrolled in the honours English language
and literature program at Victoria college in the University of Joronto in 1957.
From there she made her first into Canadian literature.
Among her Victoria college teachers were college teachers were Jay
Macpherson and Northrop frye the major figures of Canadian literature before
at Atwood graduated in the spring of 1961, she won the S J