Québécois Literature

Québécois literature refers to writings originating in the Canadian province of Quebec. Quebec is unique among the provinces because its primary language is French, whereas the rest of Canada mainly uses English. The literature of Quebec seeks to use, preserve, and celebrate the French language, as well as the French-Canadian culture of the province. These writings also frequently deal with themes such as self-identity, cultural preservation, nationalism, and isolationism, which help to highlight the unique position of Quebec.

Some literary analysts have questioned the exact criteria for literature that truly reflects the Quebec culture, such as whether English-language literature produced in Quebec should qualify. In addition, distinctions may be drawn between Québécois literature and French-Canadian literature, in that not all Canadians who speak or write in French are necessarily from Quebec.

Brief Background

Indigenous people lived in the region of Quebec for thousands of years before European settlers arrived. They had rich traditions of lore and storytelling. However, they had no major permanent system of recording their stories, relying instead on oral transmission from one generation to the next. For that reason, many of the stories have been lost through time, and even those that were documented following the arrival of written language in Canada may have been changed from their original forms.

French influence in Canada began in the sixteenth century following the explorations of Jacques Cartier. Explorers and missionaries created the first French-language writings in Canada. Their writing typically took the form of letters home or reports about their findings. Some explorers made in-depth studies of the geography of the land as well as the customs of the native people. These reports combined a mix of facts, speculation, exaggeration, and fiction to create colorful impressions of Canada’s First Nations people in European minds.

For most historians, these writings do not fully qualify as true literature, as they were mainly meant for practical and educational purposes. The French colonial settlements in Canada had no printing presses, so any writings intended for publication had to be sent to France for printing and distribution. Only generations later did French-Canadian writers begin producing more creative works and publishing and distributing them domestically.

French fortunes in Canada declined sharply in the 1760s, with France’s defeat by Britain in the Seven Years’ War. Many French-Canadians fled back to Europe, while those who remained faced poverty, disenfranchisement, and uncertain futures. Clustered in the region of Quebec, the remaining French-Canadians opted not to accept British ways or English words. Rather, they found solace in their shared culture and language. This self-determination would help to define the future of Quebec and fuel the rise of Québécois literature.

Overview

By the early nineteenth century, French-Canadians were publishing their own French-language newspapers. Slowly, authors began to create early works of literature reflecting the lives and beliefs of the people based in and around Quebec. Some took the form of sermons or poems. Further political developments, as well as the development of advanced schooling, fostered great growth and led to a further emphasis on literary work.

In the late 1830s, writers created perhaps the first true French-Canadian novels. These writers included Philippe Aubert de Gaspé, who drew themes from popular stories and folktales circulating in the area, and François-Réal Angers, whose work dramatized true stories of crime. In the 1840s, writers began expanding the breadth of their literary explorations. Historical tales speculated on the ancient lands of Canada as well as the long-ago lore of France. Adventure stories extolled the still-wild Canadian lands and the often perilous lives of their growing populations. Pastoral writings celebrated the beauty of nature and the virtues of hardy farmers and frontier dwellers.

The expanding range of French-Canadian literature ran parallel to the growth and solidification of the culture. It demonstrated the ways in which traditional French values melded with life in Canada to create a unique hybrid group. A few of the standout writers during this period of growth included Octave Crémazie, Antoine Gérin-Lajoie, and François-Xavier Garneau.

The French literature of Canada was vibrant and varied in the first half of the nineteenth century, but this trend slowed starting in the 1860s. Religious leaders promoted the idea that literature should reflect spiritual piety and enlightenment rather than focusing on adventures or secular history. Conservative religious writers began to create more pious works, expounding on the mainly Christian beliefs and morals of French-Canada. Many literary historians view the remainder of the nineteenth century as a time when literature became more common and more fundamental to society, but also less varied and less creative.

The dawn of the twentieth century found Quebec-based literature mostly clinging to its conservative basis, despite increasing tides of political liberalism. However, increased education entrenched literature in the francophone culture, and over time, some increased variety began to return to the topics of writing. Nationalist writings promoted the importance of the culture in the Quebec region and contemplated its ties to its European cousins. Poets and novelists such as Claude-Henri Grignon continued to produce works that celebrated the dignity and virtues of rural living in Quebec.

A new era in Québécois literature began with the onset of the Great Depression that began in 1929 and spread across much of the world in the years to come. This event caused many to reevaluate their old ideas and the traditions upon which they had so long relied. World War II (1939–1945) and its aftermath brought enormous changes to French Canadians. The war shocked many with its intense cruelties. It also united the democratic nations of the world in a new way, creating bonds between countries that would grow over time into the globalism of the twenty-first century. The war helped to end the Great Depression and bring prosperity to North America. Quebec, like many other areas, flourished. Wealth grew, cities expanded, and the already strong educational system increased.

All of these changes were reflected in literature, which became more human-centered and introspective. Writers and artists moved from glorifying their country to exploring the depths of the human condition. Some of the poets and novelists active in Québécois literature during this period of change include Rina Lasnier, Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau, Jean Simard, and Robert Charbonneau. Writers explored the workings of the mind and the dynamics of families. Some even turned to satire to mock social traditions that were now seen as stifling to the fulfillment of the individual.

Through the 1950s, the tide of changes in Quebec culminated in a widespread political and social change known as the Quiet Revolution. During this time, Quebec further solidified its stance as a unique land, and many called for greater self-determination—even independence from the rest of Canada. During this time, Quebec-based writers fully embraced their homeland and unique culture. Meanwhile, waves of social change intermixed with the political change, and Quebecois writers added their special perspective and interpretation to pressing topics such as civil rights and feminism.

New waves of female writers, such as Anne Hébert and Marie-Claire Blais, appeared on the literary scene. Many novelists began using experimental forms of writing that deconstructed and examined the structure of their stories, while others maintained a more traditional approach. One of the most popular traditional novelists of the modern period was Roch Carrier, whose works explored the French-American childhood with a sweet sense of nostalgia.

The new literary landscape in Quebec became a keystone of its overall modern cultural solidification. Studying and criticizing literature by Quebec writers became a common course in Quebec’s universities, with such studies inspiring new generations of writers. Many readers began to eschew not only English-language writings of other provinces and the United States, but also writings produced in France, in favor of Quebec literature. Canadian francophone writers from outside of Quebec began looking to that province as the hub of French-language literature in North America. Some of the most successful of Quebec’s writing elite during this period included Michel Tremblay and Nicole Brossard.

The state of Québécois literature in the twenty-first century serves both to define and question the modern status of Quebec as a whole. Some critics believe that the literature’s intense internal focus is valuable for exploring the psyche of Quebecers and celebrating what makes them unlike other populations. Other analysts believe that this introspection limits the appeal of Quebec’s literature and inhibits the exchange of art and ideas with other places. Some have suggested that the use of French can limit writers’ success in an English-dominated world, leading to several top Quebec writers, such as Mavis Gallant and Mordecai Richler, becoming highly successful by writing in English.

Bibliography

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Chapman, Rosemary. What is Québécois Literature? Reflections on the Literary History of Francophone Writing in Canada. Liverpool University Press, 2013.

Cox, James H. and Daniel Heath Justice (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Indigenous American Literature, 2022, www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199914036.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199914036. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

Dionne, René. “Literature in French.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, 4 Mar. 2015, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/literature-in-french. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

“Identity and Alienation in Québécois Literature and Film.” King’s College London, www.kcl.ac.uk/abroad/module-options/identity-and-alienation-in-quebecois-literature-and-film. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

Malla, Pasha. “Too Different and Too Familiar: The Challenge of French-Canadian Literature.” The New Yorker, 26 May 2015, www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/too-different-and-too-familiar-the-challenge-of-french-canadian-literature. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

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Reid, Gregory J. “Is There an Anglo-Québécois Literature?” Essays on Canadian Writing, 84, Fall 2009, pp. 58–86.

Roy, Camille. “French Canadian and Quebec Literature.” The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. 4. W. Stewart Wallace, ed. University Associates of Canada, 1948.