ENGL 374 A1: Canadian Literature and Culture: Early 20th-Century Texts

K. Smitka

 

This course will investigate major conversations in early 20th-century Canadian literature: the relationships between colonial and Indigenous cultures; the tensions among nationalism, regionalism, and internationalism; and the goals of social justice and gender equality, specifically as they relate to urbanization and capitalism. Students can expect to encounter a wide range of authors, which may include Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake), Robert Service, L.M. Montgomery, F.R. Scott, A.J.M. Smith, A.M. Klein, Emily Carr, Dorothy Livesay, Elizabeth Smart, and Sheila Watson. While we examine these writers, we will investigate how they cultivate divergent ideas of Canada and Canadian identity. We will also examine contemporary critiques of these legacies and remain attentive to both the voices that are absent and the ideologies that are promoted through these various representations of Canada.