| This dissertation examines images of Canada in nineteenth and twentieth-century British, French and German literature. The treatment of Canada in these literary traditions is determined by generic, national, cultural, historical and political considerations. While travel writing is addressed, poetry and fiction, including the adventure novel, the historical romance and juvenile literature are emphasized and identified as genres which tend to reflect exaggerated, idealistic or stereotypical views of Canada. In general, the Canadian images in these works are intended to appeal to a European audience rather than a North American readership. Topics such as the literary depiction of the European immigrant in Canada, the conception of Canada as a promised land, the role of aboriginal people, and French Canada are discussed. In addition, the impact of ideologies such as imperialism, fascism, nationalism and Romanticism on the European presentation of Canada in literature is assessed. Overall, British, French and German works reflect a profound interest in Canada's past and its rural regions, while largely ignoring the country's urban dimension. Although some European authors attempt to explore the cultural makeup and practices of Canadians, most writers prefer to use Canada as a sounding board for their own national concerns. In other words, this North American landscape represents an imaginative possibility or a tabula rasa on which European ideologies, identities and values are superimposed. While British, French and German writers differ somewhat in their treatment of Canada due to individual national interests and audiences, all three literary traditions tend to subordinate the Canadian content in order to promote the superiority of a European outlook. |
