Representations of Women and Nature in Canadian Women's Writing

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The Canadian North
• The North in Early Exploration Literature
• The Significance of Nature in Canadian Literature
  • Literary Representations before the 1960s
  • The Renaissance of the Northern Myth
  • Women Entering the Canadian Wilderness
• Representations of Women and Nature in Contemporary Canadian Literature
  • Margaret Atwood's Surfacing
  • Marian Engel's Bear
  • Joan Barfoot's Abra
  • Aritha van Herk's The Tent Peg

Objectives and Key Themes

This thesis aims to analyze the diverse representations of women and nature in contemporary Canadian women's writing, focusing on the relationship between women and nature and comparing these portrayals to those by male authors. It examines how women writers have challenged and redefined the established male perspective of the Canadian wilderness.

• The historical portrayal of the Canadian North in literature.
• The evolution of the "women-in-the-wilderness" narrative.
• The contrasting depictions of nature by male and female authors.
• The use of the wilderness as a setting for female self-discovery and empowerment.
• The exploration of feminist themes within the context of the Canadian landscape.

Chapter Summaries

1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the central theme of the thesis: the representation of women and nature in contemporary Canadian women's literature. It establishes the context by discussing Canada's vast landscape and its historical association with wilderness. The chapter highlights the dominance of male authors in early Canadian literature and their often negative portrayal of the North, contrasting it with the recurring image of the North as a feminine, yet dangerous entity. It then explains the shift in Canadian literature following the 1950s, marked by a search for a distinct Canadian cultural identity and the emergence of women writers using the wilderness as a space for female self-discovery and empowerment. The chapter concludes by posing the central question of how women writers have reshaped the established imagery of the North within their own narratives.

2. The Canadian North: This chapter provides geographical and demographic context for understanding the representation of the Canadian North. It underscores the immense size of Canada relative to its population, emphasizing its sparse population density. This vast, relatively empty landscape is a crucial element in shaping the literary portrayal of the North and its significance within the Canadian identity.

3. The North in Early Exploration Literature: This chapter examines the earliest written accounts of the Canadian North, focusing on the perceptions and portrayals of the landscape by early explorers. It analyzes how these initial descriptions and interpretations laid the groundwork for later literary representations of the North, influencing subsequent portrayals in both male and female authors' work. The chapter highlights the significance of these early texts as foundational elements in shaping the common understanding of the Canadian wilderness.

4. The Significance of Nature in Canadian Literature: This chapter explores the evolution of nature's depiction in Canadian literature, beginning with representations before the 1960s and continuing through the "renaissance of the northern myth." It analyzes how the wilderness has functioned as a setting for both male and female protagonists, tracing shifts in perspective over time. The chapter's focus on the growing presence of women in wilderness narratives showcases how female writers have challenged and subverted previous male-dominated representations, thus impacting the overall literary understanding of the North. The emergence of "women-in-the-wilderness" narratives is examined as a significant development in feminist literature.

5. Representations of Women and Nature in Contemporary Canadian Literature: This chapter provides detailed analyses of four contemporary Canadian women authors' works: Margaret Atwood's *Surfacing*, Marian Engel's *Bear*, Joan Barfoot's *Abra*, and Aritha van Herk's *The Tent Peg*. Each novel is examined to illustrate how female characters interact with the northern landscape, exploring themes of self-discovery, empowerment, and challenging traditional representations. The chapter compares and contrasts these four distinct approaches to showcasing the complexities of female experience in the Canadian wilderness, highlighting both similarities and differences in their literary approaches.

Keywords

Canadian literature, women's writing, nature, wilderness, Canadian North, feminist literature, self-discovery, identity, landscape, representation, Margaret Atwood, Marian Engel, Joan Barfoot, Aritha van Herk.

Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of Women and Nature in Contemporary Canadian Literature

What is the main focus of this thesis?

This thesis analyzes the diverse representations of women and nature in contemporary Canadian women's writing. It focuses on the relationship between women and nature, comparing these portrayals to those by male authors and examining how women writers have challenged and redefined the established male perspective of the Canadian wilderness.

What are the key themes explored in the thesis?

Key themes include the historical portrayal of the Canadian North in literature; the evolution of the "women-in-the-wilderness" narrative; contrasting depictions of nature by male and female authors; the use of the wilderness as a setting for female self-discovery and empowerment; and the exploration of feminist themes within the context of the Canadian landscape.

What is covered in the Introduction chapter?

The introduction establishes the central theme: the representation of women and nature in contemporary Canadian women's literature. It discusses Canada's vast landscape and its historical association with wilderness, highlighting the dominance of male authors in early Canadian literature and their often negative portrayal of the North. It explains the shift in Canadian literature after the 1950s, marked by a search for a distinct Canadian cultural identity and the emergence of women writers using the wilderness for self-discovery and empowerment. Finally, it poses the central question of how women writers have reshaped the established imagery of the North.

What geographical and demographic context is provided?

The "Canadian North" chapter provides geographical and demographic context, underscoring Canada's immense size relative to its population and emphasizing its sparse population density. This vast landscape is crucial in shaping the literary portrayal of the North and its significance within the Canadian identity.

How does the thesis examine early exploration literature?

The chapter on "The North in Early Exploration Literature" examines the earliest written accounts of the Canadian North, focusing on the perceptions and portrayals of the landscape by early explorers. It analyzes how these initial descriptions laid the groundwork for later literary representations, influencing both male and female authors' work. The significance of these early texts in shaping the common understanding of the Canadian wilderness is highlighted.

How does the thesis trace the evolution of nature's depiction in Canadian literature?

The chapter on "The Significance of Nature in Canadian Literature" explores the evolution of nature's depiction, starting with representations before the 1960s and continuing through the "renaissance of the northern myth." It analyzes how the wilderness functioned as a setting for both male and female protagonists, tracing shifts in perspective over time. The growing presence of women in wilderness narratives and how female writers challenged male-dominated representations is showcased.

Which contemporary authors are analyzed in detail?

The final chapter provides detailed analyses of four contemporary Canadian women authors: Margaret Atwood's *Surfacing*, Marian Engel's *Bear*, Joan Barfoot's *Abra*, and Aritha van Herk's *The Tent Peg*. Each novel is examined to illustrate how female characters interact with the northern landscape, exploring themes of self-discovery, empowerment, and challenging traditional representations.

What are the key takeaways from the analysis of contemporary literature?

The analysis compares and contrasts these four distinct approaches to showcasing the complexities of female experience in the Canadian wilderness, highlighting both similarities and differences in their literary approaches and how they challenge established imagery of the Canadian North.

What are the keywords associated with this thesis?

Keywords include Canadian literature, women's writing, nature, wilderness, Canadian North, feminist literature, self-discovery, identity, landscape, representation, Margaret Atwood, Marian Engel, Joan Barfoot, and Aritha van Herk.