Fact, Fiction, and the Tradition of Historical Narratives in Nineteenth-Century Canadian Children's Literature
Authors
Elizabeth Galway
University of Lethbridge
Abstract
Résumé: Imbu de sa souveraineté nouvellement acquise, le Canada anglais a utilisé, vers la fin du dix-neuvième siècle, la littérature pour la jeunesse comme un outil privilégié, afin de développer son identité nationale et de susciter l'adhésion des jeunes à ses valeurs culturelles. L'attention des auteurs s'est particulièrement portée sur la production des œuvres à caractère historique, dont l'étude fait ressortir l'existence de tensions idéologiques et politiques au tournant du vingtième siècle.
Summary: During the late nineteenth century, as Canada came to terms with its new role as an independent nation, attempts were made to strengthen a sense of Canadian national pride and identity. In English-speaking Canada, children's literature was regarded as a means through which a strong identification with the new confederation could be achieved in the nation's youth. Writers were beginning to examine the events of Canada's past through historical textbooks, poems, songs, and novels. A study of these historical narratives for children reveals some of the ideological tensions that existed within Canada at the dawn of the twentieth century.
Author Biography
Elizabeth Galway, University of Lethbridge
Elizabeth Galway completed her Ph.D. in English at the University of Exeter. She is now an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Lethbridge in southern Alberta, where she specializes in Children's Literature, Canadian Literature, and Nineteenth-Century literature.
