Review
Fraser argues compellingly the tight connection between the personal and the political in Canadian women's fiction. Defining the "essence of femininity" as a sense of "relatedness," Fraser chronologically traces the parallel progress and mutual encouragement of feminism, women's fiction, and Canadian nationalism, meticulously identifying seven stages, from colonial dependence (via Brooke, Traill, Jameson, Moodie) through imperialism to an ambivalent emancipation in the 1920s and 1930s (Duncan, McClung, Ostenso), 1940s and 1950s isolationism (Ethel Wilson), 1960s nationalism (Laurence) and anti-Americanism (Atwood), and a final maturity and (measure of) autonomy in the 1970s and 1980s (again Laurence, Atwood). In firm command of the 17 texts (entirely fiction, not the larger "literature" the title promises) by 10 authors that he has chosen to illustrate his thesis, Fraser uses massive textual, critical and historical reference in a generally graceful and unforced manner. A useful bibliography and index bring to a close a study which convinces us that women's writing is one of the best places to see what is happening in Canada. Unpretentious and accessible to the literate generalist, the book will be of particular interest and value to upper-level undergraduate students of Canada, of Canadian literature, and of women's writing.Choice
Book Description
This examination of the works of 18 women writers in English Canada's history demonstrates how Canadian women's literature provides rich insight into the social and political development of the country. Arranged chronologically from colonial times through the 1980s, the study provides in-depth analyses of works of such notables as Frances Brooke, Ethel Wilson, and Margaret Atwood. Fraser's contention is that the literature, as a forum where women voiced their personal concerns, reflects Canada's political identity as a country with a continuing commitment to the essentially feminine values of compromise, cooperation, and international peace.
About the Author
WAYNE FRASER, Ph.D., presently teaches English full-time at Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario.
The Dominion of Women: The Personal and the Political in Canadian Women's Literature, Vol. 116 FROM THE PUBLISHER
This examination of the works of 18 women writers in English Canada's history demonstrates how Canadian women's literature provides rich insight into the social and political development of the country. Arranged chronologically from colonial times through the 1980s, the study provides in-depth analyses of works of such notables as Frances Brooke, Ethel Wilson, and Margaret Atwood. Fraser's contention is that the literature, as a forum where women voiced their personal concerns, reflects Canada's political identity as a country with a continuing commitment to the essentially feminine values of compromise, cooperation, and international peace.
Art & Photography
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