Animal Victims from Survival (Margaret Atwood)

 Introduction: Margaret Atwood in “Animal Victims” from Survival speaks about the dangers caused by human beings, especially the Canadians to animals. In symbolic tone, she also talks about how like animals, the Canadians are victimised by Americans, the imperialists. While she searches for animal stories in Canadian literature, she gets awe-struck as she comes across the animal stories written by Ernest Thompson Seton and Sir Charles G.D. Roberts and also some other Canadian authors. Their stories reflect the very Canadian psyche. The Canadian ‘animal stories’ as a genre differs from English and American animal stories. So, she contradicts Alex Lucas’ views found in “A Literary History of Canada” through this essay, “Animal Victims”.

British Animal Stories: The Canadian literary ‘genre’ and its approach to the subject, animal-victim is unique. In British Literature, for example, in Kipling’s “Mowgli” Kenneth Grahame’s “The Wind in the Willows” and Beatrix Potter’s “Tales” animals are personified and so they are benign like the while rabbits in “Allice in Wonderland”. The animals have an organized hierarchy like the one in human world. When these animal tales were translated into other forms like cartoon movies, and song-dance, the animals were given human speech and human nature.

American Animal Stories: However, in American animal stories these animals are able to speak English but they are not the centre of action, because these stories are ‘hunting stories’ which depend on human or animal hunters. For example, the white whale in “Moby-Dick” the bear in Faulkner’s “The Bear” the lion in Hemingway’s “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” the grizzlies in Mailer’s “Why Are We in Viet Name?” are endowed with magic symbolic qualities. So, the hunters try to match themselves against these animals and finally conquer them by killing. “Winning” over “Nature” enhances their stature. In fact, in American animal stories the success of the animal lies in terms of adjustment to people – as in Jack London’s “White Frog”. However, in the animal stories of Seton and Roberts, (the authors who are part Canadian and part American) the death of the animals is seen as tragic or pathetic because the stories are told from the point of view of animals.

Canadian Animal Stories: English animal stories are about “social relation”, Americans’ are about “People killing animals” and the Canadians’ are about “animals being killed”. For example, in “Moby-Dick” the white whale exclaims “Why is that strange man chasing me around with a harpoon”? and so we mourn for the struggle of the whaler but in Canadian, E.J. Pratt’s “The Cachalot” we mourn for the death of the whale. However, all these animal stories have tragic tone. Seton in the Preface of “Wild Animals I Have Known” states that “wild animal always has a tragic end”.  But in reality, it is not the animal which speaks and writes about its story but it is people who write it, like how the “Indian stories” until recently were written by the White people.

In Seton and Roberts stories animals are killed either by another animal or by men. Seton reverse the “Nature-as-Monster” pattern in “Lobo”, “The Springfield Fox” and “Redruff” and writes that animals in these stories suffered or killed by men and not by other animals. Hence Atwood says that “Seton and Roberts suggest “pathetic” than “tragic” end because in ‘tragic’ the hero should possess some tragic-flaw but in ‘pathos’ as a literary mode simply demands that an innocent victim suffer”. To explain ‘animal victim’ by Seton, Atwood also quotes the essay “Lives on the Hunted: The Canadian Animal Story and the National Identity” by James Polk. So according to Atwood one can understand the Canadian psyche from the animal stories. She painfully says that in Seton’s and Roberts’ stories only the individual animal is killed by men but in Fred Bodsworth’s “The Last of the Curlews” and Farley Mowat’s “Cry Wolf”, the Canadian concern on doomed-and-slaughtered-animals spreads far beyond the range of the ‘animal story’. The editor, Michael Ondaatjee of the book, “The Broken Ark” in the editor’s note reveals that in Seton-and-Roberts tradition men do not want to classify or treat animals as pets.

In Alden Nowlan’s “The Bull Moose” the moose is tortured before being killed, but the man is portrayed as a scarified-God-figure. In stories such as “Cain” and The Bull Calf” by Irving Layton, “Mountain” by Bill Bissett and the poem, “The Death of Animal” by Al Purdy, and “God Sour the Milk of the Knacking Wench” by Alden Nowlan the animals are shown as worth-sacrificing creatures.

Late 20^th Century Canadian Literature: Dave Godfrey’s “Death Goes Better with Coca-Cola” is also about animal as victim. But the link such as ‘death with coca-cola’ has a significant relevance to Konrad Lorenz’s book “On Aggression” because in the book Lorenz portrays the destructive effect of the so called “higher culture”. Like this “The Generation of Hunters” has an allusion such as ‘America – ‘the conquering nation’ is the killer and ‘Canadians’ are the killed. In fact, Canadians too are hunters of moose or fish which is like that of American towards them. In Aldon Nowlan’s poem, the hunter image of Americans hunting the Canadians continues. According to Nowlan, as the Americans gets bored off hunting animals turn their attention on Canadians: “Canada is the place where Americans now come to hunt. The dead bear is Canadian, a trophy to be taken from ‘here to ‘there’ and ‘there’ is seen as civilized, safe, non-wild, a place of rituals that have lost their meaning and of fake surfaces, of living skins turned into rugs. The function of the Canadian ‘guides’ is curious; they are the middlemen, converting their own live reality to dead trophies so they can sell it” (Survival 80). Thus, in Canadian literature ‘animal as victim’ is a persistent image.

Scientific Survey: A Biologist, Desmond Morris conducted a survey of people’s reactions to animals and the discovery is that ‘the animals’ that people choose depend on the size of it and also the age of people: small children like ‘parental’ animals like bear and elephant; slightly older children prefer white mice and squirrels; adolescents like companion or sexual-power figures like dogs and horses; childless couples tend to favour cats, lapdogs and house birds; elderly people in England tend to identify with threatened or nearly-extinct species. But in Canada people join in animal-salvation campaigns such as protest over slaughter of baby seals and the wolf. But Canadians are interested in ‘fur trade’. So according to Atwood, from the point of view of animals Canadians are as bad as the people involved in slave-trade.

New Revelation and Perception: However, Canadians empathy for animals has a new revelation in the present century as they realized that they are also at near-extinct as a nation: “the culture threatens the ‘animal’ within them”.  Seton says that “The animals are us”. In Quebec, the animal story is different because the French Canadians view themselves as animals that are victimized, conquered and exploited. For example, in Seton’s “The Trail of the Sandhill Stag” the narrator corners a stag after a long hunt but can’t shoot because during the meaningful gaze he realizes that the stag is his brother. The French Canadians’ views differ from the English Canadians’ because the English psyche always thinks about “winning over”. In Morris’ findings it is noted that the English Canadians identify themselves with animal image as they feel that they are ‘threatened victims, because they need to confront the “superior alien technology”. So, Atwood views this transformation invariably in the “Position” matrix. According to her “there comes a point at which seeing yourself as a victimized animal -naming your conditions, as the crucial step from the ignorance of Position One through the knowledge of Position Two to the self-respect of Position Three – can become the need to see yourself as a victimized animal, and at the point you will be locked into Position Two, unable to go any further”. (Survival 82).

 

This instinct of ‘Positions’ is explored in Graeme Gibson’s “Five Legs” and “Communion” Putting Gibson’s patterns together we find “animal victim’ in Canada. In another version of “Communion” by Riton, the central character like Felix escapes to America but finally dies while trying to save his American identity. He killed a child accidently like how Felix who killed his pet dog and becomes a psychotic to kill himself. So according to Atwood, Canadians are in two conditions (i) exploited victims and (ii) those who need to be exploited victims – the first could be changed by altering the external environment but the second also involves the alteration of self, of the way we see ourselves.

Optimism in Canadian Literature: Still Canadian Literature finds tone of optimism by the contributions of writers like Michael Ondaatje. In his animal poems, the animals are more likely to incorporate vitality and energy than to be suffering victims. Joe Rosenblatt’s book, “Brumblebee Dithyramb” has a number of animal poems, in which Rosenblatt sees animals as “centres of irrepressible vitality” which cannot be matched with human vitality. In Layton’s poem “A Tall Man Executes A Jig” a tall man in his venture of finding revelation resists temptation, witnesses the suffering but does not curse. Ultimately, he wins in the end. This kind of optimism, according to Atwood certainly withholds the spirit and identity of Canadians in the international arena.

Conclusion: Thus, in “Animal Victims” Atwood brings out the thematic pattern, ‘animal victim’ in Canadian literature in two senses – one is that the Canadians’ animal killing nature and the second is that the Canadians as ‘killed’ or ‘the pathetic victims’ in the hands of Americans or the so-called higher-culture or technology. According to Atwood the great Canadian animal-victim tradition is akin to the Tall Man’s experience – the “restraint is heroic”.

 

French and American Schools of Comparative Literature: A Comparison

 French vs. American Schools of Comparative Literature: A Comparison

Comparative literature, as a discipline, explores literature across different languages, cultures, and time periods. It seeks to understand literature in a broader context, examining themes, influences, and literary techniques that transcend national boundaries. However, the approach to studying comparative literature has evolved over time, giving rise to different schools of thought. Two of the most prominent schools are the French and American schools. Here's a comparison:  

French School:

• Focus: The French school, also known as the "influence studies" school, emphasizes the study of direct and indirect influences between literary texts. It seeks to trace how ideas, themes, and motifs have traveled from one work to another, often focusing on historical and biographical connections between authors and their works.  
• Methodology: This school employs a positivistic and empirical approach, relying on historical evidence and textual analysis to establish clear lines of influence. It often involves detailed research into authors' lives, their reading habits, and the circulation of literary works across borders.  
• Key Concepts:
• Influence: The movement of an idea, theme, or motif from one text to another.
• Reception: How a literary work is received and interpreted in a different cultural context.
• Borrowing and Imitation: The direct use or adaptation of elements from one text in another.
• Limitations: The French school has been criticized for its narrow focus on influence, sometimes neglecting other important aspects of literary analysis, such as aesthetic value, cultural context, and the reader's role in interpretation.

American School:

• Focus: The American school emerged as a reaction against the perceived limitations of the French school. It broadened the scope of comparative literature beyond the study of influence, embracing a wider range of approaches and methodologies. It emphasizes parallel studies and intertextuality.
• Methodology: This school is more eclectic and interdisciplinary, drawing on various critical theories and approaches, including formalism, structuralism, post-structuralism, feminism, and postcolonialism. It encourages the comparison of literature with other art forms and cultural phenomena.  
• Key Concepts:
• Parallelism: The study of similarities between literary works from different cultures, even in the absence of direct influence.
• Intertextuality: The complex web of relationships between different texts, including allusions, quotations, and echoes.
• Cultural Context: The social, historical, and cultural factors that shape literary works and their interpretation.
• Strengths: The American school has been praised for its broader perspective, its openness to new ideas and approaches, and its emphasis on the cultural and social significance of literature.

Key Differences:

Feature	French School	American School
Focus	Influence	Parallelism, Intertextuality
Methodology	Positivistic, Empirical	Eclectic, Interdisciplinary
Key Concepts	Influence, Reception	Parallelism, Intertextuality, Cultural Context
Scope	Narrower	Broader
Criticisms	Too focused on influence	Can be too diffuse

 

American School of Comparative Literature

Introduction:

The American School of Comparative Literature refers to an intellectual movement or academic approach within the field of comparative literature, which seeks to study and analyze literary works across different languages, cultures, and time periods. While there isn't a singular institution called the "American School of Comparative Literature," the term could broadly refer to the evolution of comparative literature as an academic discipline in American universities, particularly in the 20th century. The American School of Comparative Literature emerged in the post-World War II era, challenging the then-dominant French School. It broadened the scope of comparative literature by emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach and moving beyond the study of influence to explore parallels and relationships between literature and other fields.

Origin and Growth:

• Post-WWII Context: The devastation of WWII led to a desire for international understanding and cooperation, influencing the American School's focus on universal themes and cross-cultural connections in literature.
• Influence of Émigré Scholars: Many European intellectuals, including prominent comparatists, fled to the US during the war, enriching American academia and contributing to the development of the American School.
• Expansion of Scope: Unlike the French School, which primarily focused on historical influences between national literatures, the American School embraced a wider range of comparisons, including:
• Literature and other arts (painting, music, film)
• Literature and other disciplines (philosophy, history, social sciences)
• Comparisons across different time periods and cultures

Key Aspects:

• Interdisciplinarity: The American School emphasizes the connections between literature and other fields of knowledge, fostering a broader understanding of culture and human expression.
• Parallel Studies: It explores similarities and differences between literary works and other forms of expression, even without direct influence, to uncover universal themes and patterns.
• Emphasis on the Text: While acknowledging historical and cultural contexts, the American School also focuses on the intrinsic qualities of the literary work itself.
• Openness to Diverse Literatures: It encourages the study of literatures beyond the traditional Western canon, promoting a more inclusive and global perspective.

Key Figures:

• Henry Remak: A leading figure who defined the American School and advocated for its interdisciplinary approach.
• René Wellek: A prominent scholar who contributed to the theoretical foundations of comparative literature.
• Harry Levin: A renowned comparatist who explored the connections between literature and other disciplines.

Legacy:

The American School has had a significant impact on the field of comparative literature, shaping its development and broadening its scope.

Its emphasis on interdisciplinarity and cross-cultural understanding continues to be relevant in today's globalized world.

Mother-son in the novels of D.H. Lawrence and Vatsayayan

 Introduction:

The mother-son relationship in the works of D.H. Lawrence and Ajoy Vatsayayan offers a fascinating comparative study, as both authors explore this dynamic in deeply complex and sometimes controversial ways. Though coming from different cultural and literary backgrounds, Lawrence and Vatsayayan share an interest in the intricacies of human psychology, familial relationships, and the tension between emotional dependence and independence.

1. D.H. Lawrence: The Complex, Often Troubled Bonds

In D.H. Lawrence’s works, the mother-son relationship is often depicted as one fraught with tension, emotional intensity, and psychological undercurrents. His writing, known for exploring the darker aspects of human nature, particularly delves into the complicated emotional landscape between mothers and their sons.

Themes in Lawrence’s Depiction of the Mother-Son Relationship:

• Emotional Dependency and Possession: Lawrence’s portrayal of the mother-son relationship often features the mother as a dominating, sometimes suffocating figure. A prime example is in Sons and Lovers, where the mother, Gertrude Morel, holds an intense emotional and psychological grip over her sons, particularly her youngest son, Paul. She sees her sons as extensions of herself and invests her unfulfilled dreams and desires in them. Her relationship with Paul is particularly close, bordering on an almost possessive attachment, which creates psychological tension and impedes Paul’s ability to develop fully as an independent adult.
• Oedipal Complex: Lawrence’s works are often associated with Freudian themes, and the mother-son dynamic is central to his exploration of the Oedipal complex. In Sons and Lovers, Paul’s relationship with his mother is so strong that it stifles his relationships with other women. This bond is both nurturing and destructive, providing Paul with emotional security, yet preventing him from achieving independence and maturity.
• The Struggle for Autonomy: Lawrence also explores the idea that the son must eventually break free from the maternal figure in order to become his own person. However, the process of separation is painful, and the trauma of this emotional severance often lingers.

Psychological Depth:

• Lawrence’s examination of the mother-son bond is steeped in psychological and emotional depth. He explores how the son’s identity is shaped by his relationship with his mother and how this affects his adult life, including his romantic relationships, sense of masculinity, and emotional growth.
• In works like The Rainbow and Women in Love, Lawrence continues to explore maternal influence, often suggesting that an overbearing or emotionally unavailable mother can severely impact a son's psychological development, leaving him conflicted in his relationships with women.

2. Ajoy Vatsayayan: The Subtle Tensions in Indian Cultural Context

Ajoy Vatsayayan (who writes under the pseudonym "Vatsayayan") approaches the mother-son relationship within the context of traditional Indian society, where family dynamics and maternal roles carry distinct cultural weight. His works often touch on the themes of duty, love, sacrifice, and the emotional and psychological pressures placed on individuals by societal expectations.

Themes in Vatsayayan’s Depiction of the Mother-Son Relationship:

• Cultural Expectations and Duty: In Vatsayayan's works, the mother-son relationship is often framed by the cultural expectations of duty (known as "dharma") and respect within the family. For example, in his novel The White Lily, the mother typically embodies sacrifice, nurturing the child with the expectation that her son will one day fulfill his role in society. In this regard, the relationship often carries the weight of familial and societal obligations.
• Emotional Restraint and Love: Vatsayayan’s depiction of mother-son dynamics is often more restrained, reflective of Indian social norms where emotional displays are more subtle. While love between mother and son is central to many of his stories, the expressions of that love are often conveyed through actions and sacrifices rather than overt displays of emotion. For instance, the son may take up a career or life path to ensure the mother's well-being, reflecting the deeply ingrained cultural bond and duty toward family in Indian culture.
• Separation and Sacrifice: Similar to Lawrence’s works, the idea of separation is also explored in Vatsayayan’s narratives, but the separation tends to be framed more by cultural and familial expectations rather than emotional rebellion. In the traditional Indian context, the son might leave the mother to fulfill his social obligations, marry, or pursue career goals. The mother, in turn, experiences emotional sacrifice as part of her cultural role.
• Emphasis on Tradition and Society: While Lawrence is focused on the emotional and psychological depth of individual relationships, Vatsayayan often places the mother-son bond within the larger context of social and cultural pressures. The societal fabric plays a crucial role in shaping how both the mother and son behave and perceive each other.

Psychological Depth:

• Vatsayayan’s psychological exploration of the mother-son bond often revolves around internalized social pressures, such as the tension between individual desires and family expectations. While the relationship may be emotionally complex, it is more often defined by a quiet tension rather than overt conflict. The son may feel torn between the nurturing influence of his mother and the demands of society to grow up and assume responsibility, often leading to moments of reflection and emotional struggle.

3. Comparative Analysis: Thematic and Stylistic Differences

Cultural Context:

• Lawrence: His portrayal of the mother-son relationship is deeply influenced by Western notions of individualism, psychological conflict, and the Oedipal complex. The mother’s overwhelming influence is seen as a negative force, hindering the son’s growth and autonomy.
• Vatsayayan: The mother-son relationship in Vatsayayan’s works is shaped by the collectivist, familial, and duty-bound nature of Indian culture. The relationship is still important, but it is often framed within a broader social and cultural context where emotional independence is secondary to the role of the son within the family structure.

Psychological Complexity:

• Lawrence: Lawrence’s depiction of the mother-son relationship is emotionally raw and psychologically intense. His characters struggle with deep inner conflicts, often battling subconscious desires and familial loyalty. The tension is not only familial but also personal, as characters grapple with their own identities and desires.
• Vatsayayan: While Vatsayayan’s characters also experience internal conflict, the psychological tension in his works is more subtle and less focused on the individual’s desire to escape maternal influence. The struggle tends to be more about fulfilling societal roles and responsibilities rather than emotional independence.

Resolution:

• Lawrence: The resolution of the mother-son conflict in Lawrence’s works often comes with painful separation or psychological turmoil. The journey toward autonomy and self-identity is fraught with difficulties and emotional scars.
• Vatsayayan: In Vatsayayan’s works, the resolution tends to be more conciliatory and reflective of the individual’s duty toward the family. The emotional complexities are often resolved through an acknowledgment of sacrifice, love, and duty rather than through rebellion or conflict.

Conclusion

The mother-son relationship in D.H. Lawrence and Ajoy Vatsayayan’s novels presents a rich field for comparison. While both authors delve into the emotional depth and psychological complexities of this bond, they do so in markedly different ways. Lawrence’s works are marked by psychological intensity, emotional rebellion, and a drive for independence, with an often tragic undertone to the mother-son separation. Vatsayayan, by contrast, presents the mother-son relationship within a cultural framework that emphasizes duty, societal expectations, and emotional restraint, where the son’s separation from his mother is framed more by societal roles than by personal conflict.

Both perspectives offer valuable insights into human nature, yet the cultural contexts of their respective works — Western versus Indian — shape the emotional and psychological experiences of their characters in profound ways.

Poems of Bharathi and Garibells: A Comparative View

 Introduction

The comparison between the poetry of Subramania Bharati and the poet Garibella (if you're referring to the works of the renowned poet Garibella Venkata Krishna Sastri) brings forward distinct styles, themes, and cultural contexts. Both poets are integral to Indian literature, but their approach to poetry is shaped by different historical, social, and literary backgrounds. Let's break down some key differences and similarities:

1. Cultural and Historical Context:

• Subramania Bharati: Bharati was a prominent figure during the Indian independence movement, and his poetry was deeply intertwined with nationalism, social reform, and the struggles of the Indian people. He lived during the British colonial period and his works were fueled by the desire for freedom and justice. Bharati’s poems reflect a strong belief in India's unity, progress, and the empowerment of marginalized communities, particularly women.
• Garibella: If you're referring to Garibella Venkata Krishna Sastri, his poetry, while also deeply rooted in Indian tradition, is less politically focused. Sastri’s work often addresses themes related to spirituality, social ethics, and Indian culture. His poetry leans more toward classical forms and often reflects philosophical musings on life, morality, and the divine.

2. Themes and Motifs:

• Subramania Bharati: His poetry is famous for its patriotic fervor, where he calls for independence and a revitalization of Indian identity. He frequently writes about the empowerment of women, calling them to rise up and be free from the shackles of societal norms. His works also touch on universal themes like social justice, equality, and the importance of education. Bharati's poems often have a revolutionary tone.
• Example: "Vande Mataram" and "Chidambaram" reflect his fierce love for his homeland and his desire to see it free from colonial rule.
• Garibella: Sastri’s poetry, in contrast, is more centered on a celebration of Indian tradition, ethics, and spirituality. His focus tends to be on introspective themes, including devotion to God, moral righteousness, and societal duty. His work evokes a sense of deep reflection on life’s purpose and often aligns with more traditional, spiritual ideals.
• Example: His writings often have a devotional tone and are reflective of his own philosophical musings.

3. Style and Form:

• Subramania Bharati: Bharati was innovative in his style, mixing classical Tamil forms with new, more modern idioms. He employed a straightforward, often impassioned, poetic style to reach a broad audience. His language is accessible yet profound, appealing to both the intellect and the emotions.
• Garibella: Sastri's poetry tends to follow the more traditional, classical forms of Tamil literature, with a focus on rhythm, meter, and refined language. His poetry is more contemplative and philosophical, often aimed at an educated audience familiar with classical traditions.

4. Language and Accessibility:

• Subramania Bharati: Bharati’s poetry was written in Tamil, but he also wrote in Sanskrit, and his work has been translated into many languages. His language is vivid, emotional, and meant to inspire action, making his poetry accessible to a wide audience, from the common folk to the intellectuals.
• Garibella: Sastri's poetry, on the other hand, is more rooted in classical literary forms and can be more complex and scholarly in nature. While his work was highly respected, it might not have reached the masses in the same way Bharati’s did, especially because his style adhered to more conventional forms.

5. Philosophical and Ideological Stance:

• Subramania Bharati: Bharati was a visionary who advocated for a new, modern India — one that would be free from colonial rule and rooted in its rich cultural heritage. He was also a champion of progressive ideas, including gender equality, social justice, and intellectual freedom.
• Garibella: Sastri’s poetry, though also concerned with India's culture and heritage, often exuded a more traditionalist, spiritual outlook. His poems delve into the moral obligations of individuals and the importance of dharma (righteousness) in society. His philosophical stance, while rooted in Indian values, does not carry the same revolutionary tone that Bharati’s does.

6. Impact on Society:

• Subramania Bharati: Bharati’s poetry had a profound impact on the Indian independence movement. His words were not only artistic but also served as a call to action for social change and political reform. His songs and poems became rallying cries for millions seeking freedom from British colonial rule.
• Garibella: While Sastri’s poetry had a significant impact in the realm of classical literature and spiritual thought, it did not have the same widespread revolutionary impact as Bharati's did. Sastri's poetry largely influenced the literary community and those with an affinity for philosophical poetry.

Conclusion:

Both Subramania Bharati and Garibella are monumental figures in Indian poetry, but their works represent different schools of thought. Bharati’s poetry is vibrant, progressive, and highly political, aimed at galvanizing the masses, while Sastri’s poetry is more introspective, spiritual, and focused on ethical living in accordance with traditional Indian values. Each poet’s work is a reflection of their respective times and personal convictions, offering valuable insights into the cultural fabric of India.

 

 

 

 

 

"Nature as Monster" (Survival - Margaret Atwood)

 

Nature as Monster

                                        - Margaret Atwood

 

Introduction:

Nature poetry is seldom about Nature. It is usually about the poet’s attitude towards the external natural universe. The same tendencies can be present in the descriptive passages of novels or stories with natural settings. With this idea in mind, Atwood critiques the types of landscape that portrayed in Canadian literature and the kinds of attitude they mirror.

Nature in Canadian Literature:

It is not surprise that in Canadian literature “Nature” has a prominent place. But it often dead or unanswering or actively hostile to man or seen as unreal in summer or in spring, because in Canada most of the season is winter. So Canadian writers do not trust Nature. According to them Nature is ‘distrusted’ in Canada as written in Alden Nowlan’s poem. In English Canadian poetry during the 18^th century “Nature” was portrayed as sublime and picturesque, in the line of Edmund Burke’s ideology. But in the beginning of the 19^th century it was Wordsworthian Romanticism – “Nature was kind Mother or Nature who would guide man if he would only listen to her.” However, in the mid   19^th century Nature’s personality underwent change – “She became redder in tooth and claw” as Darwinism infiltrated literature. Thus, Canada was still under Burke or Wordsworthian influence. For example, in the early part of 19^th century in Susanna Moodie’s description of the “Surpassing grandeur” Nature is attributed Wordsworthian concept – Nature is a Kind Mother. But in her later work “Roughing It in the Bush” Mrs. Moodie doubtfully writes whether Nature is benign or not. This tension between expectation and actuality was not confined to Mrs. Moodie alone.

The Manitou:

In Alexander McLachlan’s “The Emigrant”, he expresses that he cannot understand or interpret the bogs, wading rivers, crossing logs, songs of birds in Canada, as he is an immigrant in the land. Like this, Charles Sangster and Leigh Hunt also give the “double” attitudes - such as benign and unfriendly - of Nature in their works.  Douglas Lepan in “a Country Without a Mythology” a stranger is wandering in a landscape without any “monuments or landmarks” but among “savage people” who were silent and moody and their langue was incomprehensible. In the following days he almost snatched berries and fishes forgetting that he is an English educated man. Probably “what is missing for him in this alien land are the emblems of tradition-saturated European civilization”. The landscape is harsh – it is too cold in winter and too hot in summer. However, the traveller maintains his desire for a Wordsworthian experience of Nature as divine and kind. Though he continues his journey, he does not get the vision that he aimed for. According to him Nature is ‘empty’ and there is no revelation. But for an Indian there is an image of the divine present in the landscape – the “manitou”.

Nature - Dead and Hostile: The mythic figure the “manitou” is not a “golden-haired Archangel”. It is rejected as impure or “lust-red”. Whereas the traveller’s Wordsworthian and European Christian fantasies are only wishful thinking, and of a destructive kind: they prevent him from making meaningful contact with his actual environment. That is why he remains a stranger. In fact, the person who demands Divine Mother may conclude that Nature is dead. Nature seen as dead or actively hostile towards man is a common image in Canadian literature.

Death by Nature:

While the author writers “Death by Nature”; it is the author who intends to murder the character. In fact, the Canadian authors’ two favourite “natural” methods for dispatching his victims are drowning or freezing – drowning is preferred by poets and freezing by prose writers. The reason is that there is lots of water and snow in Canada and both are good murder weapons. There are no deserts or jungles. There aren’t many venomous reptiles or vermin in Canada. In Canadian psyche, Death by Wild Animal is infrequent. Death by Indian has something akin to Death by Nature in Canada. Yet another way of killing is Death by Bushing in which a character isolated in Nature goes crazy as in Joyce Marshall’s story, “The Old Woman”.

The attitude towards Death by Nature vary based on the guilt ascribed to Nature. For example, in F.P. Grove’s “Snow” the protagonist is found dead in the frozen snow, after many days of his death. Hearing the news, his mother-in-law collapsing into tears says “God’s will be done”. Here Nature is dead or indifferent rather than actively hostile. “Death by Nature” has a different aspect in Earl Birney’s poem, “David”. In the poem, when two men went for an expedition to reach the peak called “the Finger”, one of them, David slipped and fell down on ice six hundred feet below and died. The death of David is ostensibly a kind of accident and any guilt for it belongs to the narrator who caused David’s fall by his carelessness. But the imagery of the poem casts a different light on the story. In  a sense, it is the beckoning of the “Finger” that has lured David’s fall, Nature-is-indifferent but after his fall Nature-is-hostile. Symbolically, David’s vision of Nature as a destructive and hideous monster.

Nature as Monster:

David’s name is suggestive as it alludes to the story from the Bible and so the Goliath is of course, Nature herself. But in many ways, Canadian David-and Goliath, stories, Goliath wins. In E.J. Pratt’s “The Titanic” once again Nature is shown as ‘hostile’. The description of ice berg that sinks the Titanic is worth some attention. Though this monster is of uncertain sex, yet in Pratt’s “Towards the Last Spike” Nature-monster is definitely female. In “Towards the Last Spike” that the monster is the Canadian shield which is in the form of female dragon or lizard. In fact, war is declared against her by Sir John A. Macdonald who wants to build a railroad through her. In the war, this time, he makes man win against the female giant. After this, one thing is very strong in Frye’s “The Bush Garden” – “the conquest of nature by an intelligence that does not love it” – started sympathizing at the defeated giantess. Now the concern is how to avoid destroying her – the female monster – the Nature.

Human as Monster:

So, now the concern is from  “Nature is hostile” and it should be won over to, how to save Nature. Now the understanding is destruction of Nature is equivalent to self-destruction on the part of men. Earle Birney’s “Transcontinental” is a sort of “Towards the Last Spike” revisited. But in Birney’s, it is not that the Divine Mother, but the man will have to clean up the ‘mess’ he has made. Man-the-aggressor is taken a step further in Peter Such’s novel, “Fallout”. In the novel man rapes the land using technology and Nature punishes him in the form of an ‘hurricane’. Dennis Lee’s “Civil Elegies” implies that North American war on Nature is not an enhancing of human civilization but a stunning of it. Once again it is “Four Basic Victim Position.”

 

Four Basic Victim Positions:

Position One is that Nature poetry in 19^th  century is Wordsworthian view which looks at Nature as Divine Mother. But in Position Two – there are many variations: (i)some poems talk about the hardness of the Nature and difficulties of coming to term with it. (ii) some poems talk about ‘believe’ and you say it is too cold, if you experience coldness. (iii) some poems talk about struggling against a terminology (probably a natural scene) which is foreign to you. (iv) the chronological reading of Canadian poems reveals that the gradual emergence of language appropriate to its object.

In Position Two you realize that you cannot win over Nature. But deciding to “win the war against Nature can move you into Position Three. Yet in Position Three you find the continuation of Position Two because you believe that Nature may not destroy weak man but it is giant towards giant man. In pre-Position Four, Nature is not looked as “Divine Mother” but as “evil Monster”. In the Position Four man himself is seen as part of the process; he does not define himself as ‘good’ or ‘weak’ as against a hostile Nature or as ‘bad’ or ‘aggressive’ as against a passive, powerless Nature. Such kind of Position Four is very rare in Canadian literature except some poets like Irving Layton, because he transcends the alternatives and moves into the processes of life-as-energy.

Conclusion:

Thus, in this essay, Atwood describes how the perception of the Canadian writers ranges from Nature as Divine Mother to Nature as Monster and the reflection of it in their writings.

 

Survival ["Survival"] (Margaret Atwood)

 Survival

-        Margaret Atwood

About the Author:

Margaret Atwood, a prolific Canadian author, is acclaimed for her profound contributions to contemporary literature, spanning multiple genres including fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Born on November 18, 1939, in Ottawa, Ontario, Atwood's diverse body of work often explores themes like power, identity, and ecological conservation. Her sharp literary voice and incisive wit have earned her numerous prestigious awards, such as the Booker Prize and Governor General's Award. A passionate advocate for environmental and social issues, Atwood's influence extends beyond her written works, impacting cultural and political dialogues. "Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature," one of her seminal non-fiction works, reflects her deep engagement with Canadian identity and the literary landscape.

About the book: Survival

Introduction: In Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature by Margaret Atwood contains a  comprehensive analysis of Canadian literature which helps readers understand the real meaning of the Canadian literature. Delving into the works of various Canadian authors, Atwood uncovers a persistent motif of survival in the harsh, often unforgiving landscapes of the country's history and environment. This groundbreaking study not only reframes how we perceive Canadian cultural narratives but also throws light on survival, resilience, and identity (both national and individual) in the lives of Canadians.

Introduction:

“Survival” is the first chapter in which she argues that the most important strategy that the Canadian writers learnt and also portrayed in their literary works is “survival”, because not only in the animal kingdom but also in the human world only “the fittest will survive”.

Personal Experience:

Atwood argues in the first chapter that Canadian writers have emphasized the concept of survival as a key strategy, drawing parallels between the animal kingdom and human society where only the strongest prevail. She reminisces about her early exposure to Canadian literature, reflecting on how her perception evolved from initially dismissing Canadian stories as inferior to recognizing their depth and significance in shaping national identity. Atwood challenges the notion that literature is merely for entertainment, emphasizing its role in reflecting and shaping cultural values and identities. Can you explain the significance of survival as a thematic element in Canadian literature according to Atwood's analysis? How does Atwood's personal experience with Canadian literature contribute to her understanding of national identity and literary values?

 

Survival Manuals:

 The text discusses how animal stories by Seton served as survival manuals, focusing on the perils of the wilderness. It emphasized dangers like getting lost or encountering dangerous animals. The world depicted in these stories was filled with traps and challenges, where there was no superhero to save the day. Atwood explores Canadian short stories by Weaver and James, highlighting themes of human struggles and fatal accidents. The Canadian writing portrayed a world of danger and menace, with a unique shape that differed from other literature. The essence of these stories and their depiction of the Canadian landscape is the subject of Atwood's book.

 

Symbol: An Identity

The text suggests that every country or culture has a unifying symbol at its core, such as "The Frontier" for America, symbolizing new beginnings and unfulfilled promises. This symbol serves as a system of beliefs that brings people together and motivates cooperation for common goals. American literature often explores the gap between the idealized vision of America as a utopia and the harsh reality of materialism and disappointment. Some individuals even mistake reality for the ideal, as seen in the example of "Heaven is a Hilton Hotel with a Coke machine in it." "The Island" is the corresponding symbol for England, popularized by a poet named Phineas Fletcher in the 17th century through his poem "The Purple Island." It employs a body-island metaphor, depicting England as a self-contained Body Politic with a hierarchical structure, where the King is the Head, statesmen the hands, and peasants or workers the feet, reflecting the concept of an Englishman's home as a castle.

 

 

 

Theme: Death and Decay

Canadian authors often depict their heroes experiencing death or failure as a central theme in their works. This emphasis on failure is seen as necessary to align with the characters' worldview and the overall tone of the narrative. While well-executed endings that align with the story's themes are generally accepted, poorly delivered conclusions can detract from the work's aesthetic appeal. Canadian writers tend to lean towards negative outcomes, such as natural disasters or unexpected tragedies, rather than resorting to positive, contrived resolutions. This preference for negative symbolism reflects a pervasive cultural tendency towards embracing failure over success. Some argue that Canadian literature's inclination towards pessimism aligns with broader 20th-century literary trends, but the prevalence of death and failure in Canadian works appears more pronounced and relentless. While some may view Canadian authors as morbid or neurotic, others find intrigue in the shared thematic elements among diverse Canadian writers, prompting speculation on the underlying reasons behind this commonality.

 

Survival:

The central symbol for Canada is Survival, known as la Survivance in both English and French Canadian literature. This concept represents the idea of staying alive in various forms and challenges. For early explorers and settlers, it meant surviving hostile elements and carving out a place to keep alive. It can also symbolize surviving crises like hurricanes or wrecks, often portrayed in Canadian poems. In French Canada, cultural survival involved preserving their identity under English rule, while in English Canada facing American influence, it gains a similar meaning. Survival can also be seen as a vestige of a past era that persists beyond its time. This concept of survival evokes anxiety and tales of those who made it back from harrowing experiences rather than triumphant victories. Overall, Survival in Canada inspires a sense of gratitude for escaping with one's life.

 

Basic Victim Position:

The text explores the idea of Canada as potentially being a victimized and exploited entity, akin to a colony where profits are generated for the benefit of a central power. Colonies are traditionally designed to serve the economic interests of the ruling entity, leading to cultural side effects known as the colonial mentality. The author suggests that if Canada is a collective victim, it should acknowledge the Two Basic Victim Positions, which range from denial to creative non-victimhood. Canadian literature, as outlined by Atwood, primarily focuses on themes related to victimization, especially Position Two where individuals feel powerless to change their circumstances. Despite this, the role of writers is seen as reflecting society as it is, rather than prescribing how it should be. Overall, the text underscores the complex interplay between economic exploitation, cultural identity, and the role of literature in reflecting societal realities.

Conclusion:

Thus in “Survival” the first essay in Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature, Atwood offers her critical views on Canadian literature and strongly appeals that Canadian literature has its own identity, a symbol which is on par with the identity of other nations. The Canadian identity is expressed in every page of its literature though, the country, in one or the other, underwent or undergoes victimization in the hands of imperialists

Cultural Identity and Diaspora (Stuart Hall)

 

Cultural Identity and Diaspora

-        Stuart Hall

Essay

About the Author:

Stuart Hall (3 February 1932 – 10 February 2014) was a Jamaican-born British Marxist sociologist, cultural theorist, and political activist. Hall — along with Richard Hoggart and Raymond Williams — was one of the founding figures of the school of thought known as British Cultural Studies or the Birmingham School of Cultural Studies. In the 1950s Hall was a founder of the influential journal New Left Review. Hall's work covers issues of hegemony and cultural studies, taking a post-Gramscian stance. He regards language-use as operating within a framework of power, institutions and politics/economics. This view presents people as producers and consumers of culture at the same time. For Hall, culture was not something to simply appreciate or study, but a "critical site of social action and intervention, where power relations are both established and potentially unsettled".

Introduction:

Stuart Hall beings his discussion on Cultural Identity and Diaspora with a discussion on the emerging new cinema in the Caribbean which is known as Third Cinema. This new form of cinema is considered as the visual representation of the Afro-Caribbean subjects- “blacks” of the diasporas of the west- the new post colonial subjects. Using this discussion as a starting point Hall addresses the issues of identity, cultural practices, and cultural production.

Discussion:

There is a new cinema emerging in the Caribbean known as the Third Cinema. It is considered as the visual representation of the Afro-Caribbean in the post colonial context. In this visual medium “Blacks” are represented as the new postcolonial subjects. In the context of cultural identity hall questions regarding the identity of this emerging new subjects. From where does he speak? Very often identity is represented as a finished product. Hall argues that instead of considering cultural identity as a finished product we should think of it a production which is never complete and is always in process.

He discusses two ways of reflecting on cultural identity. Firstly, identity understood as a collective, shared history among individuals affiliated by race or ethnicity that is considered to be fixed or stable. According to this understanding our cultural identity reflects the common historical experiences and shared cultural codes which provide us as “one people.” This is known as the oneness of cultural identity, beneath the shifting divisions and changes of our actual history. From the perspective of the Caribbean’s this would be the Caribbeanness of the black experience. This is the identity the Black diaspora must discover. This understanding did play a crucial role in the Negritude movements. It was a creative mode of representing the true identity of the marginalised people. Indeed this act of rediscovery has played crucial role in the emergence of many of the important social movements of our time like feminist, ani-colonial and anti-racist.

Stuart Hall also explores a second form of cultural identity that exist among the Caribbean, this is an identity understood as unstable, metamorphic, and even contradictory which signifies an identity marked by multiple points of similarities as well as differences. This cultural identity refers to “what they really are”, or rather “what they have become.” Without understanding this new identity one cannot speak of Caribbean identity as “one identity or on experience.” There are ruptures and discontinuities that constitute the Caribbean’s uniqueness. Based on this second understanding of identity as an unstable Hall discusses Caribbean cultural identity as one of heterogeneous composites. It is this second notion of identity that offers a proper understanding of the traumatic character of the colonial experience of the Caribbean people.

To explain the process of identity formation, Hall uses Derrida's theory ‘difference’ as support, and Hall sees the temporary positioning of identity as "strategic" and arbitrary. He then uses the three presences--African, European, and American--in the Caribbean to illustrate the idea of "traces" in our identity. A Caribbean experiences three kinds of cultural identities. Firstly, the cultural identity of the Africans which is considered as site of the repressed, secondly, the cultural identity of the Europeans which is the site of the colonialist, and thirdly, the cultural identity of the Americans which is a new world- a site of cultural confrontation. Thus, the presence of these three cultural identities offers the possibility of creolization. Finally, he defines the Caribbean identity as diaspora identity.

Conclusion:

In his 1996 essay 'Cultural Identity and Diaspora', the theorist Stuart Hall argued that cultural identity is not only a matter a 'being' but of 'becoming', From Hall's perspective, identities undergo constant transformation, transcending time and space. Thus, diaspora communities represent and maintain a culture different from those of the countries within which they are located, often retaining strong ties with their country and culture of origin and with other communities of the same origin in order to preserve that culture.

 

An American Brat (Bapsi Sidhwa)

 

An American Brat

-Bapsi Sidhwa

Essay

About the Author:

Bapsi Sidhwa (born on 11 August 1938) is a Pakistani novelist of Gujarati Parsi Zoroastrian descent who writes in English and is a resident in the United States. She is best known for her collaborative work with Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta: Sidhwa wrote both the 1991 novel Ice Candy Man which served as the basis for Mehta's 1998 film Earth as well as the 2006 novel Water: A Novel, on which Mehta's 2005 film Water is based. A documentary about Sidhwa's life called "Bapsi: Silences of My Life" was released on the official YouTube channel of " The Citizens Archive of Pakistan" on 28 October 2022 with the title " First Generation -Stories of partition: Bapsi Sidhwa".  She currently resides in Houston in the US. She describes herself as a "Punjabi-Parsi". Her first language is Gujarati, her second language is Urdu, and her third language is English. She can read and write best in English, but she is more comfortable talking in Gujarati or Urdu, and often translates literally from Gujarati or Urdu to English.

 

Introduction:

Bapsi Sidhwa is a prominent writer of Pakistan Diaspora. Her major works reflect her personal experience of the Partition of Indian subcontinent, abuse against women, immigration to the US, membership in the Parsi or Zoroastrian community, and other such related issues and concerns. Basically, Diaspora is an experience of dislocation and physical displacement from the motherland and it raises socio-cultural and psychosomatic identity questions which have led to a hybrid culture and a new process of cultural assimilation. Peculiar experiences caused by migration and native communities, rootlessness become a major issue of the post-colonial society and a prime concern of the post-colonial writers; and hence, it is also regarded as an identity crisis as well as search for identity. “An American Brat” is set partly in Lahore and partly in the United States is the story of a young Parsi girl’s Americanization. “An American Brat” is a novel which focuses on the diasporic experiences and their effects on the characters, especially its protagonist, Feroza.

 

Feroza’s Family: The story line of “An American Brat” is simple, lucid and pacy. Bapsi Sidhwa chronicles the adventures of a young Pakistani Parsi girl, Firoza Ginwalla in America. Her Lahore-based family, send her to the USA, for a three-month vacation, to broaden her outlook on life. They are concerned at Feroza’s conservative attitudes, which stem from Pakistani’s rising tide of fundamentalism, during the reign of the late President Zia-ul-Haq. Her mother Zareen is perturbed that her daughter Feroza has adopted an un-Parsilike orthodoxy in her attitude and outlook, thereby making her a misfit in her community. Cyrus Ginwalla, the father is apprehensive about another kind of loss of identity. He fears that his susceptible young daughter would fall in love and marry a non-Parsi. So, the solution is to send the girl for a holiday to the USA. She will become ‘modern’ in the truest sense of word. By thinking for herself she will challenge traditional views, static orthodoxy and grow beyond the confines of communality, and norms of a patriarchal society. Bapsi Sidhwa shows that the journey to the USA was supposedly a learning process but instead it makes her “too modern” for her patriarchal and seemingly liberal family. So, in this novel of self-realization, the self-awareness that Feroza Ginwalla acquires, ironically isolates her from her Parsi heritage.

 

Feroza’s First Encounter: During the course of the story, Sidhwa touches upon almost all those aspects that new immigrants and visitors to the United States experience at first hand – or hear recounted to them by others. Some of these incidents are meant to be funny, others critical of the unpleasant and even ugly underside of America. Thus, Feroza’s first experience of the United States is her encounter with the immigration official who badges her and tries to get her to admit that she has come to get married and the uncle is not at all uncle. The official gets her so upset that she ends up in tears, shouting that she will go back to her own country. Manek warns her to keep quiet and only barely manages to persuade the official of their true relationship and that he guarantees that she will return to Pakistan when her visa expires.

 

Feroza’s Transformation:

Feroza, after getting a crash course from Manek about how to survive in the States is soon on her way. She decides to join a college in Twin Falls, Idaho. Manek is happy with her choice because it is in Mormon territory. The ban on liquor, striptease, prostitution, the fact that coffee is not served in most restaurant, means Feroza would not be exposed to the free and easy ways of the rest of America. Nevertheless, even in Twin Falls, Feroza, through her roommate, Jo, is exposed to the underside of America. She soon picks up Jo’s manner of speaking bad words. Even in Twin Falls, it is possible to get liquor  and Feroz soon initiated into drinking. Jo picks up men casually and while Feroza is still restrained, she also enjoys going out with Jo and flirting “modestly” with strange young men. While she does wonder what her family will think of her, seeing the transformation that she imbibed. She even commits the cardinal sin of smoking – to Parsis fire is the symbol of Ahura Mazda and smoking an act of desecration. In depicting the Americanization of Feroza, Sidhwa contrasts the confined atmosphere og girls’ lives in the subcontinent with the freedom they enjoy in the States.

 

Feroza’s Love Affairs:

In the States, however, Feroza discovers that there are no restrictions and sexual relations are casually entered into. Feroza finds herself drawn to a young Indian named Shashi. They kiss and indulge in mild petting when they are alone, but their relationship is somehow strained because of the “taboos that governed the behaviour of decent unmarried girls and desi men”. Shashi is more attracted to Gwen a young black roommate of Feroza, and Gwen, the mistress of a while married man, is not averse flirting with Shashi. Knowing the affair between Shashi and Gwen, Feroza breaks up from Shashi, yet she does not break off the friendship existing between them. Later Feroza meets David Press whom she meets when she goes to look at a car he is selling. In her attempt to describe Feroza’s falling in love with David, “golden, languishing god” according to Feroza.

 

Zareen’s Attempts: Feroza believes that underneath the religious and cultural differences, she and David are alike, but Zareen, Feroza’s mother does not think so. When Feroza discloses her intention of marrying David, Zareen rushes to America to prevent this unsuitable marriage. She brings money to buy off David. She tries to explain Feroza that by marrying David she would cut herself off from her family and religion. She would never be allowed to enter the Parsi place of worship, never be allowed to attend the funeral rites of her parents.

 

Despite her outburst, Zareen wavers and starts questioning the strictures against interfaith marriage. Parsi men can marry outside the faith but still remain Parsi but Parsi women who marry non-Parsi are termed to excommunicated. Zareen sets about preventing the marriage of her daughter and David. She is unable to buy off David, because overwhelmed by the shopping malls, she spends all her money on a frenzied shopping spree. So she has resorted to other tactics to prevent the marriage. She advises Feroza to forget about David and marriage but to concentrate on her studies. Then she explains David about the Parsi culture and the wedding in Parsi community and how different the culture of him from theirs. Finally, David who wants to lead a peaceful married life, keeps himself away from Feroza. David’s attraction n for Feroza weakens.

 

Feroza’s Reaction: Initially Feroza feels depressed but gradually recovers, strengthened in her resolve to continue there. She has experienced freedom in America and refuses to live without it thereafter. She realizes that she has changed too much to even go back to Pakistan. She does not agree to an arranged marriage with one of the three nice boys chosen for her by her parents but decides to stay back in the USA. The migrant Feroza has adjusted herself well to a different culture and “there would be not going back for her”.

 

Conclusion:

Thus Sidhwa’s “An American Brat” deals with the subject of the ‘cultural shock’ and the later transformation that any expatriate experience in the West. Like in other novels, in this novel also the Parsi rituals and customs are brought out by Sidhwa. Thus, even as Sidhwa writes about how the sixteen-year-old Feroza Ginwalla becomes, what her mother, horrified at the change in her daughter, calls “an American brat”, the culture and politics of Pakistan and the joys and sorrows of being a Parsi woman remains Sidhwa’s concomitant concerns.