Obasan, by Joy Kogawa, and Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood: fictional representations of Canadian identity and History

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the ways through which the representation of the Canadian subject might be observed in two representative novels of contemporary Canadian literature: Obasan, by Joy Kogawa, and Alias Grace, by Margaret Atwood. This investigation also demonstrates that the search for the definition of a specific Canadian identity has been a constant and relevant theme to the country s culture. The lack of definition concerning the meaning of being Canadian has also permeated Canadian Literature throughout the centuries, most notably since the XIX century. In order to observe the literary representation of the Canadian search for identity, this investigation makes use of the concepts related to the representation of traditionally silenced subaltern groups. The comparative analysis of the abovementioned novels contemplates the relationship between autobiographical memory and trauma, as well as the narrative similarities between fiction and history. This investigation also verifies the ways postmodern literature employs official documentation, historical accounts and (auto) biographical information in the rewriting of history through historiographic metafiction