What I found most intriguing about Goto’s The Kappa Child, were the ways in which it challenged and re-worked historical Canadian (settler) narratives. It is not far off to say that Little House on the Prairie manifested itself into the thought-process of many Canadians (although it is an American novel, nonetheless), as an image reminiscent of the highly romanticised “good old days”. As the unnamed protagonist in the story continually references scenes from her favorite book, however, she is constantly reminded of how different her families’ seemingly ‘similar’ existence is compared to that of the Ingalls. As a matter of fact, the protagonist’s life is far from ‘good’ as she looks back on her abusive childhood, in a landscape that rarely provided. Canadian narratives provided through such stories as Little House on the Prairie often ignore Canada’s robust history of colonialism and racism. Endearingly, Goto provides a more realistic account of what it is to be an immigrant in Canada, tilling the land, and living the ‘Canadian dream’. This idea becomes exemplified, even more so, when the protagonist wakes up watching the credits for Little House on the Prairie; As Laura Ingalls looks up, grows withered and angry, stressing that the story was re-done, Goto creates a raw image of a fake Canada, one that made me (the reader) realize my complacency in maintaining an unrealistic account of Canada that does not recognize the experience of immigrants and First Nations as integral components of its’ history.
Hello Allison
You have some interesting points in your response. You mention in your last sentence that “Goto creates a raw image of a fake Canada, one that made me (the reader) realize my complacency in maintaining an unrealistic account of Canada that does not recognize the experience of immigrants and First Nations as integral components of its’ history.” I agree with your point here on how Goto brings up some important themes related to Canadian history. What i also thought while reading the novel was how Goto critiques our immigration policy in a very subtle manner. Would you agree? I think Goto is shining light on how Canada’s multicultural policy is not as successful as society makes it and that there are severe implication of being an immigrant in Canada with discrimination / institutional racism and assimilation. I believe that immigrants often see Canada as this neutral / accepting country and how everyone can ‘be Canadian’ . But even if we dig deeper in this discourse who is ‘Canadian’ and what images are projected of being Canadian. I enjoyed your response!
This is a really interesting post—I especially enjoyed how you narrated how the experience of reading the story (and observing the layering of Little House on the Prairie) helped you come to see your own complacency in the story-telling of a colonial version of Canadian history. (And since I’m an American, I am left realizing how many problematic American stories are exported into other contexts—so this is good food for thought for me, too, as I read your critical reflections!). It seems the art is “working on” both of us, helping us to shift how we perceive history, which can re-shape how we perceive the present. Your attentiveness to the layeredness of storytelling in this story really drew that out for me. Well done.