Literature in Canada 2.0

3.3 GGRW Allusions

This is the third time I’ve read the novel. The way I’ve found most effective for me is to flag possible allusions as I read them and write a quick note. This has helped me methodically comb through the references and make more connections. I’ve used post-its this time because I find that I notice things differently each read and don’t want anything too permanent but I’m kicking myself that I’ve lost some of my previous readings’ notebooks. I’m going at this similar to Jane Flick in her reading guide….read more

Apr.02

Assignment 3.2

Posted by jbernoe in Assignment 3.2

Narratives assume, in Blanca Chester’s words, “a common matrix of cultural knowledge.” The Four Old Indians are perhaps the best examples of characters that belong to a matrix of cultural knowledge, which excludes many non-First Nations. What were your first questions about and impressions of these characters? How have you come to understand their place in the novel? I had read this novel a couple times in my earlier course at UBC with Dr. Paterson, so I was familiar with the importance of the number 4, the Medicine Wheel, and…read more

Mar.12

Assignment 2.3

Posted by jbernoe in Assignment 2.3

In order to address this question you will need to refer to Sparke’s article, “A Map that Roared and an Original Atlas: Canada, Cartography, and the Narration of Nation.” You can easily find this article online. Read the section titled: “Contrapuntal Cartographies” (468 – 470). Write a blog that explains Sparke’s analysis of what Judge McEachern might have meant by this statement: “We’ll call this the map that roared.” Matthew Sparke touches on a post-colonial problem concerning Canadian identity, nationalism, and prejudice all bound up within the law by way…read more

Mar.03

Assignment 2.2

Posted by jbernoe in Assignment 2.2

First stories tell us how the world was created. In The Truth about Stories, King tells us two creation stories; one about how Charm falls from the sky pregnant with twins and creates the world out of a bit of mud with the help of all the water animals, and another about God creating heaven and earth with his words, and then Adam and Eve and the Garden. King provides us with a neat analysis of how each story reflects a distinct worldview. “The Earth Diver” story reflects a world…read more

Feb.10

A Story

Posted by jbernoe in Assignment 1.3

You’ll never believe what happened. Well, you might after I tell you the story. It’s a rough one. I haven’t opened up about this to many people. Okay, here I go. Have I ever mentioned Margaret to you before? No? Okay. Well she was my neighbour and died. She was thirteen, a freshman in high school and at the time I was a couple years older, a senior, which made us unlikely friends even though we grew up together. She suffered from cystic fibrosis. She knew this ever since she…read more

Jan.28