Représentations des rébellions des patriotes dans les littératures québécoise et française du xixe siècle

Abstract

In this paper, we want to identify the imaginary of the Patriot’s Rebellions (1837-1838), a determining and very important event for identity construction of the Québec Nation. Two perspectives will be analysed through 19th Century literature: from Quebec, Louis Fréchette’s La Légende d’un peuple (1888); and from France, Jules Verne’s Famille-Sans-Nom (1888). From a comparative approach, we will show the inherent mythic elements of this imaginary. We will study the notions of Purity vs Impurity (the so called imaginary of contamination) and the characteristics of Verne’s and Fréchette’s background, composed essentially of a mythic heritage privileging maternal images. Finally, we will discuss the Patriot character’s central role in the two works.

Keywords

• Quebec
• imaginary
• hero
• myth
• national epopee