What is Canadian literature so gloomy?

I haven't been abroad that much, so I've only heard the stereotypes of Canadians abroad.
Are we really that shit? Where do you live?

i am australian and the canadians i have known are petty and cruel people. an exterior shyness that fools you, but conceals acid torrents of arrogance.

Australians are just generally cunts that thibk too much of themselves and get off being naked on the beach. There are way too many australian naked bitches on the beach. I day this as a gay man but it’s true. And then they get angry and figuratively spit at you gor looking at their cracks when they’re wearing revealing bikinis. They’re like kangtoos who’ll kick like retards because you look d at them wrong.

Fuck austealians.

i'm gay too wanna be my bf? do you wanna get dommed by an aussie? you know you want it

I live in Japan, but I'm Canadian by birth. I spent a lot of time in the States so I know full well how Canadians think about and treat Americans. Canadian identity is based on an inferiority/superiority complex toward Americans and they act like it. I remember even as a kid cringing at things my extended family said about Americans. Americans are no angels but Canadians have such an assumption of grace that it's almost absurd. The funny thing is this attitude has pushed Canadian politics so far left that it's destroying their country. Good riddance.

Canada is a culturally inclusive and kind place, we just spend winters alone and have nothing to do so we're all bored, cold and introverted.

I'm also Australian and everyone here has a good impression of you. Like New Zealanders and the English, we're very similar culturally. The general stereotype is that Canadians are more polite Australians who live in snow

Honestly I just agree, as a Canadian.

>when fidel castro's gay bastard is your leader

You're absolutely politically illiterate if you think Canada's far-left

>The entirety of Canadian identity rests on not being American

everyone reacts to american stuff as if we live there and can vote in their elections. the inferiority complex / dumb misplaced obsession with american culture war stuff is 110% true i can barely restrain myself at rolling my fucking eyes and saying OH COME ON at people i know telling me their opinions about american politics 5 minutes into a conversation like i or they should give a fuck but people here just assume you think a certain way about what's going on (and always centered around the states because we're sheep who react to USA dominated pop culture). its a weird schizophrenia where people feel superior to USA but also get outraged at all the same stuff as libs from seattle or portland

its not all bad though. i'll agree with most criticisms of canadians and our cultural vacuum but at end of the day i like living here and im glad theres a nice big border separating us from the states. canada is more boring but boring has advantages

Canada is literally just 3 liberal cities barely outside the northern border and a bunch of forest.

>theres a nice big border separating us
sure :^)

youtube.com/watch?v=N1XpJ73v7QU

I live in the UK and everything you said about Canada applies equally here too.

The other Australian is right. I've never heard ANYONE EVER liken Canadians to being snow Australians. Some people believe in the politeness meme but everyone who has met them doesn't believe it. As someone else said they're simply Americans whose identity is founded entirely upon not being American. They also have poofy accents.

Canada's national poastime isn't hockey or maple syrup or whatever, it's being as snarky as possible about not being American, all while watching American TV, eating American food, and going on vacation to America

With Trudeau in power, I anticipate that it'll only get worse. I even included in one of my Living Amongst the Dead novels the mention of Trudeau and how he promised to take care of immigrants/refugees. Must have been the 4th book, pic related. I had written in a couple Muslim characters, a man and a girl, father and daughter. He pretty much doesn't allow her to speak, they find out that he is quite adamant in refusing to let her get educated back when civilization was still intact, and in time it's revealed that they're in fact husband and wife rather than father and daughter. Then, since there's a big problem with inbreeding in Pakistan, it's also revealed that they are related by blood. Cousins, I think. The BBC had done a report on how many Pakistani Brits are born with genetic defects due to inbreeding. To be honest I think the girl (12 years old as I recall) is quite sweet, there's definitely a will to learn, but her bearded husband is most certainly something of a bastard. It's safe to say that my 11 books are quite gloomy as well. I've given thought to writing a comedy, I'll likely give it a go sometime.

does your self insert rape her

what kind of shilling is this?

> has never read Stephen Leacock

I am vehemently anti-American and Canadian and do none of those. No syrup, no hockey, no TV (only foreign language documentaries), no american food (you think I put HFCS and misc. xenoestrogens into my body?) and definitely not setting foot in your literal third-world shit hole for a vacation.

>consumerism replaced whatever culture they might once have had
>Americans attacking anyone on the basis of culture being replaced by consumerism

This

>americans making any sort of point about culture at all

>filename says America
>picture is taken in the Phillipines
Fucking retard

Canada is reddit: the country

I don't want to live under your shitty government. And I'd rather have "free" (yes, ik, payed by for by taxes) healthcare than spend a fortune paying medical expenses for a trip to the fucking hospital

trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=reddit
It quite literally is.

I heard you changed your national anthem to be more diverse and inclusive. Aside from Rush, fuck all canadians

I think a sort of combination of capitalist and socialist healthcare would be best. How it would be conducted, I don't know, but new doctors can get experience via the socialized wing of the hospital where people can get treated on the older/cheaper machines at the cost of taxpayer dollars but the middle and upper class can utilize the capitalist wing of the hospital where the more experienced/qualified doctors are with the most expensive top-of-the-line machines where they will be charged accordingly. Or, of course, stick with the taxpayer-paid stuff that's not as good. So the poor still get some treatment, but the more well-off can still have America-quality healthcare. Canadian healthcare isn't as good and there's longer wait times. I was blue-pilled on the matter, even bought into that movie that the guy guy who made 'Bowling for Columbine' made in which he claimed that Cuba had better healthcare than America. That's pretty foolish.

Yes it's convenient to have socialized healthcare, but it's a drain on people due to the high taxes, and not only that but there's higher taxes on certain goods as well. The difference in prices for alcohol and probably tobacco as well between Canada and America, even if you take into account the different values of CAD/USD, it's huge. Personally, I look forward to being a daily-carrying American citizen someday. Give me that 1st and 2nd Amendments, because Canada's 'Freedom of Expression' is CLEARLY far weaker than America's 1st Amendment.

Yup, it's changed from 'in all thy son's command' to 'in all of us command', which is absolutely retarded. I will never sing the changed version of the Canadian national anthem. Trudeau is fucking disgusting, and his recent trip to India has been an utter trainwreck. Even CBC has been saying such, and I'm certain they suck his little male feminist dick at every possible opportunity. I hear his latest budget has included a lot of money being sent to Canadian news agencies, though not the Rebel Media of course.

A two-tier System has been debated extensively and the problem is that care in the public wing always ends up being terrible because the people who call their MPs and MPPs at a drop of the hat are in a class which won’t object when the healthcare budget faces cuts. A universal system is the only way that incentivizes everybody to care about the quality of healthcare.

Canada’s fundamental problem is that it at root has no meanful unified identity, there is nothing that it means to ‘be Canadian’.

There is no unifying ethnic identity, no universal language, and no shared universal political project like in the American case. Canada has always been ‘not America’. Quebec and the First Nations are the only people who really have a positive national identity.

Canada was formed basically because the British no longer found it profitable to directly rule, and easier to let Canada handle its own affairs. The modern notion of what Canada is as a country was only built after the Second World War, Canada as a nation, insofar as that refers to anything only happened from Deifenbaker to Trudeau. That’s when the current relationship between federal and provincial power was hashed out, the welfare state was built, the special status of Quebec was recognized, First Nations gained some degree of recognition (an issue in which Joe Clark was actually far better than Trudeau), even the flag was established during this period.

Canada doesn’t even really have a Constitution. Over that period, into the Mulroney years the debate raged but after the failure of Meech Lake and then the Quebec Ref in 95 everybody just threw up their hands and gave up on the Constitutional question.

The original version was inclusive, they later changed it not to be. This is also a change no activist ever asked for.

Thank god we at least have Rush and Joni Mitchell. Otherwise we'd have nothing up here.

Although Joni and Neil Peart even abandoned the true north strong and free for LA

I said "so far to the left" not "far left." Even a drop of poison can kill.

Because modern canada is a terrible place. Look at the prime minister. Laughable.

I'd argue that canadians of older times would be far more unified than now. Americans too. Just look at old culture of the US and Canada and compare it to modern culture.

Canadians are just cultureless swine, Anglos aren't significantly better artists either. something about them does not lend itself to making creative works. Shakespeare, Milton, Blake, Marlowe, Shelley and that's it

Canadians are so easily offended too and seem like a very meek people. I imagine rural living Canadians have some more genuine values than urbanites, as it is in most places.

>Look at the prime minister. Laughable.

How does universal healthcare incentivize everyone to care about the quality of healthcare? It doesn't matter how good a service they provide, they won't receive any more money than they're already getting, thus the old joke of Communist Russia; "they pretend to pay us, we pretend to work." Lives in the balance or not, free market capitalism drives people to strive for excellence the likes that socialism/communism does not.

Americans have a decent case for saying that consumerism is their culture. It's shit, but it is theirs.
When other countries are being overwhelmed by it is just pathetic.

Fuck you, Trump is God damn outstanding and I wish we had a Prime Minister like him in Canada. If he fucks up on firearm rights then that would be his first action that would make me truly regret having voted for him, which I undoubtedly would have in 2016 had I been American at the time. In 2008 I likely would have voted Obama admittedly; I was a dumb teen and still had some of the indoctrinated leftist views from school. In 2012... I'm honestly not sure. 2016 though, it would have been Trump without a doubt, and so far I've seen almost nothing but reasons to be proud of such a vote. If he doesn't fuck up with firearms, and ESPECIALLY if he gets that wall started, a vote in 2020, if I should find myself fortunate enough to be an American by then and able to vote, he'd get one from me for sure. Ultimately I hope to maintain citizenship for both nations so that I can vote Republican in America and Conservative in Canada, to do my part to try and keep the western nations in North America strong.

It isn't.
Some pop lit isn't representative
kys imperialist

Oh look, you're a moron spewing ignorant nonsense.

Why are you on Veeky Forums if you're so fucking ignorant?

Canada is too irrelevant for us (Germany) to even warrant stereotypes at all.
I'll be honest and say that the only single thing I know about Canada happening in this decade is le weedman being le weedman.

anyone else think CBC ruins our literature and music?

It's all tribe called red and natives and immigration. It's just kind of boring, it's fine and all, but not that interesting and not very universal.

wtf is wrong with germans. I was trying to understand your modern music and comedy the other day, and it doesn't even exist. there are more bands out of much smaller countries like australia or sweden.

Upvoted and gilded my friend ;) have a nice day stranger

no country has ever been more deeply emasculated than Germany. The German national religion is to hate German identity

>hol up
>wears hijab
>areee...are....are you...
>opens borders
>are.....youuu....sayingg..g...
>apologises for being white
>t-t-that...
>switches gender
>w-w-wee...
>invites more immigrants in
>h-h-have no culture????

There's a video of merkel being handed a german flag and she instantly passes it on to someone else. It's quite sad. This sounds stupid but hitler did say that if he did not suceed then germany would be doomed.
I don't know what qualifies as doomed but it doesn't look too good

Nothing is universal you Platonist subhuman.

Recommend me some CanLit that isn't Atwood, Laurence, Munroe or Ondaatje plz thanks

fear, love, loss, death, making decisions with limited information, the list could go on

That video like a lot of /pol/bait is shown out of context.

The event was for the EU, not Germany, and she didn't want it to seem like Germany was lording over all the other EU nations...something like that iirc.

It's the same thing with that quote by Macron saying there is no French culture. He was really saying there is no single French culture but that is is a collection of regional cultures within France. Which is 100% true. Not that it's an excuse for rampant multiculturalism.

Stephen Leacock.

Nope. Silly Platonist.
'muh universal' is bad writing.

LARPing faggot trolled hard

reminds me of dfw desu

If anyone cares I think Canada is the worst country. Not so much for it's standard of living, but the cunts who live there

There are certainly a lot of assholes living in our major cities, but is that not the case in every country? I'm not sure Canada is unique in this regard. I've met plenty of pretentious cunts from Australia (especially Melbournites) as well, if we want to continue that conversation. Doesn't mean I think all Australians are the same.

Anglos ruined Canada

READ ALICE MUNRO. SHE IS THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN OUR LITERARY SKY.

They are the 13 colonies that were too polite to rebel. They are Americans whose identity consists entirely of a list of reasons they aren’t Americans.

I'm not sure that I can speak for mainland Canada, but the second part of your comment isn't correct. In Newfoundland we have a unique accent (something of a mix of Irish and English, some might say), unique traditions, and a proud British heritage. If you look up the Newfoundland flag (not the tri-colour; the one with 4 blue triangles, 2 red triangles, and a golden arrow) the four blue triangles are of the same size/shape as those on the top and bottom of the Union Jack to show said heritage.

Our capital, St.John's, is the oldest European (aka white) settled city in the Americas that's been continuously inhabited. It's historically a major port city, being the eastern-most city of North America, it had even been meant as the first destination across the Atlantic for the Titanic. Great Britain was the biggest empire of human history, on the winning side of two World Wars and Newfoundland had been a part of the British Empire during both of them, we even had our own regiment during the first one. We do not have the freedoms of America, this is undeniably true since Trudeau is clearly showing us how weak our 'freedom of expression' is. Great Britain had arguably freed more slaves than any other nation or empire in human history, correct me if I'm wrong. It had certainly lead to the most abolition of slavery simply due to her far-reaching influence and power.

All that said, I'm proud of my British heritage and I find it pretty cool that all four of my grandparents had been born in British Newfoundland, but I hope to be American someday because I see the infinite value in freedom. Freedom in Canada is VERY weak and Trudeau is demonstrating that thoroughly. With the things that I write, with the views that I hold, it's quite possible that legal issues may be in my future if things continue. Even if it's just a fine, what happens if I refuse to pay it? Dr. Jordan Peterson said that if his fight for free speech leads to jail time then he'll start a hunger strike, I hope I have as much perseverance and willpower as that to follow suit. I see it as my Christian duty to be as truthful as possible, and I believe that truth and freedom are worth martyrdom if necessary though I of course ultimately hope it would never come to that.

b l a n d
I rec Ethel Wilson

>What is Canadian literature so gloomy?

Because it is essentially either academic and without roots (Davies, Munro and so on) or highly provincial (the Hockey Sweater or any book that takes place in the Maritimes).
The former bitter by self-awareness and the latter bitter by the conditions of climate and faith.

Also, I guarantee all self-hating Canadians do not live in the Prairies and unironically think Louis Riel was a traitor. Simply pathetic.

Bland? Really?

Of all the words to describe Alice Munro, BLAND is not one of them. My god. Her writing is absolutely alive and electric.

I haven't read Ethel Wilson but I can't imagine what she wrote about (other than war and space ships) if she makes Alice Munro seem bland.

Not at all.
Only the garbage has no roots, that is, could be American or British and nobody would be able to tell.

would heartily recommend pic related, gud book

>someone tries to start a national thread on Veeky Forums
>turns into a /pol/-/int/ shitshow
why would you do this
for what purpose

oh shut up
stop complaining
muh what purpose
die, little baby.

no

>The trouble with Canada
>The trouble with Canada...still!

kek

Most of the population is apathetic towards their own country and many are more or less openly and more or less consciously hating it.
The bulk of non lower class people are still somewhat traditional bourgeois, but they do it out of habit. The self hating semi-commies are very passionate though. They are only 20% of the population but the only ones to have any real conviction at all so it's actually understandable that foreigners on /pol/ only see this.

We need the particulars from which we can approach the universal, otherwise we'll just be rehashing whatever dominates the European/American literary scene.

Personally I think Canada should look to Argentina for building literary greatness. Gaucho Epics>Modernism>Borges is a pretty good rough formula.

What my (far off and eventual) goal is, as far as literature is concerned, is to write a decent history of British Columbia. We have a couple decent books which amount to collections of dates and names, but nothing that really captures the constantly emerging spirit which is present in our nation. There's very little about the countless wars that were fought over land that's now covered in forest; the people who lived and loved and suffered and died amid a timeless and uncaring landscape; the native tribes that would take down whales on 100 foot canoes, then trade the fat as far as the Aztec Empire and Hawaii; the gold rush and all the miscreants it brought; John Jewitt who was enslaved by Indians; King Maquinna who enslaved him and several other white men, then learned both English and Spanish and negotiated a peace treaty between the two empires; the Chinese who built the railroads and spent their nights in opium dens and brothels. There's a lot of good material to work with, it's just underutilized.

There's even an existent metaphysical language in artwork that could easily be transferred to magical literature: the frog for example, is a motif for the supernatural, because it can travel between land and ocean and inhabits two worlds at once. Raven brings order to the universe through his dionysian adventures of self interest, crime, and eroticism. Etc. Etc.

What made me appreciate the artistic output of my province a lot more is when I realized that literature, painting, those other "high" artistic endeavors are just trying to put someone else's shoe on our feet. Where we excel is wood carving and civil society, and this should be a point of pride. If you look at legal systems, ours is far more creative and organic (a literal collage of various nations, united under the concept of a crown) than most others, and in terms of woodcarvings BC is literally going through it's own renaissance right now.

bumping JUST so people can see your post. I would feel bad.

What should I read to learn more about the whale hunting and trading with the Aztecs and Hawaii, as well as King Maquinna?

inside every white man is a free American dying to get out. Come home, brother

National flags at political rallies have been taboo in Germany since the end of the war.

I hate this country's literary scene; at best there's Alice Munro and Mavis, and at its worst it's nothing but annoying Cat-Ladies in sybaritic shawls and scarfs, writing about nothing more than upper middle class woes of getting old, and longing for their past selves, while adoringly ripping off that Atwood hack.

There’s an excellent book called “The trails and Sufferings of John Jewitt” or something like that, which is about his experiences being enslaved for several years by King Maquinna. It’s very gripping, and if you read it alongside the Wikipedia articles on the Nootka trails, it paints the picture of a brilliant and noble king who could easily be considered among the founding fathers of BC.

Another excellent series, “Learning by Designing Pacific Northwest Coast Native Indian Art” by Jim Gilbert has in my mind laid out an entire metaphorical language which is just as applicable to literature as it is to wood carving.

Unfortunately, most of the meat of our history is oral tradition. Sure, there are a couple excellent books in the Victoria Public Library (on the top floor, records of every year of Parliment going back to the beginning), but it’s a rough outline of a much richer and multifaceted story. To actually learn about the truly interesting stuff (battles with sea monsters, whaling expeditions, slaving expeditions, trade with the Aztecs and Hawaii, etc) you basically have to be in the right place in the right time. I would suggest trying to befriend the leaders of your nearest reservation and telling them stories from your own families history.

That’s the fundamental problem with Canadian literature in my mind. We have a rich and heroic history- but it’s hidden behind a veil of moss and trees and cement, or buried in an offhand reference 100 pages deep in an official record of dates and names in some library. You have to read between the lines with a lot of stuff that hasn’t even been written down.

Farley Mowat - The New Founde Land

Im from southern Ontario (please don't hate me for it) and a lot of pre-WW1 Canadian history is new to me, especially for stuff out west.
Found a pdf of The Adventures and Sufferings of John Jewitt too, if anyone else is interested:
scans.library.utoronto.ca/pdf/1/5/adventuresjewitt00jewiuoft/adventuresjewitt00jewiuoft_bw.pdf

The issue is that in a two teir system the socialised healthcare won't be able to compete with privatized healthcare. Those who can afford private care won't care about the public system and it will slowly lose funding until people begin scraping together the thousands of dollars they need for life saving
treatments.

The fuck is up with this board and the relentless Canada hate. All self-loathing Canadians and butthurt Americans pushed out of /int/ because they can't LEAF shitpost anymore?

It was a well formatted post with factual information. Maybe you coukd say what's wrong with it?

>muh fax
kys

Just in the last few decades it's become fashionable to like him. I wrote a paper on him in gr8 that my teacher read to the class

>Canadian
Têtes Carrées are subhumans, Québec is where it's at.