Scandalous Bodies: Diasporic Literature in English CanadaScandalous Bodies is an impassioned and learned book about multiculturalism and literature by diasporic writers in English Canada. Kamboureli's exploration of ethnicity ranges from government policy to media representations, from the relationship between realist fiction and historical realities to postmodern renderings of the multicultural, from the philosopher Charles Taylor to the cultural responsibilities of diasporic critics like the author herself. Kamboureli does not come up with neat or comforting solutions to the problems she addresses, and if her study offers any definite answers, these lie in how her method of reading elucidates the fluidity of ethnicity and therefore the need to avoid the pitfalls of political orthodoxies. Her close readings of such classic Canadian novels as F. P. Grove's Settlers of the Marsh and Joy Kogawa's Obasan show that we can best understand the politics of cultural difference if we focus on individual gestures and historical instances, immigration policies and racialization, sexuality and pedagogy, and how we read literature as a product of often conflicting personal and national visions. At the forefront of critical practice today, Scandalous Bodies offers a politically subtle meditation on multiculturalism that will have a lasting impact. |
Other editions - View all
Scandalous Bodies: Diasporic Literature in English Canada Smaro Kamboureli No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
ambivalence angels argues articulate authenticity becomes body Canada Canadian literature Canadian Multiculturalism canon construction context critical cultural Damiel defined desire dialogue diasporic diasporic subject discourse diversity dominant society dream epistemology essay ethnic anthologies ethnic difference ethnic subject ethnic writing European experience fact father fiction film Frederick Philip Grove Freud function gender Globe and Mail Grove hegemonic Herder human Hutcheon hysteria hysteric identity ideology immigrants inscribed Japanese Canadian kind language literary London margins mimicry minority mother multiculturalism Multiculturalism Act Naomi narrative narrator Niels Niels's novel Obasan Old Man Gower origins Pache Pache's pedagogy Peter Falk political position postmodern produced psychoanalysis question race racial racism reader realism reality recognition reflects relations representation represented Routledge Roy Miki says Settlers sexual Sigmund silence social speaks suggests talking cure Taylor tion Toronto tradition University Press warden wastage Wings of Desire woman Yellow Peril