Refractions of Canada in European literature and culture [Conference "Refractions of Canada in European Literature and Culture" held at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf (Germany) between 20 and 23 July 2003

Ever since the first exploratory expeditions in the early modern period, North America has epitomized to Europeans a promise and the hope for the fulfilment of great expectations, be it of more freedom, greater wealth, social liberation or religious tolerance. While numerous features in this dialogic intercontinental relationship will hold true for North America in its entirety, the vast northern territories which we know as Canada today began to emerge early on as a specific iconic location in European mind-maps, and they definitely acquired a distinctive profile after the formation of the USA. As a rich source of cultural exchange and an important partner in political and economic cooperation Canada has come to occupy an important position in the cultural discourses of many European nations. It is these refractions and images of Canada which this volume thoroughly explores in European literature and culture. The contributions include literature, philosophy, language, life-writing and the concept of 'Heimat' (homeland) as well as the cultural impact of the World Wars. While there is an emphasis on literary texts, other fields of cultural representation are also included. The Archeology Of A Novel: An Afterword To The Blue Mountains Of China / Rudy Wiebe -- A New Athens Rising Near The Pole?: The Canadian Experience In Frances Brooke's The History Of Emily Montague (1769) / Gordon Bölling -- Anna Brownell Jameson's Winter Studies And Summer Rambles In Canada (1838): A European Woman's View Of The New World / Heinz Antor -- Capable Of Great Improvement: Catherine Parr Traill's Images Of Canada In The Young Emigrants (1826) / Klaus Stierstorfer -- Deserts And Visions Of Paradise: The Representation Of The Canadian Landscape In Advertisements And Guides For Canadian Immigrants / Markus Wust -- Destination And Destiny: Contemporary Canadian Plays On Immigrants / Albert-reiner Glaap -- The Representation Of Canada In Novels By Frederick Marryat And Robert Michael Ballantyne / Melanie Just -- Victorians Abroad: Charles Dickens And Anthony Trollope In Canada / Michael Heinze -- Alle Diese Länder Sind Unbekannt: Canada In Late Eighteenth And Early Nineteenth-century German Travel Literature / Ingmar Probst -- A Canadian Literature?: Elizabeth Smart And The Failures Of Nationalism / Robert Mcgill -- In Search Of Cathaia-- Voyages Into The Unexpected / Elke Nowak -- Re-enacting The Arctic Voyage: The Northwest Passage In British Literature / Annette Kern-stähler -- Stuffed Mooseheads: Canada As (missing) Cliché In European Theatre / Christopher Innes -- Cultural Reductionism And The Reception Of Canadian Literature In Germany / James Skidmore -- Wildlife Abounds? The Photographic Deconstruction Of A Canadian Cliché In Robert Gernhardt's Satire Blanket Creek Oder Verwilderte Wünsche / Susanne Peters -- One Sees Only What One Knows: German Popular Literature And Its Images Of Canada / Laurenz Volkmann -- Canada As A Role Model? Reflections Of A Country In Post-war German Youth Fiction / Miriam Richter -- What Makes A Canadian? Strategies Of Presenting Canadianness In Teaching Materials / Matthias Merkl. Edited By Heinz Antor ... [et Al]. Includes Bibliographical References. The archeology of a novel: an afterword to The Blue Mountains of China / Rudy Wiebe -- "A new Athens rising near the Pole"?: the Canadian experience in Frances Brooke's The history of Emily Montague (1769) / Gordon B(c)œlling -- Anna Brownell Jameson's Winter studies and summer rambles in Canada (1838): a European woman's view of the New World / Heinz Antor -- "Capable of great improvement": Catherine Parr Traill's images of Canada in The young emigrants (1826) / Klaus Stierstorfer -- Deserts and visions of paradise: the representation of the Canadian landscape in advertisements and guides for Canadian immigrants / Markus Wust -- Destination and destiny: contemporary Canadian plays on immigrants / Albert-Reiner Glaap -- The representation of Canada in novels by Frederick Marryat and Robert Michael Ballantyne / Melanie Just -- Victorians abroad: Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope in Canada / Michael Heinze -- "Alle diese L(c)Þnder sind unbekannt": Canada in late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century German travel literature / Ingmar Probst -- "A Canadian literature?": Elizabeth Smart and the failures of nationalism / Robert McGill -- In search of Cathaia-- voyages into the unexpected / Elke Nowak -- Re-enacting the Arctic voyage: the Northwest Passage in British literature / Annette Kern-St(c)Þhler -- Stuffed mooseheads: Canada as (missing) clich(c)♭ in European theatre / Christopher Innes -- Cultural reductionism and the reception of Canadian literature in Germany / James Skidmore -- Wildlife abounds? The photographic deconstruction of a Canadian clich(c)♭ in Robert Gernhardt's satire "Blanket Creek oder Verwilderte W(c)ơnsche" / Susanne Peters -- "One sees only what one knows": German popular literature and its images of Canada / Laurenz Volkmann -- Canada as a role model? Reflections of a country in post-war German youth fiction / Miriam Richter -- What makes a Canadian? Strategies of presenting Canadianness in teaching materials / Matthias Merkl The archeology of a novel: an afterword to The Blue Mountains of China / Rudy Wiebe "A new Athens rising near the Pole"?: the Canadian experience in Frances Brooke's The history of Emily Montague (1769) / Gordon Bölling Anna Brownell Jameson's Winter studies and summer rambles in Canada (1838): a European woman's view of the New World / Heinz Antor "Capable of great improvement": Catherine Parr Traill's images of Canada in The young emigrants (1826) / Klaus Stierstorfer Deserts and visions of paradise: the representation of the Canadian landscape in advertisements and guides for Canadian immigrants / Markus Wust Destination and destiny: contemporary Canadian plays on immigrants / Albert-Reiner Glaap The representation of Canada in novels by Frederick Marryat and Robert Michael Ballantyne / Melanie Just Victorians abroad: Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope in Canada / Micharel Heinze "Alle diese Länder sind unbekannt": Canada in late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century German travel literature? / Ingmar Probst "A Canadian literature?": Elizabeth Smart and the failures of nationalism / Robert McGill In search of Cathaia voyages into the unexpected / Elke Nowak Re-enacting the Arctic voyage: the Northwest Passage in British literature / Annette Kern-Stähler Stuffed mooseheads: Canada as (missing) cliché in European theatre / Christopher Innes Cultural reductionism and the reception of Canadian literature in Germany / James Skidmore Wildlife abounds? The photographic deconstruction of a Canadian cliché in Robert Gernhardt's satire "Blanket Creek oder Verwilderte Wünsche" / Susanne Peters "One sees only what one knows": German popular literature and its images of Canada / Laurenz Volkmann Canada as a role model? Reflections of a country in post-war German youth fiction / Miriam Richter What makes a Canadian? Strategies of presenting Canadianness in teaching materials / Matthias Merkl." Foreword Contents Introduction: Canada from European Perspectives The Archeology of a Novel: An Afterword to The Blue Mountains of China In Between: Canada in the View of European Pioneers and Emigrants “A New Athens Rising Near the Pole”?: The Canadian Experience in Frances Brooke’s The History of Emily Montague (1769) Anna Brownell Jameson’s Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada (1838): A European Woman’s View of the New World “Capable of Great Improvement”: Catharine Parr Traill’s Images of Canada in The Young Emigrants (1826) Deserts and Visions of Paradise: The Representation of the Canadian Landscape in Advertisements and Guides for Canadian Immigrants Destination and Destiny: Contemporary Canadian Plays on Immigrants News From Abroad: Canada in the View of European Travellers, Traders, and Adventurers The Representation of Canada in Novels by Frederick Marryat and Robert Michael Ballantyne Victorians Abroad: Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope in Canada “Alle diese Länder sind unbekannt”: Canada in Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth-Century German Travel Literature “A Canadian Literature?”: Elizabeth Smart and the Failures of Nationalism In Search of Cathaia – Voyages into the Unexpected Re-Enacting the Arctic Voyage: The Northwest Passage in British Literature Reflections at Home: Canada in the View of Recent European Writers Stuffed Mooseheads: Canada as (Missing) Cliche in European Theatre Cultural Reductionism and the Reception of Canadian Literature in Germany Wildlife Abounds? The Photographic Deconstruction of a Canadian Cliche in Robert Gernhardt’s Satire “Blanket Creek oder Verwilderte Wünsche” “One Sees Only What One Knows”: German Popular Literature and its Images of Canada Canada as a Role Model? Reflections of a Country in Post-War German Youth Fiction What makes a Canadian? Strategies of Presenting Canadianness in Teaching Materials List of Contributors Main description: Ever since the first exploratory expeditions in the early modern period, North America has epitomized to Europeans a promise and the hope for the fulfilment of great expectations, be it of more freedom, greater wealth, social liberation or religious tolerance. While numerous features in this dialogic intercontinental relationship will hold true for North America in its entirety, the vast northern territories which we know as Canada today began to emerge early on as a specific iconic location in European mind-maps, and they definitely acquired a distinctive profile after the formation of the USA. As a rich source of cultural exchange and an important partner in political and economic cooperation Canada has come to occupy an important position in the cultural discourses of many European nations. It is these refractions and images of Canada which this volume thoroughly explores in European literature and culture. The contributions include literature, philosophy, language, life-writing and the concept of 'Heimat' (homeland) as well as the cultural impact of the World Wars. While there is an emphasis on literary texts, other fields of cultural representation are also included