The subject of this study is French-Canadian literature of the middle nineteenth century. This study effectuates an analysis starting with the very idea which constitutes the genesis of this national literature, that is, Messianism. This research consists of applying on a vast corpus of writing the principle concepts developed by the sociology of religions in the study of historical and contemporary Millenarist movements. / The first chapters consolidate the sources of the providencial mission of the French-Canadian people within the greater Catholic tradition of French literature. Bossuet, de Maistre, Chateaubriand, Rameau de Saint-Pere were the thinkers who aroused interest among the writers of French Canada, and are thus subject of consideration. / The second part of this study attempts to acknowledge the ripening of a local intellectual tradition, by considering diverse ideological writings which started by denying the specificity of literature, before eventually manifesting and incorporating literary qualities. / Finally, a study based on same concepts examines works of the period by Frechette, Casgrain, Tache, de Gaspe, Gerin-Lajoie and Buies; works that are clearly literary in nature. / The results of this study clarify within a global perspective the set of questions which have always been posed about French-Canadian literature while at the same time connect literature to the development problems of this society.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.77134 |
| Date | January 1981 |
| Creators | Beaudoin, Réjean, 1945- |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | French |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of French Language and Literature) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 000138844, proquestno: AAINK58021, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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