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Articles

Volume 05, Number 1 (1980)

The Figure of the Artist in Late Nineteenth Century Canadian Fiction

  • Carrie MacMillan
Submitted
May 22, 2008
Published
1980-01-01

Abstract

Four novels in particular from the late nineteenth century are highly suggestive about the perceived place of the Canadian artist: Thad W.H Leavitt's The Witch of Plum Hollow, Maud Ogilvy's Marie Gourdon, Joanna E. Wood's Judith Moore, and Sara Jeanette Duncan's Cousin Cinderella. Although Duncan's novel is almost certainly the best of these, they all have fairly distinctive notions about the Canadian artist at home and abroad. They each suggest a need for the nurturing qualities of place in which to create. There is a tendency in each novel for the characters to go elsewhere -- generally, to Europe -- to achieve a mature artistic education, and yet Canadian roots are absolutely vital to the artist in each case.