Is there a Canadian literature? Throughout this century, Canadian writers have failed to make a clear choice between Europe and the US. Those who wrote in English considered themselves part of an empire, with London their metropolis. French-speaking Canadians, too, remained loyal to an empire. They entrenched themselves in religion-Catholics who used their language as a safeguard against Protestant materialism.
This loyalty was not always reciprocated: for Canadian writers, the road to London or Paris was one way. They were the neglected, forgotten children. And if Canadians of both languages remained loyal to their countries of origin, they also came to realise that they could not resist the onslaught of American culture.
For who is Canadian? An American belonging to the other America. Yet neither Montreal nor Toronto resolved fully to break their family ties with Europe. While you can rarely see a Shakespeare play in New York or Los Angeles, the main theatrical event in English Canada is the Stratford festival.
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