Archetypes of Feminine Creativity in the Works of Three Twentieth-Century Maritme Writers

Abstract

The ironic mode is currently a popular style of writing, as seen in the works being produced in the Maritimes. Three current Maritime writers who use this mode are Donna Smyth, David Adams Richards and Deborah Joy Corey. Though the works of these writers appear to be different from earlier pieces of Maritime writing, I suggest that this is not necessarily the case. These three writers are all concerned with the loss of tradition and community strength. I will show this through their treatment of the young women in their works, through their relationships with their partners, their elders, and the community at large. I also suggest that these works do, in fact, have strong ties with earlier writings. The women in these novels are ironic versions of Anne Shirley, L.M. Montgomery's beloved heroine. The romance of Anne may have turned into irony, but the young girl who tries to find a place for herself and her creativity in a rural Maritime region is still present. By comparing the similar events in the works of the late Twentieth Century and the Anne novels, I will show that, though Maritime writing is diverse, there is an interconnectedness in the writings produced from this region, regardless of the age. This allows for a universality in these various works that needs to be recognized as a significant contribution to Canadian--and world--literature.