Encounters avec l'autre in contemporary Montreal literature

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A peculiar war is raging in Quebec’s largest city, where ‘linguistic battles’ unfold daily in Montreal, home to a significant Anglophone population within a predominantly French-speaking province. This language dichotomy reflects a complex cultural history marked by tensions between Canada’s Founding Nations. After a history of conquest and reconquest, the two communities have reached a more harmonious coexistence by the twenty-first century. Contemporary literature plays a crucial role in exploring English-French relations, particularly following pivotal events like the Quiet Revolution and the FLQ crisis. Authors Neil Bissoondath and Monique Proulx examine interactions between Anglophones and Francophones in present-day Montreal, translating cultural memory through their narrative fiction. Stefanie Rudig’s study interprets Montreal literature as a contact zone where identities confront and transform each other. In Bissoondath’s novel, protagonist Alistair Mackenzie reflects on his life as a monolingual Anglophone navigating encounters with Francophones. Proulx’s short stories also explore themes of alterity and alienation, featuring migrants who contribute to Montreal’s linguistic duality. While neither text is overtly didactic, both authors suggest pathways to overcome the historically rooted English-French antagonism, advocating for a multilingual, pluriethnic Quebec society that embraces difference. This edition includes