The novel Return of the Sphinx, written by Hugh MacLennan in 1967, is not a sociopolitical
study of English-French Canadian relations in Quebec, as many critics concluded. It
rather deals with a series of interrelated conflicts, predominantly father against son, generation
against generation and Quebec against Canada. However, the novel offers an extensive insight
into the political and ethnic situation in Canada during the radical sixties, which remains a
problematic one until today.
This paper will examine the historical development of Canada’s political instability,
the origins of the ethnic conflict within the nation and, in addition, the continuing problems
between the Québecois and the anglophone majority of the nation. In this context I will
briefly talk about French-Canadian nationalism, the so-called ‘Quiet Revolution’, and the
radicalism of the 1960s. In the second part the paper will work on the presentation and
criticism of the ethnic conflict in Return of the Sphinx. The focal point here will be on the
protagonist and his battle for a unified Canada, as well as on the antagonist and Quebec
separatism. Furthermore, this composition will concentrate on the Greek tragedy of Oedipus
Rex along with the symbolic use of the mythological figure of the sphinx1 and its association
with the state of affairs in contemporary Canada. To conclude, I will summarize the results
that follow from this work.
1 Sphinx in Greek mythology: daughter of Tyohon and the snake Echidna, a monster with the head and the breast
of a woman and the winged body of a lion.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Canada and Quebec
2.1 Data and Facts
2.2 The Role of French in Quebec Society
3. Social and Political Tension in French Canada
3.1 The Origins of the Ethnic Conflict
3.2 French-Canadian Nationalism
3.3 The Radical Sixties
3.4 The ‘Quiet Revolution’ or ‘La Révolution Tranquille’
3.5 Radicalism and ‘Le Front de Libération du Québec’
Manifesto March 1963
4. Ethnic Conflict in Return of the Sphinx
4.1 About the Novel and its Author
4.2 Return of the Sphinx – Story and Characters
4.3 The Protagonist and his Ideal of a Unified Canada
4.4 The Antagonist and Quebec Nationalism
5. Parallels between Return of the Sphinx and Oedipus Rex
5.1 Oedipus Rex – A Greek Tragedy
5.2 Parallels to Return of the Sphinx
5.3 The Situation in Canada Today
6. Conclusion
7. References
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper examines the political and ethnic landscape of 1960s Canada, focusing on the tension between French-Canadian nationalism and the anglophone majority. It explores how these socio-political conflicts are depicted in Hugh MacLennan’s novel Return of the Sphinx through the lens of a father-son conflict and the symbolism of the Oedipus myth.
- Historical development of French-Canadian nationalism and the ‘Quiet Revolution’.
- The role of radicalism and groups like the FLQ in Quebec.
- The literary presentation of the ethnic divide in Return of the Sphinx.
- Symbolic parallels between the novel and the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex.
- Analysis of the protagonist’s vision for a unified Canada versus the antagonist’s separatist drive.
Excerpt from the Book
4.3 The Protagonist and His Ideal of a Unified Canada
On the other hand, Alan Ainslie, Minister of Cultural Affairs in Ottawa, is fighting for bilingual civil service in the Cabinet and does his utmost to prevent Quebec from separating from Canada. Ainslie is the main protagonist whose central task is the reconciliation of the distinct ethnic groups, although “the poor old bastard’s not on either side. He’s got the fence right in his crotch.” (p. 113) Ainslie believes in a unified Canada, probably on the basis of his happy marriage to a French-Canadian woman, which serves as a symbol of the relation between English and French Canada. This becomes rather obvious when Alan comes to the conclusion that: “Constance – he understood this now as he had never dared understand it before – had been the governor of his life’s engine” (p.76). This conclusion only underpins the protagonists’ conviction that Franco-Canadian identity is irreversibly interwoven with Canadian identity. This fact “and that it cannot imagine existing without it was put aside, if not forgotten, by the Quebec nationalism of the 1960s–for reasons easy to understand.”
Though he becomes scared that things are getting out of hand, Ainslie is convinced that Canada must stay together since it cannot survive without the other part. In his opinion this can only be achieved by respectable statesmanship and the appropriate treatment of history. It becomes apparent that history and the ignorance it is treated with constitute an essential argument of the novel. Return of the Sphinx criticizes the lack of historical knowledge of any generation. Only experienced people like Alan for example “don’t know why it is, but all these things keep happening again and again. [...] Can’t anyone ever learn from anything?” (p.106). He is the perfect model for a person who learned the hard way: he fought against Nazi Germany, worked for the United Nations, and went through the Cold War, realizing that violence is no solution.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author outlines the scope of the study, clarifying that the novel is a depiction of intergenerational and ethnic conflict rather than a purely political study, and introduces the methodology of analyzing the literary work alongside historical events.
2. Canada and Quebec: This chapter provides geographical and demographic context, highlighting the unique bilingual nature of Canada and the linguistic and cultural tension resulting from its colonial history.
3. Social and Political Tension in French Canada: This section details the historical roots of the English-French split, the influence of the Catholic Church, the socioeconomic shifts of the 1960s, and the rise of separatist movements like the FLQ.
4. Ethnic Conflict in Return of the Sphinx: The analysis shifts to MacLennan’s novel, examining the character dynamics between the moderate protagonist Alan Ainslie and his radical son Daniel, illustrating the broader national struggle.
5. Parallels between Return of the Sphinx and Oedipus Rex: This chapter connects the narrative of the novel to the classic Greek myth, discussing how the themes of inevitable fate, the loss of the past, and symbolic father-son struggles mirror the Canadian political situation.
6. Conclusion: The author synthesizes the findings, noting that while the novel is complex and occasionally densely packed, it remains a powerful representation of the necessity for reconciliation in a multicultural nation.
Keywords
Hugh MacLennan, Return of the Sphinx, Quebec, French-Canadian nationalism, Quiet Revolution, FLQ, Ethnic conflict, Canada, Oedipus Rex, Separatism, Bilingualism, Political tension, Father-son conflict, Canadian literature, Cultural identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This academic paper analyzes the portrayal of ethnic and social conflicts in Hugh MacLennan’s novel Return of the Sphinx, specifically within the context of French-Canadian and English-Canadian relations during the 1960s.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The work covers themes such as the 'Quiet Revolution', the development of Quebec nationalism, the rise of radical separatist movements, and the psychological impact of generational clashes.
What is the primary goal of this research?
The main objective is to examine how historical political instability in Canada is presented and criticized in MacLennan’s literature, and how the author uses the Oedipus myth to symbolize these national struggles.
Which methodology is used to approach the text?
The study employs a literary analysis approach, contextualizing the novel’s plot and character development with historical data, sociopolitical background information, and mythological comparisons.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main part analyzes the origins of the ethnic conflict, the specific political climate of the 1960s, the characters in Return of the Sphinx, and the symbolic connections between the novel and Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Quebec, Canadian identity, separatism, the FLQ, the Quiet Revolution, Hugh MacLennan, ethnic conflict, and the Oedipus myth.
How does the novel specifically use the myth of the Sphinx?
The author uses the Sphinx as a symbolic representation of the loss of the past and the plague of violence that afflicts Quebec, suggesting that the province is trapped by unresolved historical tensions.
How is the relationship between the protagonist and his son portrayed?
The relationship serves as a microcosm for the nation: the father represents an intellectual, unified vision for Canada, while his son represents the radical, misguided generation seeking sovereignty through violence.
- Quote paper
- Ilka Kreimendahl (Author), 2001, The Presentation and Criticism of Ethnic Conflict in Hugh MacLennan's "Return of the Sphinx", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/16668
