Two Solitudes (Canadian society)
Encyclopedia
"Two Solitudes" refers to a perceived lack of communication, and moreover a lack of will for communication between Anglophone
and Francophone
people in Canada
. The term was popularized by Hugh MacLennan
's novel
Two Solitudes
. In her investiture speech as Governor-General
of Canada, Michaëlle Jean
specifically stated that "the time of 'two solitudes' had finished".
English Canadian
An English Canadian is a Canadian of English ancestry; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadian. Canada is an officially bilingual state, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but...
and Francophone
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
people in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The term was popularized by Hugh MacLennan
Hugh MacLennan
John Hugh MacLennan, CC, CQ was a Canadian author and professor of English at McGill University. He won five Governor General's Awards and a Royal Bank Award.-Family and childhood:...
's novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Two Solitudes
Two Solitudes (1945 novel)
Two Solitudes is a 1945 novel by Hugh MacLennan. In 1978 it was made into a motion picture, written and directed by Lionel Chetwynd.The novel's plot evolves around the life and times of the fictional character Paul Tallard and this character's struggles in reconciling the differences between his...
. In her investiture speech as Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of Canada, Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....
specifically stated that "the time of 'two solitudes' had finished".
External links
- McGill-Queens University Press - QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
's McGill University, with Queen's University, PressMcGill-Queen's University PressThe McGill-Queen's University Press is a joint venture between McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario....
description of the novel "Two Solitudes"