Angela Carter, an English novelist who is famous for her feminist, magical realism, and picaresque works, once said “Language is power, life, and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation” (Library of Congress). As the quote illustrates, language has long been acknowledged as the roadway to a country’s national identity- the “terms in which political demands are shaped and voiced” (Brainyquote, 2016). In Quebec, language had a great influence in bringing about the basic foundation of the identity of the province, as evident in the ways the use of French distinguished Quebecois from the rest of the country, and the shaping of culture within Quebec towards more of French origin.
Quebec is the only province in Canada …show more content…
As it can be seen in various aspects of the history of colonization of France, French people wanted to expand their nation to further diversify its territory; ultimately spreading its French identity worldwide. After 1763, under the times of English reign, the remaining French population multiplied from 100,000 in 1784 to over 2 million in 2013 (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2016). According to the 2011 census, 78.1% of a total of 7,903,001 people in the province of Quebec replied French as their mother tongue, while only 7.7% and 12.3% declared English or languages other than English or French as their mother language (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2016). As you can see, this is not so surprising if you think of the fact that the French had a great influence in the foundation of Quebec. On top of that, approximately 38.2% of people in Quebec with French as their mother tongue can also speak English to a certain level, while 67% of people with English as their mother tongue cannot do it the other way. This illustrates the linguistic diversity within the province of Quebec and the Quebecois, and that “linguistic minorities feel a far greater …show more content…
Just as this quote conveys, the use of French has shaped the cultural ideas within the province of Quebec. Evidently speaking, Quebec’s culture closely resembles that of French tradition. Most of its folktales originate from French tradition, and it is known to have arrived from France in the 17th and 18th century, during the times of French colonization. The first literary work from Quebec is known to have written during the times of New France, and it is told that early inhabitants left numerous literary works including poems, which later on heavily influenced novels from Quebec. In terms of arts, Quebec is very renowned for circus arts, which is also very prominent in European countries, and folk music in Quebec is also heavily influenced by traditional tunes of France. Because France and Quebec uses a common language, some French-speaking Quebec singers have been exporting their music to France, demonstrating another important interconnection with its mother country. Cooking, on the other hand, is considered as one of the fine arts in Quebec as in the case of various European countries such as France; the Quebecois pursue fine dining as a passion among the society of Quebec. In addition to this, many married women retain their maiden names, which is totally different from the
Quebec is the only province in Canada …show more content…
As it can be seen in various aspects of the history of colonization of France, French people wanted to expand their nation to further diversify its territory; ultimately spreading its French identity worldwide. After 1763, under the times of English reign, the remaining French population multiplied from 100,000 in 1784 to over 2 million in 2013 (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2016). According to the 2011 census, 78.1% of a total of 7,903,001 people in the province of Quebec replied French as their mother tongue, while only 7.7% and 12.3% declared English or languages other than English or French as their mother language (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2016). As you can see, this is not so surprising if you think of the fact that the French had a great influence in the foundation of Quebec. On top of that, approximately 38.2% of people in Quebec with French as their mother tongue can also speak English to a certain level, while 67% of people with English as their mother tongue cannot do it the other way. This illustrates the linguistic diversity within the province of Quebec and the Quebecois, and that “linguistic minorities feel a far greater …show more content…
Just as this quote conveys, the use of French has shaped the cultural ideas within the province of Quebec. Evidently speaking, Quebec’s culture closely resembles that of French tradition. Most of its folktales originate from French tradition, and it is known to have arrived from France in the 17th and 18th century, during the times of French colonization. The first literary work from Quebec is known to have written during the times of New France, and it is told that early inhabitants left numerous literary works including poems, which later on heavily influenced novels from Quebec. In terms of arts, Quebec is very renowned for circus arts, which is also very prominent in European countries, and folk music in Quebec is also heavily influenced by traditional tunes of France. Because France and Quebec uses a common language, some French-speaking Quebec singers have been exporting their music to France, demonstrating another important interconnection with its mother country. Cooking, on the other hand, is considered as one of the fine arts in Quebec as in the case of various European countries such as France; the Quebecois pursue fine dining as a passion among the society of Quebec. In addition to this, many married women retain their maiden names, which is totally different from the