Margaret Laurence's Manawaka Fiction: The Rationality Of Canadian Multiculturalism Policy

As a country of immigration, Canada attracted large numbers of immigrants from all over the world. They arrived in the new land with their own different cultures. Through a long time of coexistence of different ethnic groups, Canadian people learned how to tolerate and respect various ethnic groups. In this way, a diverse society was formed in Canada. All its citizens asked for equality and no prejudice in cultural and social activities. Through the failure of Anglo-Conformity and Melting-pot policies in Canada and the baptism of the Wars, Canadian government realized that it was time to present another policy to guide Canadian society. Especially, the 1960s saw the awakening of ethnic consciousness of the Native people, the tumultuous nationalism of Quebec, and the increasing strength of a "Third Force" in Canada. Under this backdrop, the Trudeau government introduced the multiculturalism policy to Canada. At that time it was rational for the Government to promulgate the policy of multiculturalism. Influenced by the multicultural tide, many Canadian writers decided to write something to support multiculturalism and prove the rationality of the multiculturalism policy issued by the Government. Margaret Laurence is one of these writers. I choose her Manawaka fiction as my study target to do some research on the rationality of Canadian multiculturalism policy.Margaret Laurence, a famous Canadian writer, wrote the Manawaka...