World War II and its Impact on French Canadians

Abstract

This research takes the perspective of a Romanian-born philologist after having lived, studied, and taught in the Quebec public educational system for nearly 12 years. The main purpose of this study is to discuss the important influences World War II had on the evolution of Quebec society. Examining Quebec's social life and culture from a historic standpoint is a primordial step for immigrants and their integration into Quebec's society. An analysis of the corpus selected for this study, namely, Roch Carrier's La guerre, yes sir!, Jean Jules Richard’s Neuf jours de haine, Jean Vaillancourt’ s Les Canadians errants, and Gabrielle Roy’s Bonheur d’ occasion, reveals that World War II marked in different ways the disturbance of the traditional, pastoral, and agrarian life, which triggered some modernist influences in people’s lives. For instance, the war changed women’s condition. When Canadian French men were shipped out to Europe to fight in the war, women were employed in Quebec’s factories and plants. Even though they were paid less than men, they became independent and autonomous. Another example is the presence of British soldiers in Quebec, which disturbed the traditional lifestyle of French Canadians. It was difficult for English soldiers to understand the locals’ culture, who in turn, perceived them as dangerous and responsible for the war. Nowadays, Quebecers’ mentality is influenced by the various cultures they are surrounded by, yet, they still preserve some values which are originated during World War II.