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Title: The Emergence of the Short Story Cycle in Canada: Alice Munro's Short Story Cycles as a Case Study
Authors: Ines Belkahla
Journal: Journal Of Contemporary Poetics
Publisher: International Islamic University, Islamabad
Country: Pakistan
Year: 2022
Volume: 6
Issue: 1
Language: English
Alice Munro’s Lives of Girls and Women and The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose are two literaryworks that hardly fit into one single literary category. Critics of all quarters are at one and of the same mind as to the slippery and elusive nature of Alice’s art. However, despite being approached by some critics as a collection of short stories, Alice’s narrative seems to embody a sub-genre that is particular of the Canadian literary tradition, which is the short story cycle. Also known as the composite or episodic novel, the story collection or the linked stories, this genre could be briefly defined as a sequence of short stories that are linked through a unifying element, like a character, the setting or the story. Characterized, as it is, with its fragmentary nature and its openness, this genre compels its researcher to look into its origins and its implications at the level of content. Few studies have been carried on this genre to provide the necessary grounds for an elaborate research on it. Forrest L. Ingram’s work Representative Short Story Cycles of the Twentieth Century is the first academic work that provides a consistent definition for the short story cycle as a genre. On the other hand, Gerald Lynch’s The One and the Many: English-Canadian Short Story Cycles examines the sine qua non tension between the parts and the whole of the versatile form of the short story cycle in Canada. With reference to Alice Munro’s Lives of Girls and Women and The Beggar Maid as two representatives of the short story cycle, I attempt to examine the inscription of this sub-genre, and map its evolutionover the last centuries in Canadian literature.Keywords: Short story cycle, genre studies, Canadian literature
To examine the inscription and evolution of the short story cycle as a sub-genre in Canadian literature, using Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women and The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose as case studies.
Literary analysis of Alice Munro's short story cycles, examining their structure, themes, and narrative techniques in the context of Canadian literary tradition and genre studies. The research draws on existing critical works on the short story cycle and Canadian literature.
graph TD
A[Identify Short Story Cycle as a Genre] --> B[Examine Canadian Literary Tradition for its Inscription];
B --> C[Analyze Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women and The Beggar Maid];
C --> D[Investigate Narrative Structure and Thematic Elements];
D --> E[Explore Hybridity: Fragmentation and Tone Shifts];
E --> F[Assess Evolution and Distinctiveness in Canadian Literature];
F --> G[Formulate Conclusions on Genre's Significance];
The paper argues that the short story cycle, while having European and American precedents, has become a "distinctly and distinctively a Canadian genre." This is attributed to Canada's cultural and literary heritage, the prevalence of short fiction by women, and the thematic resonance of the provincial Canadian town. Munro's use of fragmentation and varied narrative tones creates a "hybrid narrative" that reflects the complexities of identity formation and social relationships within a Canadian context. The genre's tension between the unity of the whole and the integrity of the parts is explored, with Munro's work demonstrating how this tension creates a dynamic and engaging reading experience.
The short story cycle is a distinct and evolving genre in Canadian literature, characterized by common features such as a Canadian setting, the predominance of the female voice, and a particular structure of concluding stories. Alice Munro's works exemplify this genre through their hybrid narrative techniques, particularly fragmentation and narrative tone shifts, which contribute to a multidimensional and dialogic discourse.
The short story cycle has emerged as a significant genre in Canadian literature, with Alice Munro's works serving as prime examples of its distinctive features and potential. The genre's hybridity, characterized by fragmentation and narrative shifts, allows for a rich exploration of themes and characters, reflecting the complexities of Canadian life and identity.
1. Forrest L. Ingram's Representative Short Story Cycles of the Twentieth Century is cited as the first academic work to provide a consistent definition for the short story cycle as a genre. This is presented as a factual claim within the text.
2. Gerald Lynch claims the short story cycle is "distinctly and distinctively a Canadian genre." This is presented as a critical assertion supported by the text's analysis.
3. Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women is composed of eight stories, and The Beggar Maid is a set of ten stories. This is presented as a factual detail about the structure of Munro's works.
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