The Missionary Position: The American Roots of Northrop Frye's Peaceable Kingdom.

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  • Author(s): Andrews, Jennifer
  • Source:
    Journal of Canadian Studies. Spring2018, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p361-380. 20p.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      Key to Canada's attractiveness internationally is its characterization as a "peaceable kingdom," a term famously used by Canadian scholar Northrop Frye in 1965 to articulate what makes Canada distinctive. In the conclusion to Literary History of Canada, Frye uses his reading of American folk art to put forth the concept of Canada as on "a quest for the peaceable kingdom," citing works by two men (Erastus Salisbury Field's Historical Monument of the American Republic and Edward Hicks's Peaceable Kingdom) whose religious convictions also fundamentally shaped their artistic output to frame his argument. Through a closer examination of these canvases, the article explores how Frye's idea of the peaceable kingdom is shaped by American religions and their missionary traditions—specifically Quakers and Methodists—and the historical flow of these religions across the Canada-US border, in combination with the influx of Loyalists northward and the subsequent commitment to missions that was part of British, American, and Canadian society. The American roots of Frye's peaceable kingdom serve as a tangible reminder that borders are porous, and that those origins need to be acknowledged as a critical part of Canada's self-construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
      L'attrait du Canada sur l'arène internationale est basé sur sa caractérisation en tant que « royaume pacifique », terme utilisé en 1965 par l'intellectuel canadien Northrop Frye pour exprimer se qui distingue le Canada. Dans sa conclusion au livre Literary History of Canada, Frye utilise sa lecture de l'art folklorique américain pour proposer un concept du Canada comme menant une « quête pour le royaume pacifique », citant l'œuvre de deux hommes (Historical Monument of the American Republic, d'Erastus Salisbury Field et Peaceable Kingdom, d'Edward Hicks), dont les convictions religieuses ont aussi fondamentalement façonné leur production artistique, pour soutenir son argument. En examinant ces œuvres de plus près, cet article explore comment l'idée du royaume pacifique de Frye est façonnée par les religions américaines et leurs traditions de missionnariat — notamment les quakers et les méthodistes — ainsi que le flot historique de ces religions à travers la frontière entre le Canada et les États-Unis, jumelés à l'arrivée des loyalistes et à l'engagement subséquent aux missions, lesquelles faisaient partie de la société britannique, américaine et canadienne. Les racines américaines du royaume pacifique de Frye sont un rappel tangible que les frontières sont poreuses et que ces origines doivent être reconnues comme étant une partie importante de l'autoconstruction canadienne. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
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