Name of Book : Lee Maracle’s
Writings: a Spider Continuum
Author : Dr. Anju Bala
Publisher : www.bluepublishers.com
This 308-pages book in English by a daughter of the soil, Dr. Anju Bala has put sharp focus on the “discriminatory and prejudicial treatment” particularly practised against women in Canada in the past and penned by Lee Maracle, a leading English writer. This is, in fact, Anju Bala’s Ph.D thesis and now brought out in a book form.
The book has been written in five chapters and highlighted critical issues facing the Canadians and the “uncivilized” attitude of the colonizers at that point of time. Though this is an informative work and the style of writing is such that it sustains the interest of the readers.
The book has some lessons of Canada’s history for the women in India who are now forging ahead in all spheres of human activities.
Glimpses of Past
Canada’s history has been depicted of the period when there was colonisation and the Aboriginal /Native faced many hardships and discrimination. In such a society colonisation marks structural and psychological relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. This type of relationship is ultimately reflected in the dominant institution such as politics, history and literature of the occupying power class till the mid of the 20th century.
The colonial past in Canada was a major issue among the natives is represented in the literature produced by one of the bold voices Lee Maracle. This noted writer is one of the most prominent representatives of the native writings in Canada. She is a towering figure in cultural reclamation, reform and reputed expert on Canadian culture and history. It may be mentioned that Lee Maracle excels in her innovative and unique style of writings.
Her oeuvre is a fusion of many genres-poetry, fiction, non-fiction, myth and memory. The trajectory of Lee’s novels represents the first hand experience of the journey of aboriginal women from being empowered, honoured and authoritative to disempowered and marginalised.
Gender Equality
Maracle is a strong supporter of racial and gender equality. She has expressed her thoughts a number of times and had spoken over times and again on the subject along with her own personal struggle against racist and patriarchal forces. The result was a radical break in this legacy of Canadian aboriginal culture. Racism, sexism, classism interlock and intersect in dynamic way in the lives of the aboriginal women, according to Maracle.
Changing Environment
Rightly, as per the noted writer Maracle, the aboriginal and native women invariably faced the double bias of racist and sexist oppression which is more complex than colonisation and patriarchy. She has owned the responsibility of narrating the stories of ongoing struggles. As a writer she is confident that Native women would find their strength and power to protect and nurture against all odds. She strives for the equality in the society, where all native men and women co-exist and co-operate to tackle the menace of racism and sexism. She has a hope for humanity and her writing propounds a vision of humane Canada devoid of radical discrimination and gender bias. Her optimism opens window of opportunity for peace and harmony.
Dr. Anju Bala’s book has been finely printed with good get-up and has been moderately priced just to make accessible to students as well as common readership. I think the academicians, students and even the common citizens will go through this literary work in English.
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