Writing Assignment: Related Issue 1
Source one uses the idea of nationalism to make individuals consider what being Canadian truly means. The author outlines some of the main contending loyalties some Canadians still face today, the author states “fewer and fewer of us Canadians left’’ showing he is proud to be Canadian, not French, English or an easterner to him these are not true Canadians. Some patriotic Canadians may choose to agree with him based on their shared experiences and collective consciousness, these Canadians believe that people who emigrated o Canada are not true Canadians and are having a negative effect on the country. Whilst other Canadians may see this as being too harsh, to them everyone is Canadian no matter where you are from, what you believe in or the colour of your skin. The ideas in source one are extremely similar to those expressed by the Quebecois in Canada. In Canada there is a massive divide between Quebec and the rest of Canada. Some Quebecers have a bias towards the French language and culture, whilst others accept that they are Canadian and truly want to be a part of the nation. The cartoonist also reveals just how many nations exist within Canada by showing several different characters all from separate nations and backgrounds. The author is showing that to an extent everyone’s identity should be based on their nation. Everyone should be proud of where they came from and what they believe in, however we should all still come together to form a better Canada. In source two the author, Charles Hanley challenges the idea of Canada being a true nation by revealing how different Canadians are from each other. Hanley compares Canada to France and America saying “there is no Canadian nation as there is an American or French nation.” Meaning you can clearly tell when someone is American or French as they have a strong sense of nationalism between them, but you could not pick out a Canadian from a crowd. Hanley believes that since Canadians all come from different nations and backgrounds around the world, they cannot consider themselves to be part of a new nation rather the only thing that connects them is legal entities and the fact they live on the same geographical mass. Through Hanley’s perspective one would see that no Canadian besides aboriginals are truly Canadian rather just a melting pot of people from all around the world.