Maria Chapdelaine

EIGHTY-ONE YEARS after it first appeared on the eve of World War I and with over ten million copies sold, Louis Hémon Maria Chapdelaine is among the all-time French-language best-sellers. 1 A grim tale of life and death in the rugged Lake Saint John country, the novel initially met with a mixed recep- tion in Quebec and, over the years, has given rise to much controversy. 2 it can- not be gainsaid, however, that Hémon, a Frenchman who worked for a year as a farm hand at Péribonka shortly before meeting death in a railroad accident at the age of 33, succeeded in capturing the accents, the rhythm of work, and the mind-set of pioneers engaged in an enterprise that was doomed to failure. 3

The central character is clearly Maria,
. ." (197). The faith, language, and moral qualities we brought with us have become sacred to us. Others came and seized all they could. But we persisted, we held on. "Nous sommes un témoignage"--the phrase is used twice--for those who will come after us.
And that is why we must remain (197-98).

This passage, which I have merely summarized, is often cited because of its remarkable poetic quality and because, for many, its soaring affirmation of
Québécois ideology still rings true today. However, it stands out in sharp con- trast with the rest of the narrative, and the somber, one-page conclusion in which Maria accepts Eutrope's proposal of marriage is more in keeping with the novel's stark realism.

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What reason can be given for the sudden and curious change of style and tone? Is it sufficient to state that these voices merely echo turn-of-the-century patriotic orations and manifestos? The answers to these questions, I believe, lie in Maria's complex relationship with her mother Laura. Critics have gen erally concerned themselves with the multiple courtships and with the politi cal significance of Maria's decision and have ignored the all-important