National Dreams: Myth, Memory, and Canadian History

by Daniel Francis

As Canadians, we remember the stories told to us in high-school history class as condensed images of the past--the glorious Mountie, the fearsome Native, the Last Spike. National Dreams is an incisive study of the most persistent icons and stories in Canadian history, and how they inform our sense of national the fundamental beliefs that we Canadians hold about ourselves. National Dreams is the story of our stories; the myths and truths of our collective past that we first learned in school, and which we carry throughout our adult lives as tangible evidence of what separates us from other nationalities. Francis examines various aspects of this national mythology, in which history is as much storytelling as fact. Textbooks were an important resource for Francis. "For me, these books are interesting not because they explain what actually happened to us, but because they explain what we think happened to us."

For example, Francis documents how the legend of the CPR as a country-sustaining, national affirming monolity was created by the company itself--a group of capitalists celebrating the privately-owned railway, albeit one which was generously supported with public land and cash--and reiterated by most historians ever since.

Similarly, we learn how the Mounties were transformed from historical police force to mythic heroes by a vast army of autobiographers, historians, novelists, and Hollywood filmmakers, with little attention paid to the true role of the force in such incidents as the Bolshevik rebellion, in which a secret conspiracy by the Government against its people was conducted through the RNWMP.

Also revealed in National Dreams are the stories surrounding the formation and celebration of Canadian heroes such as Louis Riel and Billy Bishop.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Canada, Politics, School

250 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily one of the best critical texts on Canadian culture and history that I have read, and one of the most relevant studies on our understanding (or rather misunderstanding) of Canadian identity. An essential read for anyone even marginally interested in the subject matter.

[Daniel Macgregor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super short foray into Canadian national myths that is worth the read for anything either studying anything Canadian or just interested in the general study of identity/symbols.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for Canadian Studies. Very eye opening and a genuinely good book if you are into critically analyzing Canada and it’s history.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accessible, though now somewhat dated, and the postmodern tropes Francis employs throughout have become somewhat shop-worn. Iconoclasm was not invented by Derrida or DeMan, and in fairness Francis does underscore the salutary role myths can and do play in the life of a people, but of course in many momentous narratives there are winners and losers, and truth often acts as handmaiden to power. At times this latter fact seems to carry the author a bit too far, to the point that he engages in his own master narration about an "age of irony" and "age of anxiety" that has its inception in the awareness that narratives often (barely) conceal naked power plays. So, to borrow Ricoeur's phrase, we end up practicing a "hermeneutics of suspicion" on all meta-narratives, but yet the drive to make a complete philosophical speech persists, even in the consciousness of those who are chock full of deconstructionist theory. Now however, it has a bad conscience. I do sometimes fear that what looms on the other side of irony is a call for overt violence, but in the case of Canada this seems less likely than it is for its large and powerful southern neighbor, in part I suspect because of the narrative of Canadians as peace-loving, deliberative folks that still holds sway over many of its citizens. I for one hope that particular self-fulfilling prophecy does not become too badly skewered. The chapter on Quebec is quite good, and there is much here of interest to devotees of Canadian Studies in particular and Cultural Studies in general.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always try to consider what is on the other side of the coin, to look at an idea, thought, or belief from more than one perspective. With that noble thought in mind I read ‘National Dreams’ as an antidote to my perspective on the history of Canada. It is never a bad idea to look beyond one’s own thoughts.

Well, upon reading this book I found some thin slices of agreement with Francis thesis. Indeed, many, if not all countries strive to create a narrative of their history. These narratives generally lean in one direction, and that direction is to seek to reflect a national narrative of goodness and success.

This book tended to take a different view. Our founding stories and myths are rooted in slanted misinformation and all too heavy lean on a heritage which is suspect, if not flawed, if not, indeed, wrong.

Right. No wrong. Our present Prime Minister claims Canada is a post national state with no fundamental bonding focus. Sadly, my country is a hodgepodge of fractured groups and ideologies that spend most of their time tearing down each other rather than searching for any sense of unity or positive nationalism.

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting approach on some of the major symbols that arguably form Canadian identity. Even though the author has a strong point of view, I didn't feel the approach is negatively biased, even though the sometimes sarcastic view of Canadian "myths" may upset some readers.

One aspect I dislike in the book is the digressions that at times seemed unnecessary to me (for instance, when discussing the "myth of the canoe", Francis spends an entire section on how the Group of Seven was formed; interesting, but a bit of a bypass that demands some patience from the reader).

All in all, this book can be educational and eye-opening, so I recommend it - and I actually wish it were revised with updated references.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written over 20 yrs ago but has some relevance today about how we cling to myths and present history. Since this book was published there has been a shift in who is writing and who is being published and more and more women are writing historical pieces in which women and their role in our narrative is being recognized. I also like the idea that we can write about an event without singling out one person as being a hero and in the past that person was generally a male and presented as a shining hero but the people who encouraged, supported and cleared a path so he could achieve his goals was nonexistent.

[Holden Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a banger of a book. It really digs into a bunch of weird Canadian mythos old people try and convince me make sense, and explains how our government and other corporations brainwashed our elders into believing tomfoolery in order to falsely elevate the stature of Canada and attract toursists.

Basically Canada a slimey marketer lol.

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the information is very dated. His experiences and information is good for the time period he is referencing, but history is still being rewritten even now. Hopefully for the better of all Canadians.

[Chess Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly a little hard to get through (even though it is a very short book), but a really good starting point for people who want to learn more about Canadian nationalism and the truth behind many of the events, people, and symbols that supposedly define Canadian identity.

[Nathan Skinner]

“Nations are narrations.”

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Wish I'd read it a decade ago. As time goes by and generations pass, you lose that direct exposure to the myths of Canada, but they're still there, and this felt like a history lesson and partially a debunking of history. The book is broken up into chapters on CP Rail, the RCMP, Quebec, Wilderness, the North, the influence of British Imperialism, and Heroes. Highly recommended!

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every 'nation' bases its history in popular myths that obscure its violence and the power involved. Bruce Francis explores and unpacks these for Canada in scholarly, meticulous, thoroughly accessible way. The best kind of dissident and revisionist history.