The French-Canadian culture in ‘Maria Chapdelaine’ is seen is spiritualized, religious and defiant to economic progression from the English. Quebec is seen in this text during the late 19th century, where there are old day typical family structures, strong adherence to religion, and to farming and logging as a means of subsistence. French-Canadian and English are both seen as innately to engage in one behaviour, perpetuating a stereotype. For example, the English are seen as more ‘innate’ for money making, while the French-Canadians are more ‘innately’ spiritual at the turn of the century.
The French-Canadians are depicted as spiritual beings constantly. For example, when Maria thinks about the changing of the seasons (in this particular case, summer to winter), she accredits the local weather god for these weather conditions (62). In this sense, the French-Canadians economic subsistence (the farm) is spiritualized. At this time, the French-Canadians were determined to have their heritage and culture survive at all costs. They identify that the past is sacred to give meaning to the present (September 21st lecture). This is a very spiritual idea connecting the past to the present. In chapter VI, “Madame Chapdelaine foretold inevitable misfortune. “Mark my words, we shall not have good hay-making weather…””. The idea of the French-Canadian family here believing in misfortune and luck, and being able to predict so, shows a very spiritual culture.
Organized religion plays a large part in how the French-Canadians are viewed by the English (and the French-Canadians views of themselves as well). The Chapdelaine’s family is portrayed as an accurate depiction of an old-day typical family structure in Quebec. The religion of Christianity was very essential in the Quebec culture. For example, Madame Chapdelaine tells her husband, ““No, Samuel; what the good God does is always right…””. Madame Chapdelaine’s adherence to such a strong notion exemplifies the central religiousness of the Quebec culture. The culture did not question the validity of Christianity, but took assumptions as truth. For example, when Maria Chapdelaine is talking to the priest, the priest says to her, ““The duty of a girl like you – good-looking, healthy, active withal and a clever housewife… in good time to marry and bring up a Christian family of her own””.
Capitalism and colonialism was taking effect during this time. However, the Quebec culture adhered to traditional ways, using the labour of the land as a means of economic subsistence. Money was made from logging and farming, and there was high importance on good weather conditions and good soil. This type of economical means of living did not allow for capitalism to enter into culture. The farm is seen as the best way to represent Christ and have the ‘ideal’ family. There existed a notion that capitalism and materialism was bad (September 21st lecture). For example, if a French-Canadian was to sell his or her farm, they were seen by other French-Canadians as ‘selling-out’ to capitalism. On page 69, Madame Chapdelaine tells Lorenzo Surprenant,
“When I was a girl… pretty nearly everyone went off to the States. Farming did not pay as well as it does now, prices were low, we were always hearing of the big wages earned over there in factors, and every year one family after another sold out for next to nothing and left Canada. Some made a lot of money, no doubt of that, especially those families with plenty of daughters; but now it is different and they are not going as once they did… So you are selling the farm?”