The Routledge Introduction to Canadian Literature and Illness

The Routledge Introduction to Canadian Literature and Illness considers the key literary and historical frameworks for reading stories about sickness. Transcending disciplinary boundaries, this book analyzes narrative depictions of major epidemics, disastrous injuries, mental and maternal health, medical assistance in dying, and the curative effects of decolonization. This accessible and engaging guide illustrates how illness, encompassing states of physical and mental disorder, injury, and disruption, provides structure and focus to many of the most significant works of English narrative published in Canada. Giving distinct consideration to Indigenous authors who may or may not identify as Canadian and whose representations of illness reflect centuries of colonial violence, this volume offers timely resources to think critically and originally about the Canadian canon for fruitful classroom discussion. Students of both literature and health humanities will find that this book deepens their understanding of literary portrayals of illness and the impact of narrative on concepts of affliction and healing.

Jessica Duffin Wolfe is Professor of Media, Creative Arts, and Design at Humber College. She holds a PhD in English, Book History and Print Culture from the University of Toronto.

Introduction: Narrative Uses of Illness in Canada Chapter One: Prevailing Disorder: Epidemics and Infectious Diseases Chapter Two: Disastrous Injury and the Recuperation of History in Postmodern Novels Chapter Three: Mental Affliction, Autobiography, and the Literary History of Assisted Death Chapter Four: Reproductive Trouble: Maternal Health and Houses in Iconic Fiction Chapter Five: Decolonization as Cure: Hospitals, Illness, and Healing in Contemporary Indigenous Novels Conclusion: Illness as Genre