The concept of the savage other in french canadian women’s writings of the 1930s

The author analyses the concept of the savage Other used in French Canadian women’s writings of the 1930s, especially in a novel of Marie Le Franc (Hélier, Fils des bois, 1930) and Mon Sauvage (1938) by Laure Berthiaume-Denault. Though the savage Other is shown as a modern man associated with natural or urban environments, he still lends himself to interpretation derived from the myth of the noble savage. However, as the example of these selected narratives shows, this myth may be interpreted, from a feminine perspective, as the desire of the Other. This paper also discusses the place of a woman in the Canadian Far North – that is, in a context traditionally linked with men taking on roles as expedition explorers and colonisers. In addition, the purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions on gender roles in these writings