Cross-Writing and the Unconcluded Self in Sinclair Ross’s As for Me and My House

C r o s s - W r i t i n g a n d t h e U n c o n c l u d e d S e l f i n S i n c l a i r R o s s ’s As f or Me and My House David St o uc k T h e r e is a st r o n g p r e se n c e o f w o m e n in C a n a d ia n lit e r a t u r e , a n d a n y st u d y o f t h e su b je c t is lik e ly t o b e fr a m e d b y t w o “a n c e st r a l” figu r es, o n e h ist o r ic a l a n d o n e fic t io n a l, w h o se v o ic e s lin ge r in t h e n a t io n a l lit e r a r y c o n sc io u sn e ss. I a m t h in k in g h e r e o f Su sa n n a M o o d ie , n in e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y p io n e e r a n d a u t h o r o f R o u g h in g I t in th e B u sh ( 1 8 5 2 ), a n d M r s. Be n t le y , t h e p r e a c h e r ’s w ife a n d n a r r a t o r o f Sin c la ir R o ss’s n o v e l A s f o r M e a n d M y H o u s e (1 9 4 1 ). I n T h e Jo u r n a l s o f S u s a n n a M o o d i e (1 9 7 0 ), M a r g a r e t A t w o o d h a s p o sit e d t h a t M r s. M o o d ie ’s p a in fu l e x p e r ie n c e o f le a v in g h o m e in E n g la n d t o st a r t life a g a in in a r e m o t e , u n se t t le d r e gio n o f O n t a r io le d h e r t o d r a m a t iz e m u c h o f w h a t it m e a n s t o b e a n im m ig r a n t C a n a d ia n . M o r e r ec en t ly , L o m a C r o z ie r in A S a v i n g G r a c e : T h e C o l l e c t e d P o e m s o f M r s . B e n t le y (1 9 9 6 ) h a s r e c a st R o ss’s fa m o u s d e p r e ssio n - e r a n o v e l in v e r se fo r m t o sh o w h o w d isp la c e m e n t , fr u st r a t io n , a n d lo ss r e m a in fo r e gr o u n d e d in t h e...