Antithesis of Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes in Les Deux Nègres by Gabrielle Roy

Abstract

Quebec is a part of Canada that holds a different cultural identity to those of other provinces in the country. There are cultural elements such as language, arts, and literature that distinguish the Quebec society from other societies in Canada. Identity has become a primary issue in Quebec's society and literature was one of the main means of proliferating ideas about that identity, including racial and ethnic identities. This article discusses antithesis of racial and ethnic stereotypes in Les Deux Nègres, ashort story by Gabrielle Roy (1955). The story narrates reactions of Rue Deschambault's white community after the arrival of two black tenants, who rent rooms from families short of funds. The usual stereotypes of blacks are surprisingly contradicted by these well-spoken, neat, hard-working men, and active discrimination against them does not occur. Following Barthes's theory of narrative structure, findings from this study include construction of contradictory and dynamic characters, forms of stereotypes, and their inversion to form antithesis.