Gaston Miron: Encountering Trauma in the Linguistic (De)colonization of Quebec

Abstract

Gaston Miron, the Quebec poet, was in a unique situation that is difficult to pinpoint as colonial or postcolonial. In addition, he expresses extreme distress that may not quite fit in traditional categories from trauma studies. Through an analysis of his poetry and essays, however, this article attempts to examine and define what could be called his linguistic trauma. The way in which he responds to this, and his particular situation, provides important insights for the merging of the two fields of postcolonial and trauma studies.