I had become the slave to low vice; and in order to emancipatemyself from the hateful tyranny o f evil passions
An allusion to the recent emancipation of black slaves in Britain. A way to relate to readers, redeem Brian, and create a deeper sense of sympathy
his eyesbent on the fire, and now and then he patted the heads o f his dogs,
dogs presented as physically intimidating at first, but revealed to be gentle.
taciturn master, eyeing himfrom time to time,
gives the dogs human qualities; they understand Brian.
O ’er memory’s glass I see his shadow flit,Though he was gathered to the silent dustLong years ago. A strange and wayward man,That shunn’d companionship, and lived apart;The leafy covert o f the dark brown woods,The gleamy lakes, hid in their gloomy depths,Whose still, deep waters never knew the strokeO f cleaving oar, or echoed to the soundO f social life, contained for him the sumO f human happiness. With dog and gun,Day after day he track’d the nimble deerThrough all the tangled mazes o f the forest.
gives Brian a certain sense of mystique and nobility. presents him as a poetic character.
plays into the romanticized version of nature: a connection with God.
presents Brian as similar to the Indigenous people: a deep connection to nature. a deep nobility, and a distance from the corruption of settled society. Brian is written with the idea of the "vanishing Indian"
Themales o f our party no sooner arrived than they set about makingthings more comfortable.
Unlike Parr Trail's text, the men do all the work.
The rain poured in at the open door
pathetic fallacy
like a wild goat
sexualized fear: another example of how biological factors play into Moodie's view.
Many were almostnaked, still more but partially clothed. We turned in disgust fromthe revolting scene
Disgust literalizes the biological distrust for the Irish people.
hard-featured,sun-burnt harpies,
A sign that they do hard labour and are traditionally unfeminine.
lltalkers and no hearers— each shouting and yelling in his or heruncouth dialect, and all accompanying their vociferations withviolent and extraordinary gestures, quite incomprehensible to theuninitiated. We were literally stunned by the strife of tongues. Ishrank, with feelings almost akin to fear, from the hard-featured,sun-burnt harpies, as they elbowed rudely past me.
Afraid of the undesirable and intrusive Irish people. Part of the injustice she feels; having to emigrate means she can't keep distance between herself and that which she finds distasteful. Thus, she must manufacture distance; uses language to describe the Irish that separates them from her.
There is a consolation, too, in seeing that hedoes no more than others of equal pretensions as to rank andeducation are obliged to submit to, if they would prosper;
everybody can prosper if they're willing to work hard.
Mother spent half the money father earned at his straw work (he wasa straw chair-maker,) in whiskey to keep us warm; but I do think a largermess o f good hot praters (potatoes,) would have kept us warmer than thewhiskey did
whiskey was seen as barbaric and opposite to the values of the protestant work ethic and an orderly homelife.
O ur servants are as respectful,
servants are so respectful and traditionally British
perhaps we reposequietly on that incontestable proof of our gentility, and canafford to be useful without injuring it.
one need not maintain the appearance of their gentility despite the roughness of the backwoods because they have rightfully inherited their higher class. they are using the conventions of their superiority even though Parr Trail recognizes their baselessness.
or thedelicacies of the table, would be considered rather in the lightof a tacit reproof to your guest for having unseasonably putyour hospitality to the test
don't expect luxury of yourself or others in the new world
we laugh atthe absurdity of those who voluntarily forge afresh and hugtheir chains.
don't be a slave to artificial conventions
enefiting a family that hehad not the means of settling in life in the hom e country.It is foolish, then, to launch out in a style of life that everyone knows cannot be maintained; rather ought such personsto rejoice in the consciousness that they can,
it would be foolish to bring the artificial and material interest of Britain to the New World. Wealthy women were considered ornaments themselves: given value through their clothes, house, art, etc. Freedom from these expectations is the draw of the bush life
But in noneof these can their sisters share. The hardships and difficultiles]of the settler’s life, therefore, are felt peculiarly by the female| part of the family.
women arrive in the New World with the ideas of Britain still hindering their freedom
would be pleased to find that the; simple sources from which she has herself drawn pleasure,Ihave cheered the solitude of future female sojourners in thebackwoods of Canada.
has downplayed her suffering to encourage others in their pursuits. about reciprocity
no personswould encounter these hardships who have not a young familyto establish in the healthful ways of independence.
not dependent on others for income or property. makes the work sound encouraging and heroic
hese laws wisely forcea superiorly-educated man with resources of both propertyand intellect, to devote all his energies to a certain spot ofuncleared land.
laws centered around proving up and making land productive so that it is not forfeited
it is the enterprising English capitalist, and the onceaffluent landholder, alarmed at the difficulties of establishingnum erous families in independence
even the most elite of society are sacrificing their status and unbothered pleasure for hard life in the colonies
T hese ex h alatio n s in b e h a lf o f utility in p re fe re n c eto artificial p erso n al re fin em en
focus on development and work instead of meaningless endeavours of fashion or nobility
every pound or pound’s worth belonging to any m em berof an out-coming em igrant’s family, ought to be sacredlyconsidered as capital
capital and work is considered a sacred process under protestantism
enjoy the pleasure of superintending apleasant, well-ordered home
find purpose and joy in work
in g en u ity an d ex p ediency fo r som e difficulties; an d , bybeing properly prepared, encounter the rest with that high-spirited cheerfulness of which well-educated females oftengive extraordinary proofs.
emphasizes that women in the new world must be brave, determined, and tough enough to brave the hard work while pouring their all into the progress of the colony. wants women to be prepared for the hardships that inevitably await
“Forewarned, forearm ed,
women need to know what they're getting into. they must put their soul into emigration if they are the ones that decide to do it
a woman’s pen alone can describe halfthat is requisite to be told of the internal m anagem ent of adomicile in the backwoods
demonstrating that women could pursue the profession of writing in the new world. in Canada, they could use they real name and stay true to their identities
a woman’s pen alone can describe halfthat is requisite to be told of the internal m anagem ent of adomicile in the backwoods
only a woman's pen can describe the true experience of womanhood in the newly settled world
delicately soft in texture, like the fur of the chinchilla; itforms a ridge of fur between the fore and hind legs; the tail islike an elegant broad grey feather.
described in a way similar to the fashion of upper class Britain
I saw a little family of tiny squirrels at play in thespring on the top of a hollow log
allowed the squirrels to flourish in the same she and her family hopes to do
so bold werethey that they would not desist when I approached till theyhad secured their object, and, encum bered with a load twicethe weight of their own agile bodies, ran with a swiftness alongthe rails, and over root, stump, and log
admires the work ethic of the squirrels: a work ethic characteristic of the perfect settler
ever having deviated a single point from theline he was swimming in when he first came in sight of ourcanoe. I was surprised and amused by the agility and courage
reflects the protestant work ethic expected of "innocent" female settlers
bound on a voyageof discovery from a neighbouring island
parallels the experience of British settlers on their voyage to Canada
We had books and drawings, and goodstore of pretty Indian toys,
all items expected to please her intended audience: women of the upper class. the "indian toys" are artefacts taken for amusement
being far whiter and firmer than the hop-yeastbread,
documentary information that comes with an implied judgement of the American method
bright rill of water
picturesque depiction of backwoods
enjoy the fanning breeze without beinginconvenienced by the extreme heat of the noon-day sun.
downplays the inconvenience of the extreme heat
All this, my dear friend, you will say is very well, and m ightafford subject for a wise discussion between grave men,
acknowledges that she is expected not to discuss things considered fit only for men (infrastructure, geography), and instead goes on to discuss dealings of romance and beauty in Canada
it is scarcely possible for arts,sciences, agriculture, manufactures, to retrograde; they mustkeep advancing;
calls for the emigration of women who are devoted to development
by opening adirect communication between Lake H uron and the inlandtownships at the back of the Ontario with the St. Laurence.
great ambition for progress that allows for easy imports and exports throughout the colonies and to Britain. Canada's most important technology came out of the need to master geography
a new and more substantial onehas risen upon the ruins of the former,
does not dwell on the danger of the colony and instead moves right back to the emphasis on progress
The squaws are very expert in the management of the canoes
praises the work ethic and skill of the Indigenous people
T he b irch canoe is m ade of sheets o f b irch bark,ingeniously fashioned
documents how the early settlers are learning from the Indigenous population
The only road that was available for bringing up goods
spends plenty of time talking about transportation and what makes a colony function as it should
each day increases its value.
believes that everything one brings to the colony must be devoted to maintaining upward mobility
As my husband
focus on the necessity for partnership in the loneliness of the colonies
Will-o’-the-wisp
leading on adventure
Prepare your patience, then, my dearfriend,
begins the letter playfully