Volkswagen Blues

La Grande Sauterelle is Métis—the child of a Montagnais woman and a French man—and, as such, embodies the cultural diversity of 20th-century Canada. Through her struggle “to come to terms with her twofold heritage” (220), the novel advances the theme of cultural divisions and reconciliation. To better appreciate the significance of this theme to late 20th-century French Canadian readers, a brief look at Quebec’s uniquely independent spirit is useful.

Quebec is the only Canadian province to have a predominantly francophone—or French-speaking—population, as well as a majority Roman Catholic population. Because of their linguistic and religious unity and their divergences from the rest of Canada, the Francophones of Quebec have developed a strong “national” identity. “Whiteness” is central to this identity, as are the historical legends of the early French explorers of North America, such as the francophone folk hero Étienne Brûlé. In 1980, just a few years before Poulin published Volkswagen Blues, the Francophones of Quebec turned their independent spirit into political action and held a referendum proposing Quebec sovereignty. The referendum failed, creating something of an identity crisis for the population.

Near the end of the novel, “the girl in the showcase” (207), who is from Quebec, asks Jack and La Grande Sauterelle “if independence would be coming soon” (209).