Introduction
Charles Duquette (April 12, 1923 – September 8, 1998) was a Canadian scholar, educator, and public intellectual renowned for his contributions to the fields of Canadian literature and cultural studies. His work spanned critical analysis, editorial projects, and the establishment of interdisciplinary research centers, influencing both academic circles and the broader cultural landscape in Quebec and Canada.
Early Life and Family
Birth and Childhood
Charles Duquette was born in the small town of Saint‑Marcel, Quebec, into a family of modest means. His father, Jean‑Pierre Duquette, was a regional postal worker, and his mother, Elise (née Boucher), managed a local bakery. The early environment of rural Quebec, coupled with a strong Francophone tradition, played a formative role in Duquette’s later scholarly focus on Quebecois identity.
Family Influences
The Duquette household was marked by a tradition of reading and discussion. Elise’s curiosity about literature and Jean‑Pierre’s passion for history fostered a domestic atmosphere where books were valued. This nurturing environment provided Charles with early exposure to a range of texts, from folk stories to classical literature, laying the groundwork for his future academic pursuits.
Education
Primary and Secondary Schooling
Duquette attended the local elementary school in Saint‑Marcel, where his academic performance was consistently above average. At the age of fifteen, he enrolled at Collège Saint‑Benoît, a secondary institution known for its rigorous curriculum. There, he distinguished himself in literature, philosophy, and French language studies, earning the distinction of honor roll student three consecutive years.
University Studies
In 1942, Duquette matriculated at the Université de Montréal, choosing French literature as his major. His undergraduate thesis, supervised by Dr. Louise Mercier, examined the evolution of narrative techniques in 19th‑century Quebec novels. Duquette graduated summa cum laude in 1945, at the age of twenty-two, and was awarded a scholarship to pursue graduate studies abroad.
Graduate Education and Doctoral Research
Duquette accepted a Commonwealth Scholarship that allowed him to study at the University of Oxford. He enrolled in the Department of English Language and Literature, where he completed a Master’s degree focusing on comparative literary analysis. His doctoral dissertation, completed in 1952, investigated the thematic interplay between colonial and postcolonial narratives in Canadian literature, a pioneering work that positioned him as an emerging scholar in the field.
Early Career
Teaching Positions
Upon returning to Canada, Duquette joined the faculty at Université de Montréal as an assistant professor in 1953. His courses covered modernist literature, comparative literary criticism, and the history of Quebecois writing. He quickly became a popular instructor, noted for integrating contemporary literary theory with traditional literary analysis.
Editorial and Publication Work
In 1956, Duquette co-founded the literary journal Le Passeur, which sought to provide a platform for emerging Quebec writers and scholars. As editor, he curated a diverse array of essays, short stories, and critical reviews, influencing the discourse on Canadian literary identity during the mid‑20th century.
Major Works and Contributions
Scholarly Publications
Duquette authored and edited more than thirty monographs, articles, and anthologies over his career. Key works include:
- Colonial Echoes: Narrative Structures in 19th‑Century Quebec Literature (1958)
- Voices of the North: Postcolonial Perspectives in Canadian Poetry (1964)
- Identity and Language: A Critical Study of Quebecois Fiction (1972)
- The Cultural Landscape of Quebec: An Interdisciplinary Approach (1981)
- Edited volume New Horizons: Contemporary Canadian Literature (1990)
These publications were widely cited in academic circles and contributed to a broader understanding of Canadian literary development and cultural identity.
Institutional Contributions
In 1975, Duquette played a pivotal role in establishing the Centre for Quebec Studies at Université de Montréal, an interdisciplinary research center that brought together scholars from literature, history, sociology, and political science. The centre facilitated numerous research projects, symposia, and publications that advanced the academic study of Quebecois culture.
Academic Leadership
Duquette served as department chair of French literature from 1968 to 1974 and was later appointed Dean of the Faculty of Arts. In these administrative roles, he championed curricular reforms that emphasized interdisciplinary studies and the inclusion of Canadian literature in core curricula across Canadian universities.
Honors and Awards
National Recognition
Duquette was the recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Scholarly Excellence in 1978, an honor awarded for significant contributions to Canadian intellectual life. In 1985, he was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, acknowledging his distinguished research and service to the academic community.
International Accolades
In 1992, the International Association for Comparative Literature awarded Duquette the Prize for Distinguished Scholarship, recognizing his comparative studies of colonial and postcolonial literature. He was also conferred an honorary doctorate by the University of Edinburgh in 1995 for his work bridging Canadian and British literary traditions.
Personal Life
Family
Charles Duquette married Marie‑Claire Tremblay in 1950. The couple had two children, André (born 1952) and Claire (born 1954). André followed in his father’s footsteps, pursuing a career in literary criticism, while Claire became a translator of French literature into English.
Hobbies and Interests
Beyond academia, Duquette was an avid gardener and a keen supporter of community theatre. He regularly attended productions at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal, where he also served as a patron and mentor to emerging playwrights. His personal library, housed in his Montreal apartment, contained rare editions of Canadian literature, with a special collection of 19th‑century Quebecois manuscripts.
Death and Legacy
Passing
Charles Duquette died peacefully on September 8, 1998, at the age of seventy-five. He had been suffering from a chronic respiratory illness that had been diagnosed several years prior. His funeral service was held at the Université de Montréal, where colleagues and students gathered to honor his memory.
Impact on Canadian Studies
Duquette’s scholarship laid the foundation for contemporary studies in Quebecois literature and Canadian cultural identity. His interdisciplinary approach encouraged collaboration across fields, a practice now standard in many Canadian research institutions. His editorial work helped bring emerging voices to a broader audience, and the Centre for Quebec Studies remains a leading institution for research on Quebec culture.
Posthumous Recognition
In 2003, the Université de Montréal inaugurated the Charles Duquette Chair in Canadian Literature, a position awarded annually to a scholar whose work exemplifies the breadth and depth of Duquette’s intellectual legacy. In 2010, a public park in Saint‑Marcel was renamed Duquette Park, featuring a bronze plaque commemorating his contributions to Canadian culture.
Bibliography
Duquette, Charles. Colonial Echoes: Narrative Structures in 19th‑Century Quebec Literature. Montreal: Press Université, 1958.
Duquette, Charles. Voices of the North: Postcolonial Perspectives in Canadian Poetry. Toronto: Canadian Writers Press, 1964.
Duquette, Charles. Identity and Language: A Critical Study of Quebecois Fiction. Ottawa: Canadian Historical Society, 1972.
Duquette, Charles. The Cultural Landscape of Quebec: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Montreal: Press Université, 1981.
Duquette, Charles, ed. New Horizons: Contemporary Canadian Literature. Vancouver: North American Books, 1990.
International Association for Comparative Literature. Prize for Distinguished Scholarship, 1992.
Royal Society of Canada. Fellows Directory, 1985.
Governor General’s Awards. Award List, 1978.
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