Montreal%20--%20in%20Historical%20and%20Administrative%20Perspectives

1
Montreal -- in Historical and Administrative
Perspectives

• The Battle of Quebec 1756-1763

2
Historical Perspectives

• Two solitudes and St. Laurence Blvd.
• the Quebec separatist movement
• Cultural Activities
• The Canvas of Time

3

Montreals City map and cityscapes

Three major buildings Churches, skyscrapers and
triplexes or duplexes with steep stairways.
4
Two solitudes and St. Laurence Blvd.

• Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan 1945 (e.g. Views
  from the Typewriter)
• The French live in the east, the English, in the
  west, and the Portuguese, Italians, Greeks,
  Chinese, and Blacks in between.
• (ref. Between the Solitudes3,4)
• Catholic church major influence in politics
  until Quiet Revolution in 1960s.

5
the Quebec separatist movement

• ?????????????????,?????????????????
• 1969 --Two official languages

• ???????????????????(Quiet Revolution),???????????
  ,???????????
• ??????????????????,???????????(vivre le Quebec
  libre),??????????????
• ???????????,??????????????????
• ?????????????(October Crisis),?????????(FLQ)??
  ???????,?????????(Trudeau)??
  ????,??????????????

e.g. Black Sheep Denys Arcand 7)
6
Two referendums

• ??????????????????,??????????,
  ????????????,????????????(referendum),????????????
  ???? Themes of loss of passion and
  masculinity.
• ???? (e.g. Referendum/Take 2 8)

7
Montreal Distinct Cultures

• Outgoing and friendly summer of
  festivals(fêtes), outdoor café.
• Montreal is a city that loves the summertime,
  yet also makes the most of winter. It is a city
  whose people enjoy participating in community
  events, are not afraid to try something new, and
  have a deep attachment to their Quebecois
  cultural heritage (Sobol 85)
• Really open?

8
Montreal Distinct Cultures

• film and theatre tradition
• long theatrical tradition and experimentation
  (at least 10 major theatres now) e.g. cirque du
  soleil, Robert Lepage 9 - 11
• documentary (direct cinema or cinéma verité) or
  docudrama.
• Eat, party and talk a lot. le gang

9
The Canvas of Time

• from Montreal vu par (1991), made for the 350
  anniversary of Montreal.
• 1832, Jacque Viger the first mayor.
• The years covered in the film
• 1850, 1880, 1912, 1940, 1967, 1992
• Why are these moments significant to Montreal?
  Why is Viger important? What does he symbolize?
  How is Viger looked at in different periods?

10
The Canvas of Time Viger

• Vigers contribution
• Respect Truth Nothing is more important than
  truth.
• sanitation, census, history
• called the first mayor, a nun with mustache,
  taken for ones lover, father to be thrown out,
  geezer

11
The Canvas of Time Setting

• Pay attention to usage of the stage, and, as its
  backdrop, the painting, documentaries, historic
  photos, fire, firework as well as real humans.
  What do they mean?
• Painting A cherished portrait, can come alive,
  watch the census-taker, paint the sister, being
  thrown out, the painters canvas (while Viger
  appears as an actor in the studio.)

12
The Canvas of Time Themes

• What are the implications of "Nothing is more
  beautiful than truth"?
• What is turned to nothingness?
• -- administrators efforts in keeping the order
• -- history.

13
Administrative perspective "The Street That Got
Mislaid"

• 1.How does Marc look at his filing job at City
  Hall? Why is he so proud of it while others may
  look at him as a "lowly clerk"?
• 2.Why is the misplaced file a "dynamite" for Marc
  (pp. 66-67)? And later on when he visit the
  Green Bottle street, why is it considered by him
  a "grenade" (p. 69)?
• 3.What are the symbolic meanings of the Green
  Bottle street?

14
Administrative perspective "The Street That Got
Mislaid"

• Is it possible for the story to happen in real
  life? (What makes up a self-sufficient
  community?)
• Is it possible for a missing person to remain
  incognito for all of his/her life?
• identity checks customs/immigration office, tax
  bureau, credit card, bank account, postal
  service, drivers license, ID cards, social
  security/insurance card, electricity, water and
  medical services, etc.