I learned about the idea of metanarratives several years ago while taking a course on Canadian literature. A metanarrative is an account of events told in a way that justifies the actions, attitudes, and words of the person who has created that metanarrative. In essence, a metanarrative is a self-justifying story. Colonial metanarratives are narratives created by the colonizer to justify colonialism. For instance, Canadian records of Indigenous peoples’ interactions with settlers have largely been told from the perspective of the settlers and their descendants. One especially egregious example is Wacousta, which was published in 1832. Wacousta is a depiction of colonial Canada rife with dehumanizing depictions of Indigenous people who are compared to ghosts and other beings of the night as they attack invading British settlers.
For members of the majority to write about people living on the margins of society can potentially be a problematic scenario. Even an otherwise well-meaning author of the majority demographic may unconsciously reinforce harmful stereotypes of marginalized peoples. I think it is important to encourage people living on the margins to tell their own stories and to challenge metanarratives imposed upon them by the colonizers. To rectify history, aspiring Indigenous authors must be given the tools needed to “spread their own voice” as much as possible.
Looking at this more broadly, one may be thinking “does this mean that people can only write about other people of their own demographic?” I think the answer is “no”, but with some caveats. If the culture in question already has a “loud voice”, for example, Italy or Japan, then it is more permissible to write about them (within reason). However, despite having studied Indigenous history and culture as a university student, I would not presume that I should be telling the stories of the Inuit to the rest of Canadian society – not without at least consulting with – and including – members of that community in the process. But if you are a member of a demographic with power, and you are trying to write about the experiences of people from a smaller, less powerful society such as Bhutan to which you do not belong, then you may need to consider whether it might be better to take a step back and let them be the authors of the stories about themselves.
Nicholas Wolf is currently writing a fantasy novel set in an ancient world (with features of East and West) where the people revere deities of birth and death resembling the dinosaurs from our own world’s distant past. The humans there command the power of the mysterious Hadatán, beings in the form of ancient life who are the mosaic-bound personifications of all reality.
Nicholas is profoundly deaf and has worn a cochlear implant since he was very young. He is an alumnus of the University of Toronto where he studied English literature and Chinese philosophy. Most recently, he completed a Publishing Certificate.
The views and opinions expressed in blog posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of all WiT members.
Writers In Trees 