Moderne Francos

Grace Metalious was an American writer and author best known for her novel Peyton Place, a book controversial for her time but one of the best-selling works in publishing history. Her writing sprung her into the spotlight overnight, giving Grace the sought-after status of being a serious writer.

However, along with fame and fortune came destruction as the people around Grace took advantage of her finances. Of these situations, the ones that did the most damage included her publishing agent embezzling her money, Grace herself spending lavishly on so-called “friends,” and a lover who insisted that she spend more money than she should, causing her to lose most of her hard-earned fortune in the process.

Despite this, the novel became worth so much more and still stands the test of time, something that even Grace believed would never happen. This is the story of Grace Metalious, a woman turned housewife turned wealthy author, and how her legacy stands today.

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The legendary tale of Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie, published in 1847, told the tragedy of the Expulsion of the Acadians through the brokenhearted Evangeline separated from her fiancé, Gabriel. Written as a poem, the story tells of her perseverance to reunite with Gabriel against all odds. She searches for him as far as she can go, picking up clues to his whereabouts along the way.

Even with another man asking her to marry him instead of the missing Gabriel, Evangeline remains faithful to her fiancé. The tale of Evangeline reignited a sense of pride in Acadians, where she is forever a symbol of their undying spirit.

La Sagouine started as a radio show about an older Acadian woman recounting her life and talking about the history and tragedy of Acadie. The unnamed character came to life when the show became a play, bringing in the representation of an older woman to the stage and becoming an icon of Acadie.

Compared to female characters in Western literature of the 19th century, Evangeline was portrayed much more positively. Meanwhile, La Sagouine has been a hit as a one-woman show for decades. This lively character has brought the often forgotten stories of older women front and center of the Acadian story.

We’ll uncover these well-rounded characters in both of these stories where Acadians have found inspiration, symbolism, and folklore. Not only to confide together about their history but to celebrate their strong sense of pride and community.

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During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Industrial Revolution in New England opened the doors for women entering the workplace. Although, hiring these young women was done out of exploitation in the incredibly rough work environments of the mills.

Even so, French-Canadian immigrant women and their Franco-American daughters had never experienced the sense of liberation brought to them by working for their own income. To the women who had experienced rural life in Québec, the mill towns and cities of New England were booming with opportunities in comparison.

But these women, whether single or married, were often discouraged from becoming working women. The expectation of strictly staying at home was put on them by the teachings of the Catholic faith and male leaders in the French-Canadian and Franco-American community.

However, the many young and single “Mill Girls” had their own ideas of defining their womanhood through postponing marriage to gain what economic independence they could at that time. Whereas some married women wanted to bring in extra income when their husbands’ earnings weren’t enough to provide for their families.

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