Roughing it in the Bush: Or, Life in Canada, Volume 1

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Nov 3, 2011 - Biography & Autobiography - 304 pages
First published in 1852, and in its third edition by 1854, this description of pioneer immigrant life in Canada by Susanna Moodie (1803-85) is unsentimental and frank. In contrast to similar works, which often seem to be advertisements aimed at potential immigrants, Moodie's book emphasises not only the triumphs but also the tribulations as she and her family begin their new lives. Initially criticised in Canada for painting an unflattering picture of the country, it was later recognised as a key work of early Canadian literature, and has influenced writers up to the present day. In Volume 2 the family continue their efforts as farmers, moving to a second property in the hope of better prospects. However, neither husband (a former soldier) nor wife were well equipped for their lives as pioneer immigrants, and they finally leave for the town of Bellville when Dunbar Moodie obtains a government post.
 

Contents

1_Page_005
1
1_Page_006
2
1_Page_007
3
1_Page_008
4
1_Page_009
5
1_Page_010
6
1_Page_011
7
1_Page_012
8
1_Page_154
150
1_Page_155
151
1_Page_156
152
1_Page_157
153
1_Page_158
154
1_Page_159
155
1_Page_160
156
1_Page_161
157

1_Page_013
9
1_Page_014
10
1_Page_015
11
1_Page_016
12
1_Page_017
13
1_Page_018
14
1_Page_019
15
1_Page_020
16
1_Page_021
17
1_Page_022
18
1_Page_023
19
1_Page_024
20
1_Page_025
21
1_Page_026
22
1_Page_027
23
1_Page_028
24
1_Page_029
25
1_Page_030
26
1_Page_031
27
1_Page_032
28
1_Page_033
29
1_Page_034
30
1_Page_035
31
1_Page_036
32
1_Page_037
33
1_Page_038
34
1_Page_039
35
1_Page_040
36
1_Page_041
37
1_Page_042
38
1_Page_043
39
1_Page_044
40
1_Page_045
41
1_Page_046
42
1_Page_047
43
1_Page_048
44
1_Page_049
45
1_Page_050
46
1_Page_051
47
1_Page_052
48
1_Page_053
49
1_Page_054
50
1_Page_055
51
1_Page_056
52
1_Page_057
53
1_Page_058
54
1_Page_059
55
1_Page_060
56
1_Page_061
57
1_Page_062
58
1_Page_063
59
1_Page_064
60
1_Page_065
61
1_Page_066
62
1_Page_067
63
1_Page_068
64
1_Page_069
65
1_Page_070
66
1_Page_071
67
1_Page_072
68
1_Page_073
69
1_Page_074
70
1_Page_075
71
1_Page_076
72
1_Page_077
73
1_Page_078
74
1_Page_079
75
1_Page_080
76
1_Page_081
77
1_Page_082
78
1_Page_083
79
1_Page_084
80
1_Page_085
81
1_Page_086
82
1_Page_087
83
1_Page_088
84
1_Page_089
85
1_Page_090
86
1_Page_091
87
1_Page_092
88
1_Page_093
89
1_Page_094
90
1_Page_095
91
1_Page_096
92
1_Page_097
93
1_Page_098
94
1_Page_099
95
1_Page_100
96
1_Page_101
97
1_Page_102
98
1_Page_103
99
1_Page_104
100
1_Page_105
101
1_Page_106
102
1_Page_107
103
1_Page_108
104
1_Page_109
105
1_Page_110
106
1_Page_111
107
1_Page_112
108
1_Page_113
109
1_Page_114
110
1_Page_115
111
1_Page_116
112
1_Page_117
113
1_Page_118
114
1_Page_119
115
1_Page_120
116
1_Page_121
117
1_Page_122
118
1_Page_123
119
1_Page_124
120
1_Page_125
121
1_Page_126
122
1_Page_127
123
1_Page_128
124
1_Page_129
125
1_Page_130
126
1_Page_131
127
1_Page_132
128
1_Page_133
129
1_Page_134
130
1_Page_135
131
1_Page_136
132
1_Page_137
133
1_Page_138
134
1_Page_139
135
1_Page_140
136
1_Page_141
137
1_Page_142
138
1_Page_143
139
1_Page_144
140
1_Page_145
141
1_Page_146
142
1_Page_147
143
1_Page_148
144
1_Page_149
145
1_Page_150
146
1_Page_151
147
1_Page_152
148
1_Page_153
149
1_Page_162
158
1_Page_163
159
1_Page_164
160
1_Page_165
161
1_Page_166
162
1_Page_167
163
1_Page_168
164
1_Page_169
165
1_Page_170
166
1_Page_171
167
1_Page_172
168
1_Page_173
169
1_Page_174
170
1_Page_175
171
1_Page_176
172
1_Page_177
173
1_Page_178
174
1_Page_179
175
1_Page_180
176
1_Page_181
177
1_Page_182
178
1_Page_183
179
1_Page_184
180
1_Page_185
181
1_Page_186
182
1_Page_187
183
1_Page_188
184
1_Page_189
185
1_Page_190
186
1_Page_191
187
1_Page_192
188
1_Page_193
189
1_Page_194
190
1_Page_195
191
1_Page_196
192
1_Page_197
193
1_Page_198
194
1_Page_199
195
1_Page_200
196
1_Page_201
197
1_Page_202
198
1_Page_203
199
1_Page_204
200
1_Page_205
201
1_Page_206
202
1_Page_207
203
1_Page_208
204
1_Page_209
205
1_Page_210
206
1_Page_211
207
1_Page_212
208
1_Page_213
209
1_Page_214
210
1_Page_215
211
1_Page_216
212
1_Page_217
213
1_Page_218
214
1_Page_219
215
1_Page_220
216
1_Page_221
217
1_Page_222
218
1_Page_223
219
1_Page_224
220
1_Page_225
221
1_Page_226
222
1_Page_227
223
1_Page_228
224
1_Page_229
225
1_Page_230
226
1_Page_231
227
1_Page_232
228
1_Page_233
229
1_Page_234
230
1_Page_235
231
1_Page_236
232
1_Page_237
233
1_Page_238
234
1_Page_239
235
1_Page_240
236
1_Page_241
237
1_Page_242
238
1_Page_243
239
1_Page_244
240
1_Page_245
241
1_Page_246
242
1_Page_247
243
1_Page_248
244
1_Page_249
245
1_Page_250
246
1_Page_251
247
1_Page_252
248
1_Page_253
249
1_Page_254
250
1_Page_255
251
1_Page_256
252
1_Page_257
253
1_Page_258
254
1_Page_259
255
1_Page_260
256
1_Page_261
257
1_Page_262
258
1_Page_263
259
1_Page_264
260
1_Page_265
261
1_Page_266
262
1_Page_267
263
1_Page_268
264
1_Page_269
265
1_Page_270
266
1_Page_271
267
1_Page_272
268
1_Page_273
269
1_Page_274
270
1_Page_275
271
1_Page_276
272
1_Page_277
273
1_Page_278
274
1_Page_279
275
1_Page_280
276
1_Page_281
277
1_Page_282
278
1_Page_283
279
1_Page_284
280
1_Page_285
281
1_Page_286
282
1_Page_287
283
1_Page_288
284
1_Page_289
285
1_Page_290
286
1_Page_291
287
1_Page_292
288
1_Page_293
289
1_Page_294
290
1_Page_295
291
1_Page_296
292
1_Page_297
293
1_Page_298
294
1_Page_299
295
1_Page_300
296
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

About the author (2011)

Susanna Moodie, born in Suffolk, England, was the youngest of five daughters, four of whom became writers of fiction and poetry. (Moodie's elder sister, Catharine Parr Traill, a lesser-known British colonial author, wrote The Backwoods of Canada). Before immigrating to Canada, in 1832, Moodie penned numerous poems and stories, all heavily didactic and decidedly second-rate. However, once she had settled in Upper Canada (now Ontario) with her husband, John Dunbar Moodie, the harsh life of the settler provoked a more realistic literary response. Her autobiographical Roughing It in the Bush, published in 1852, is a series of sketches stitched into a larger narrative. It is a book expressing the hopes and defeat, the pride and the anger the early settlers felt toward their new home, the Canadian bush. A sequel, Life in the Clearings versus the Bush, appeared in 1853. Throughout her life Susanna Moodie's literary output continued to be prolific. Yet it is the frank and colorful quality of Roughing It that has placed her in the forefront of early Canadian writers.