Our current world has been extremely shaped by colonization, but the rapid spread of its influence has neglected to take into account the diverse and significant features of each country. In Surfacing by Margaret Atwood, Atwood explores the effects of colonization on the cultural and social environment of Quebec. With the expansion of the English language, the French subculture was slowly pushed out and forced to integrate into an English-speaking culture. With the integration of culture comes the loss of the history and traditions that define a people. Atwood does an immense job of showing the obsession that is beginning to possess society to remember and experience these traditions. Surfacing describes the ramifications that occur when people enter and invade an area, how animosity and feelings of hatred can develop. Margaret Atwood wrote this novel at a time when cultural differences between Quebec and the rest of Canada were manifested in growing nationalist sentiment in Quebec. Margaret Atwood's novel Surfacing demonstrates how colonization affected Quebec in the 1970s through the integration of different cultures and the loss of identity, the exhaustion of history and traditions, and the strain placed on relationships within the community. A colonized nation is so driven by progress and growth that history, heritage and traditions are often left behind. This is evident when the unnamed protagonist of Surfacing feels a growing urgency to find the two cave drawings and thus find out what his father was doing. The search for his father's past and the drawings illustrates society's need and curiosity to discover the history and traditions of the past, as well as to retrace the paths of their ancestors. Surfacing presents an excellent representation...... middle of paper ...... the connections are all effects of colonialism and are demonstrated in Surfacing by Margaret Atwood. The invading culture begins to take over and overwhelm the current civilization, ensuring that past traditions are overtaken and replaced by new ones. Due to this prevailing consciousness, many colonized nations begin to feel resentment towards their "big brother" counterpart. Writing about this in her book, Atwood conveys this message by describing her perspective through the eyes of the unnamed protagonist. Colonization is a topic that has been deeply established in Surfacing through the loss of identity, history and traditions, as well as the evolution of current relationships.BibliographyAtwood, Margaret. Surface. Toronto, Canada: McClelland and Stewart, 1972. Print. Howells, Anne Coral. Marguerite Atwood. Canada: Canadian Editions, 1985. Printed.