A Biography of Cairine Wilson

(Atwood is obviously one of Palmer's be where the author finds what she has FIRST PERSON: A Biography favoured feminist writers.) An English- already decided she is looking for; in this of Cairine Wilson, Canada's Canadian novel which does not fare as instance, at least, Palmer has not used the well in Palmer's estimation is Joan less mainstream literatures of, say, Can- First Woman Senator Barfoot's Gaining Ground (1980), first ada or the United States to illustrate that published by RyersodMcGraw-Hill in radical-feministmotifs doexist. I'm think- Valerie Knowles. Dundurn Press, 1978 as Abra. Although Palmer uses ing of, for the moment, the lesbian fiction Toronto, 1988 deconstruction theorists sparingly, she published by Women's Press in Toronto does refer to Luce Irigaray to explicate in the last decade, though other examples Franca Zacovetta this particular venue, though the reader do exist both in Canada and the United can sense her disapproval of its premises. States. Palmer is interested in punishment and But we cannot go too far with the re- When five Alberta feminists won the reward, and the authors most often re- viewer's celebrated bugaboo, the sin of celebrated "person's case" in 1929 per- warded exhibit radical feminist prejudices omission, because we all omit, we must mitting the appointment of women to the or intuitions, or, more importantly, treat omit in order to include, and there is no Senate, few could have predicted that one hitherto closeted feminist themes in fic- doubt that Palmer has included much, year later prime minister Mackenzie King tion - themes such as bisexuality, les- perhaps too much. But we need to be would choose Cairine McKay Wilson as bian motherhood or, especially, ideas vigilant about conclusions made on the the first female senator. A shy mother of about collective feminist action. basis of included primary texts because eight and a devoted Liberal, Wilson came The important question to ask here is: they speak to us about the interest vested from a wealthy Scots-Canadian family can literary criticism adequately service in the project by the author, and literary with strong Liberal party connections. the feminist activist whose intellectual or decisions made accordingly. My own Among the family's friends were Wilfrid reading quest is to find corroboration and vested interest is that I want literature to Laurier, a frequent visitor to the McKay affiiation for political ideas? My own guide us in establishing our critical appa- home in Cairine's youth. In 1930 Wilson sense is that although there is some over- ratus on the basis of literature, and I want was no match for such high-profile femi- lap, women's literature is still just the women's movement to guide us into nists as Emily Murphy, who led the applying guidelines and acting on them, women's literature, and feminist politics person's case and whom many expected is just feminist politics. Each has its own and not necessarily with only one feminist to get the Senate nod. But Wilson proved rubric and its own reason for being, and voice. therefore can have only a limited influ- I am more persuaded, therefore, by a to bean able reformer in her own right; her ence on the other -a thematic and objec- literary study (whose .author I may not long career as a senator is a testimony to tive use. In Palmer's book there is the agree with on the true nature of feminism) her dogged determination to help create a danger that a text is only as good as the which explores genres - something al- more humane world. feminist position it exhibits, or at least ready essentially literary - in light of Until recently, little was known about only gets included in the survey if it has women writers or feminist political ideas, Wilson, and scholars dismissed her ap- the theme at all. I don't find this kind of such as the new feminist interpretation of pointment as an example of party pa- criticism very satisfying, although I can utopian narratives, Nan Bowman tronage. Certainly, there was truth in this. understand why one would. Albinski's Women's Utopias in British Wilson had not actively participated in What is less satisfying is how judg- and American Fiction (London and New the suffrage campaign, and she was in- ments are made about groups of literature. York, Routledge, 1988). Albinski identi- deed King's friend. However, the neglect For example, Palmer claims to use Cana- fies aends in American and British uto- of Wilson also reflects the preoccupation dian feminist literature in her survey, but pian visions (and "nightmares"), which of a generation of women's historians does not qualify that it is English-Cana- include the nineteenth-century proclivity with detailing the rise of feminism in late dian, nor does she seem aware of the for community. Albinski on the post- 1960s nineteenth- and early twentieth-century militant literature in Quebec - French, feminist "dystopies" is highly theoretical Canada and its culmination (at least in English or translated. This allows her to and comparative, but, interestingly, Al- English Canada) in the suffrage victory. valorize Margaret Atwood - and there binski confesses in her Introduction that For years the conventional wisdom had it are many good reasons to do so - be- she has exempted one "small, but impor- that once the vote was won feminism went cause she says she bridges the two oppos- tant, group of works" -"lesbian separa- into decline. Such arguments were based ing traditions (as above) in feminist writ- tist utopias." This she says as smoothly as in part on the disillusionment of first- ing, but this she says without having read Palmer says that she did not cover the wave feminists over women's failure to Gail Scott. Moreover, Palrner is hard on literature of pregnancy and childbirth accomplish more in the electoral arena. authors who treat "Images of femininity (neither word appears in an otherwise Efforts to correct this view have charted and the dominance of the male gaze," complete Index of Themes), although such as Fay Weldon (in The Ljfe and theactivism of radical women in the 1920s issues of class and race are revealed in and Loves of a She Devil, 1983), and Doris both the primary texts and interpretive 1930s, but this created the equally Lessing (in The Summer Before the Dark, models of both authors. Is this feminist erroneous impression that the only form 1973). She finds Weldon's solutions too poetic justice? Or do we need the astute of feminism to emerge "after the vote" "personal," and that Lessing and Weldon interpretive model of Albinski as much as was of a left-wing variety. What both are devoid of erotic female relations or we need the acute mimetic or representa- perspectives ignored were the strong motifs of woman-identification. This may tional of Palmer? continuities between the maternal femi- CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIES/LES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME nists of an earlier era and the middle-class job largely for her work among Liberal rope. Afterthe war, shecontinuedtolobby women who engaged in "good causes" women and youths, and especially for her on behalf of refugees and displaced per- from the 1920s until the 1960s. One role during the mid-1920s in initiating the sons, and she joined the rising chorus of woman who provides a link between the National Federation of Liberal Women, a voices favouring an opendoor immigra- two waves -if indeed it is still appropri- nation-wide organization designed to tion policy. Knowles devotes two chap- ate to talk about it in this way-is Wilson, increase female participation in the party ters to Wilson's refugee work. These are whose own career spanned the lengthy and encourage women to run for electoral the book's highlights; here we see how period of 1921-1961. office. Readers will particularly enjoy Wilson operated, how she viewed the Valerie Knowles' biography of Cairine Knowles' depiction of the events sur- world, and how she was perceived by Wilson is a welcome addition to the litera- rounding Wilson's appointment - her others. ture on prominent women. Written in a surprise at being picked, the debate over That Knowles does not engage in his- popular styleby adescendantof Wilson's, the proper dress-code for a female sena- torical debate is understandable. Less so the book is delightful. Although Knowles tor, and Wilson's tribute to her feminist is her failure to provide a conclusion that fails to place Wilson's career into any predecessors. But they will wonder why weaves together the various strains of larger context concerning the history of Knowles did not explore other factors, Wilson's life. While Knowles exposes Canadian feminism -indeed, few schol- such as King's friendship with Wiison Wilson's personal faults, she fails to arly works, including my lengthy article and his distrust of Murphy, who was not consider the limitations of Wilson's per- on Wilson, are consulted -she offers us only more fiesty, but also a Tory. spective. There is no discussion, for ex- an engaging "insider's" view of Wilson. Less satisfying is Knowles' attempt to ample, of Wilson's "paternalism" towards Apart from mining theusual sources, such explain Wilson's "conversion" to femi- working-classand poor women. Wilson's as newspapers, Knowles consulted pri- nism. As Knowles observes, it is not dif- friendship with Liberal cabinet ministers vate letters and other restricted materials ficult to discover the origins of Wilson's also begs the question: why was she not not available to other researchers. She liberalism and reformism - her family.

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