The Deconstruction of Oppressive Structures: Three Non-Conforming Female Figures in Canadian Drama

Abstract

Sometimes, resistance to oppressive structures takes on forms initially unexpected. Through close readings of George Ryga's The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, Judith Thompson's The Lion in the Street, and David French's Salt-Water Moon, this paper considers four female figures in Canadian drama who oppose their circumstances leveraging the—sometimes minimal—power available to them.