Although Gabrielle Roy refused to become actively involved, her work nevertheless succeeded in arousing indirect awareness.
I had the chance to read Second-hand happiness as part of my French lessons in high school, which allowed me to discover the harsh reality of large families oppressed by the clergy, exploitation and unemployment. This story has many parallels with that experienced by my mother, who was born seventh in a family of twelve children. It is a life of misery from which the majority of francophones in Quebec have fortunately succeeded in freeing themselves. My 78-year-old mother can still testify to that time.
I feel close to this reality barely a generation later and I believe that the stigma of poverty still hangs over our society, our personalities and our aspirations. This is why it is important to hope that the work of Gabrielle Roy continues to be studied at school.
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