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CANADIAN LANDSCAPES/ PAYSAGES CANADIENS paysages intérieurs. Dans la série Manawaka de Margaret Laurence, la vaste étendue des Prairies canadiennes sert de paysage littéraire transformateur dans leguel Laurence tisse ensemble les histoires des colons et des Métis, représentant à la fois les communautés dominantes et marginalisées. Laurence remet en question le mythe dominant des pionniers, celui de la conquête d’une terre vierge, en mettant l'accent sur le rôle du paysage en tant que catalyseur de la transformation deses protagonistes. En entremêlant le passé mythologique de la région aux voyages des protagonistes vers la découverte de soi, l'indépendance et la dignité, Laurence transmet l’idée d’une réconciliation à la fois personnelle et nationale. Cet article se concentre sur le premier et le dernier roman de Manawaka, The Stone Angel (1964) et The Diviners (1974), afin de montrer comment Laurence utilise divers paysages, qu’ils soient prairiaux, mythologiques, ancestraux ou imaginaires, comme de puissants instruments aidant les protagonistes — et métaphoriquement le Canada lui-même - dans le processus de transformation et de libération. Ces paysages symbolisent également la réconciliation avec la nature, l’histoire coloniale et l'héritage autochtone. Mots-clés: identité, paysage, Manawaka, Margaret Laurence, fiction des prairies, reconciliation, transformation INTRODUCTION Margaret Laurence (1926-1987) stands out as one of the most significant Canadian writers and activists of the 20" century, considered by many “a founding mother of Canadian literature,” who has given voice to the Prairies (Gunnars viii). In the vast expanse of the Canadian Prairies, where winds whisper untold stories across grass fields and rolling hills, Laurence crafted a literary landscape centred around the fictional prairie town of Manawaka. Nora Foster Stovel (1999) interprets Manawaka, inspired by Laurence’s hometown, Neepawa in Manitoba, as “a moralized landscape” (195) where geography mirrors the social and moral ideals of its residents. In this setting, Laurence weaves both Pioneer and Métis mythology into her protagonists’ journeys, offering a unique lens through which to view their quests for emancipation, independence, and dignity. More significantly, Laurence’s Manawaka serves as a powerful medium for narrating not only the stories of individual characters but also the tale of Canada itself — its landscape, history, and society -, conveying the idea of reconciliation in both personal and national contexts. The Manawaka series, comprising five interconnected books — The Stone Angel (1964), A Jest of God (1966), The Fire-Dwellers (1969), A Bird in the House (1970), and The Diviners (1974) — reflects Laurence’s creative artistry as well as her engagement with themes of decolonization, ancestral heritage, and human freedom. While earlier scholarship focused on Laurence’s role in s 54 e
