<i>Une femme muette</i> et <i>La Reine Soleil Levée</i> de Gérard Étienne : la résilience de la femme noire

Gérard Étienne (1936-2008), a pivotal figure in Haitian Canadian literature during the latter half of the twentieth century, has received relatively limited critical attention in the early years of the new century. As a journalist, poet, and novelist, Étienne’s work persistently stages a revolt against various forms of oppression – political, social, and familial. This paper focuses on two of Étienne’s novels: Une femme muette (1983) and La Reine soleil levée (1987). While the two protagonists – Marie-Anne and Mathilda – appear to stand in stark contrast to one another in terms of geographic setting, social class, temperament, and modes of resistance, a closer reading reveals significant parallels. This study aims to explore how these women, through resilience and resistance, disrupt a seemingly predetermined fate and forge paths toward self-determination.