Street of Riches by Gabrielle Roy
"Street of Riches" is a semiautobiographical collection of eighteen stories by Gabrielle Roy, centered around the childhood experiences of the protagonist, Christine. Set against the backdrop of Deschambault Street in Saint-Boniface, Roy's birthplace, the narratives explore themes of growth, identity, and the bittersweet nature of childhood. Through a first-person perspective, the work delves into Christine's journey of self-discovery, marked by her interactions with family and significant figures in her life. The stories vividly portray her transformation from a sensitive little girl, often referred to as "Little Miss Misery," to a young woman torn between her aspirations and responsibilities, including her decision to pursue a teaching career.
Roy masterfully captures the innocence and curiosity of childhood, juxtaposed with the realities of economic hardship, emphasizing the richness of imagination and familial bonds that endure despite difficulties. Key narratives, such as "Petite Misère" and "Les Bijoux," highlight Christine's evolving identity and her quest for authenticity as she navigates the complexities of adolescence. Ultimately, "Street of Riches" serves as a poignant exploration of the formative years that shape one's values and sensibilities, laying the groundwork for further exploration in Roy's subsequent work, "The Road Past Altamont."
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Street of Riches by Gabrielle Roy
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published:Rue Deschambault, 1955 (English translation, 1957)
Type of work: Short stories
The Work
Street of Riches is a semiautobiographical work, evoking childhood memories and experiences through a veil of fiction. The original title, which refers to Deschambault Street in Saint-Boniface, Roy’s birthplace, serves to anchor the eighteen stories forming the work in a psychological topography traveled from early childhood to adolescence by the main character, Christine, whose narrative focus is continued in The Road Past Altamont.
For Roy, childhood is undeniably a magical time, filled with curiosity, discovery, hope, and nurturing. It is also the period to which adults return, following the cycle of life, which Christine herself comes to experience. It represents potential, growth, and learning, all of which define in later years the sensibilities and values of Roy’s adult protagonist. The use of the first-person narrative reinforces the quest for truth and knowledge. “Know thyself”: This is indeed what the young Christine attempts through interactions with her own inner being, with family members, as well as other individuals who loom large in her life.
In such pieces as “Petite Misère” (“Little Miss Misery”), “Mon Chapeau rose” (“My Pink Hat”), “Ma Coqueluche” (“My Whooping Cough”), and “Il s’en va gagner notre vie” (“To Earn My Living”) Christine poignantly retraces her personal development from the extremely sensitive little girl, who, nicknamed “Little Miss Misery” by her father, flees to the attic to escape this brutal name, to the young woman, heedful of the call to write, but who begins a teaching career to support herself and her mother. The wide-eyed curiosity that characterizes Christine’s perception is a constant in this work. Roy captures admirably well and with a realism that astounds the reader the reactions, words, and inner thoughts of this delightful character.
“Les Bijoux” (“The Jewels”) reinforces the search for identity associated with the evolution of the young girl to the mature woman. Aged fifteen in this story, Christine succumbs to the dazzling attraction of costume jewelry and other “adult” accoutrements (as Florentine does in The Tin Flute) before realizing the artificial nature of such decorations. Shedding this role, Christine contemplates leaving for Africa to nurse the lepers. Her values and personality are in metamorphosis, her identity not yet formed, but through her evolution Christine is unwavering in her apprenticeship of life, a process that affects her in permanent ways to be communicated in The Road Past Altamont. Despite the economic hardships evoked in Street of Riches, Christine and her family do enjoy, indeed, the richness of imagination, the closeness of family life, and a present that will be forever active in the creative process of the mature Christine, the writer.
Bibliography
Grosskurth, Phyllis. Gabrielle Roy. Toronto: Forum House, 1972.
Hesse, Marta Gudrun. Gabrielle Roy. Boston: Twayne, 1984.
Lewis, Paula Gilbert. The Literary Vision of Gabrielle Roy: An Analysis of Her Works. Birmingham, Ala.: Summa, 1984.
Mitcham, Allison. The Literary Achievement of Gabrielle Roy. Fredericton, N.B.: York Press, 1983.
Reisman Babby, Ellen. The Play of Language and Spectacle: A Structural Reading of Selected Texts by Gabrielle Roy. Toronto: ECW Press, 1985.
Ricard, François. Gabrielle Roy: A Life. Translated by Patricia Claxton. Toronto: M and S, 1999.
Vanasse, André. Gabrielle Roy: A Passion for Writing. Translated by Darcy Dunton. Montreal: XYZ, 2007.