Unlike the CBC website, the article, “ Acadian Identity: The Creation and Re-Creation of Community by Naomi E.S. Griffiths, was full of resources and gave a more in-depth time line of the Acadians. The main objective of the article is to educate the reader on the sense of community within the Acadians and how communities formed and changed based on what was happening around them. However, much like the CBC website, the flow of the article, at least in my opinion, is unclear and at times, difficult to understand.
From the beginning of the article the reader is introduced to the authors history and reason for writing the article. The reader learns that the author has invested 35 years into Acadian History in an effort to better understand how “communities form and develop over centuries.”[3] The fact that the author has invested so much time and effort into Acadian history builds trust with the reader that what they are reading holds truth. This paired with the many primary and secondary sources allows the reader to investigate what they are reading if they so wish.
Throughout the article the author effectively shows examples of how the Acadians formed their communities. At one point the author talks about how the Acadians were exiled, 1713-1755, and although this sounds negative, it was a positive experience and often referred to as the “Golden Age”.[4] The reason it was so positive was the fact that all the people within the Acadian community were able to stay living together in the same area and as a result they put down roots as families vs the constant wondering and splitting of families which was common during that time.[5] This is very important as it build the very foundation of community within the Acadians.
Another great example of community is set throughout the article as the author speaks about the different challenges the Acadians faced. In 1755 they were forced the leave their homes.[6] Even though they were scattered and no longer able to live as they once had, they still had a great sense of where they came from and who they were. They identified as Acadians and no one would ever take that away from them. The sense of community was too strong.
Something that struck me as difficult to understand in this article was the use of French quotes. As the quote supports the author’s ideas, a translation of the French would be beneficial. As a reader, the use of another language with no translation takes me out of what I am reading and makes me wonder what I am missing.
Overall the article was well thought out and supported the author’s idea’s about community. However, at times, the ideas were all over the map causing a break in the flow of the article resulting in confusion.