Abstract
This article examines the limitations of Canadian multiculturalism through Sheila Murray’s Finding Edward (2022), arguing that the novel exposes how institutional narratives of diversity obscure ongoing structures of anti-Blackness. While multiculturalism has often been celebrated as a model of inclusion, this study engages with its critical reassessment in Black Canadian studies to demonstrate how racial inequality persists despite its official discourse. Through a comparative analysis of two Black protagonists whose lives span from the 1920s to the present, the article shows how the novel represents both historical and contemporary forms of anti-Black racism. It further argues that Finding Edward foregrounds practices of solidarity and relational resistance that challenge the limits of multiculturalism, suggesting alternative modes of community formation beyond state-sponsored diversity. By bringing literary analysis into dialogue with critical race perspectives, this article contributes to ongoing debates on multiculturalism in Canada, highlighting the role of contemporary fiction in rethinking anti-racist strategies.
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