Dialectics of Postmodern Rudiments in George Bowering’s Caprice

The purpose of this paper is to look at how George Bowering used postmodernist narratives in the fabric of Canadian postmodernism, how postmodernism canons in Canada and internationally have been influenced by different spatial epistemologies rather than genuine geographies, and how Canadian and international postmodernisms have been more directly influenced by two different readings of geography in his Caprice (1987). This article also looks at the novel’s departures from the western genre, specifically its deconstruction of great historical narratives and the Wild West myth. It will do so by introducing multiple alternative histories and perspectives in the form of fragmented narratives and diverse conceptions of time and place, addressing the distinction between American and Canadian myths of the Wild and Mild West, which reflect the distinct ideologies and histories of inception of these bordering countries.