This article examines the representation of shopping in selected fictional and autobiographical works by French-Canadian author Gabrielle Roy (Bonheur d'occasion, Rue Deschambault and La Détresse et l'enchantement) It argues that, in the case of Roy, the activity of shopping can be seen to constitute not only a playful and pleasurable pursuit for women, but also one that has the potential to be empowering. Shopping in Royan works offers female characters the opportunity to dream, to create, to escape the everyday, to explore and, perhaps most importantly, it facilitates female bonding, particularly between mother and daughter.
Band of mothers: Childbirth as a female bonding experience
