Gabrielle Roy a francophone write, a figure that is well-known in Quebec literature, was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba on March 22, 1909. Gabrielle was the youngest child of Leon and Melina Roy. The Roy family had eleven children, from which Gabrielle was the youngest. Sadly, only eight out of the eleven siblings survived past adolescence (François). Roy family lived their life on the side of poverty, nevertheless, Melina always made sure that her family had hope in their hearts. Leon was fifty-nine years old when his youngest daughter Gabrielle was born. Leon lived his dream job. For many years he was resettling immigrants in Western Canada. Roy family’s financial stability crumbled when Leon, six month before he was supposed to retire, was laid off. With this came never ending financial crisis that the…show more content… At the age of twelve, Gabrielle had an emergency surgery. With this costly procedure, Gabrielle acquired guilt for the money that had been spend on her, despite the fact that the family could not afford it. With this in mind, young Gabrielle made a promise to her mother, that she will “always come first in [her] class” (Roy 25). Shortly after, Gabrielle’s promise showed its true colors. Gabrielle was not only a successful student in French, but in English as well. She finished her education on top of her class, and received numerous cash awards which helped to pay for her university education (François).
Roy’s autobiography Enchantment and Sorrow shares with the reader the hard, yet joyful life of Gabrielle. Through this autobiography one can understand where Roy has gotten her own well-built views. Enchantment and Sorrow begins by informing the reader of how Melina, a true