ABSTRACT
A nation's myths are indeed peppered throughout its literature. Different national myths can be just as divisive as political and legal differences. The characteristics of Canada and the United States that have been examined show a tendency for the two nations to become more alike, at least superficially. Violence is still the most noticeable difference between the two nations. The more strongly a myth is held in the minds of the people, the more able it is to adapt to changed conditions and remain part of the unexamined life. The disastrous consequences of a partnership between an Edenic myth and slavery might have been recognized earlier had the myth not had so much substance. French and English Canada agreed to form a confederation, while the northern states accepted a guarantee of slavery in the southern states in order to form a nation.
