Agaguk
book by Yves Thériault
Agaguk is the sixth novel written by Quebec author Yves Thériault. First published in 1958, it sold 300,000 copies and was translated into seven languages.
Plot summary
This novel is a story of cultural conflict between the Inuit of Northern Quebec and white men, set in the 1940s. It is told from the perspective of the main character Agaguk, an Inuk man. Agaguk diverges from his tribe with a woman named Iriook. Through their journeys, Yves Thériault explores Agaguk's mastery of nature as well as the general relationship between the Inuit and the tundra. Furthermore, by describing the conflicts with the white men, the themes of alcoholism, assimilation as well as economic and judicial injustice are thoroughly explored. The personal aspect of the novel also allows for an analysis of Agaguk and his behaviour towards his wife, Iriook, in particular. Initially portrayed as a supportive partner to Agaguk, Iriook's role evolves significantly as the story progresses, especially when faced with extreme challenges.
Awards and nominations
Grand Prix de la Province de Québec.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Agaguk” as book by Yves Thériault. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as book by Yves Thériault. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2826346. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1958.
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This entry incorporates text from “Agaguk” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.