SomeClassNotes xLTEN188Spring2017 x
 

• Type of paperCritical Thinking
• SubjectLiterature
• Number of pages6
• Format of citationMLA
• Number of cited resources6
• Type of serviceWriting

By the date the paper is due, May 7th, we will have read Naipaul’s stories, a bunch of Brathwaite’s poems and Marshall’s novel. You may choose from any of these for the subject of your essay. I want you to think of a theme or two that the author seems to be trying to illustrate for the reader. You’ll recall we saw the texts in the wider frame of colonial conditions, gender relations, dimensions of the African diaspora in history and location, etc. Select a story or poem—if you feel you need to you can select a maximum of two—from Naipaul or Brathwaite, or the novel and make a claim for what the author seems to be trying to say and defend that claim with evidence from the text(s). The structure of the paper is pretty standard: opening paragraph where you make your claim(s), then body paragraphs where you illustrate your point(s) with specifics from the text(s), then a concluding paragraph. I don’t want you to use secondary sources. I want the observations and conclusions from your own engagement with the texts. I want everyone to send me in advance his/her thesis and what kind of evidence will be used. This way I can help you focus and avoid being overly general in your approach. If sent with enough time I’m OK reading a draft of the first paragraph or first page.

peter josh – whalers – bob marley

The harder they come – Jamaican Movie

Texts in the book stores – including poems “the arrivance”

 

history and pop culture come together to really form identities and cultures. 

African diasperas – people who spread out from center

– its a force movement of aftrcans – sale trade – now have african culture all over world 

Cultures come toehgtehr to form something new

Terms are dense – no worries

Read by Friday  – exerts of what you think important

precolombian hostiry – arolock – grew maiz, drug, use stool tools

they fish, slept hammocks, leisure play games ball games on triangular fields

They were going to be moved around on carrebes, carribean ocean. Take what they wanted from neighbors – island to island

When africans came, original inhabitants basically were bones by then. 

columbus – 1492 – 3ship

1st salvador, cuba, espanola – divided into french colony = haiti, another spanish = dominican republic

barter

for airlocks some barter include gold ornaments they mine from the ground. 

Gold – el dorado legend – city of gold, carribean are – people think beyond forest in carribean place near south. 

Columbus bring news to spain 1493

before he leaves, spain is going to claim all new world spanish – by pope

columbus now goes back with 17 ship settlers, agriculture tools, livestock, settle in espanaloa

A place of storms and hurricanes

come and going to bring with them diseases ….local people die

they will implore people there as servants, workers

locals espnola = tyolas, tired of command food, labor, women

comlumbus hunt

Settlement moved to santa domingo

harbor and land

columbus goes back to spain

set out again 1498 – not many people – people released from jail – discover trinidad

setters domingo – go against leaders. Columbus pacify them land grants, right to servants. 

columbus – titles returned to by king – never again allowed to leave. 

They defeated military and indigenous people

slaves – died or kill self

settlers set out other islands puerto rico, …

settlers raise cattle for profit

tobacco very big – start spread to europe

slave labor needed 1510 on, slave labor on plantation very common 1520

gold and suger somewhat seasonal

settlers went there to stay, it was beauty, cheap, slave, huge house

gov – judicial not admin, meaning lots law and court cases

smuggler and raiders in spain – portugese – they smuggle slaves to spanish islands – set own prices

portugese very involved in africa, slave

1530 french cruise region – smuggle goods, slave, brought things

and priates – french raid spanish ships and produce

treaty- french prey only spanish

europe treaty

islands under brittish

john hawkins carried triangular trade  by slaves

england war on spain so spanish prey ships

early 1600 dutch involved – huge navy – all over world fish – inhabit uninhabited islands

ABC islandsDUTCH REALLY WANTED SALT – they have fish industry and needed to keep fresh – salt one operation in islands

wealth from new world  – sustained europe – all

industrial revolution funded, raw material – islands

european powers involved in all this

Brittish capture europe 1985

british involve in islands – barbados! = sugar massive process making good

Barbados great sugar produce islands – lot wealth land owners/ briths

for this need lbors – 5 year thousands of slaves

blacks outnumbered whites!!!!

resistance their consistly from start

Salve rebellions

settler responses of resisting – calculated idleness – slaves purposely slow down – made believe they were dumb, not ind, careless

sugar process require machinery

slaves drop in machine and able to replace from brittain – slow down

first prime minister trinidad – eric william 

1600 white realize outnumber – find ways to keep power

divide slaves into classes

laws – black no own land – resistance felt harshly

revolutions armed – change power structure of region

cultures were already here in us, spanish and french colonized

1789 french revolution – changes the thought – if old oppressive powers overthrown – ust start king, RCC, nobles, rich

French revolution to abolish religion , anarchy

liberty equality

fought, killed to free slaves, then realize no icing, just kidding, slave back on

one great slave revolt of history – black former slave a soldier fought against french with spanish

built balck army, king french out st, doming, creat first black nation = haiti

LECTURE 2

Haiti is going to go through a lot cycles in history, we try define self to carribeans, french colonies. 

early 1800, slave trade in brittish colonies abolished – plantation owners loose labor. They held out at that time, want keep slave, labor, profit. Africn slave trade left to islands, and growers had a lot to worry about. Basically black labor still imp, since they have no income, no work for salary. Working conditions for former slaves still not good. Recommendation by authority that islands off for slaves as landowners, slave economy eventually dies out.

Not like US, slavery ended after war, make work for very little money, no vote. 

On island one thing is to bring slaves in from other countries. So the islands hagen import labor from chine, honking, india. They are indentured servants, not slave, signed contract to work . 

This will work in a small way, not any form solved. 

India at that time early-mid 1800, had large diaspora, migration pattern because many people leaving india v=bootttom caste system with no opportunity, so see leaving to brittish colony as a plus. 

Indians to ghena, jamaica, st.lucia……..

half million indians come to that part of world, at same time indians move to africa abundantly, all over. 

The deals in Africa diff, 

Africa and island, once indentureship over, move there economy into being shop keeper. Common in africa and indianopen shop and move up economy that way. They after years become middle class. Along with indians, chinese, japanese. Overall plantation sustain then later not really. On economy stays high is barbados – sugar. 

1800 colonial system gov directly handle – want english bureaucrats. Their gov tied to colonial gov. Whats going to change thats?

– the 20th century comes, poetical, economic, cultural development. Omne framework for colonial indue – going to be both WW

WW1 and WW2 will see european power fight each other, they will enlist colonial subjects, african, indians to fight in the war. Trinidad ext go fight in europe. 

In long term this is a nasty business. Even longer trm have phenomenon where colonial subject come back from fighting war and in home, colony things did not change in way treated ect..

so there will be, esp after WW2, a browning number of people not fear colonialists anymore. So when they come back, begin political orbs, looking for independence or better conditions. Cultural movements also very significant. 

Movements in the carribean, and in Africa and europe. earliest in caribbean in 1920s- negismo or “blackness” in spanish. The components were white/hispanic artists, cube dom repub  – inequality of race class, and colonial power try any way erase culture history of the peole in colony. Rythms and drums. 

African, music came with. 

When slave revolts occurred, a lot communications via drum – the talking drums. high. low forms drum form system.

Slave revolts and othe communication not want slave owner here – so drums taken away. 

Different – bejo, guitar = Blues comes

Music will chnage

What remains popular on island – music out of drums. If it wasn’t to slave trade we will be still dance to white music. African brought blues, jazz, gospel , ect. 

Negismo – poetry of rhythm try to do as drumming. 

He is acknowledging the mix of cultures, what the islands are really like. Rodriguis ” I was born in africa ” 

So the poets of negrismo celebrate blackness and culture it brought to the islands. Movement influential in how writers wrote of the culture – open up to think more of africans

 

in early 1930s similar thing going on – france.

If you make it to french as student – idea is you will be french person. You have to jump through more hoops then others. Come from place not speak french. Same thing happens in all colonies. 

Because in school learn french politics, language, history. 

Get through system very hard – because learning culture, if not you will not advance. 

Early 1930s, see collection black students coming to french school and very smart. WHen arrive, enthused bc idea if learn our culture – you will be best you possibly can – french.

So when get there – see hypocrisy and lie of all things going down, no one serve them, called names. Share news. Then movement

“Negritude” is an impolite word = french neg – noir french back

so the bad word. They are racist. 

writ poetry like african american music, they begin to invent and africa for themselves.

They begin to recapture an african history written by colonials. There were thriving muslim kingdoms in africa before times, history. Trade gold from africa and west, and salt. 

Salt very valuable. 

Salt north, gold going south. 

2nd king mali, full tenant of pilgrimage, 

give so much gold through off europemonetary system. 

For them Africa is west – family, creativity, music, dance, carving

west is opp, cold, not human, deny humanity.

SO they begin to see self very diff in those oppressing them, even better then them in many way. 

They had to do things like draw on european anthropology, brought back info of culture. Interested in pacasso, cubist because they had took idea from african carving. 

Is negrotude political movement no, changes way people see themselves and consider self. 

Political – see their is counter culture to west, we wan our own country, don’t belong here. 

1950’s Harlem renaissance

what negrotude does for black french writers. Negrismo artist, renaissance, tide – had an effect. Those who appreciate work , people of certain class. Culture will raise awareness in a lot of ways. Between war there is migration of job to north, detroit boston, nY, chicago. Many more job available so move north. They take with them a black indigenous culture , MUSIC – the blues+ gospel = jazz. 

In our form it becomes attractive to a lot peole. Other hand people come in bright, talented – write, good music. 

In that way plantation life celebrated in culture, expressed in equality in society short story – oval 

Renassance, because culture reborn in society. People know each other, talk ideas, meet. 

Garvy – the UNIA thousand of followers. 

he also had idea as long black live in new world, they will be oppressed and people will ant to go back Africa. So stars steam ship  to give as many africans who want to go to africa. interesting. 

50 years later no work to all blacks, so government sponsor back to africa movement – africa – liberia – government models US. 

All these threats push to awareness of black culture and imp of movement of equality. From then on have organizion all across colonized world push to equal rights. 

Negrotude – spur to move people thing politics, unions, ect..

1947 – india become independent. 

Brittish thought india was their showcase. When ghandi lead independent non violent. Indi independence, india weakened. 

Brittain economy fall. 

Same with french – try hard to hold on colony in deadly war. 

French try hold on to colonies , they leave, power vacuum in US = in what is vietnam war.

so caribean follow same pattern, around 60’s islands become independent – comes a lot new writing, culture.

Caribbean anglo literatur

– carribean island under colonialism diff from africa because been a central local languish. The localpoel adapt english in own way – as in africa. Pigeon, creyol. 

A lot is going to be in how its spoken. Writers begin to use local dialect variations, in a way that celebrates the language. A lot people educated in brittish system. School spoke standard english. 

Early writers, the earliest, ecuiado – after america writes of experience of space, free, ext..

Early writings on islands 1800s , was imitation of english writing. the actual taken up of island culture in wringing – 1900

the themes become of power, race, class b/c these things interests, the writers, and public. 

Little hoser – gihana . 1st writer to write classm,race, equality in way 30’s. A morning at the office. Takes half day in urban office in spa ins. Multiculturral office. The dynamics of power in office in morning, interesting to see. Writers shoot up in 30’s, proliferate in 50s. These writers came out england. writers not make lot money on island so migrate. Get to know each other, share work. Litaerary comes out of it. 

nighpol, indian from trinidad. Hindi. 

Talented writers discovered by Swanzi – broadcasted cultural programs to colonies. BBC

Out of this will emerge people like night pal. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lecture 3

Stuart Hall – barbadian/brittish scolar. 

Page 10, 2nd paragraph – one thing he is doing is calling on another famous scolar cary da., difference vs. difference.

This kind of getting together is not on difference – this or that.

He says Difference- resist colonialism. Putting things  together without necessary getting rid. 

page 9 – makes arg on globalization – not new phenomena – european and spain. 

He never define what he thinks globalization is, diaspora – when does globalization start ?

POSTCOLONIAL _ After colonialism. People who think of post colonialism – think of it as after colonialism began. 

I believe in beginning – he states he isn’t looking for begging of things but the routes, page 7 at the bottom, middle last paragraphs. I don’t think he exactly stating where these things began. 

He talks diaspora of island , 

Everything kind of relational – he talks of all this being a process, there are these relations not fixed. 

GLobalization idea –

Page 14 – right after smaller text, paragraph right after “in fact seek ..”

Saying africans didn’t know they were black until europians came and said. 

Page 17, second paragraph, globaliztion – 2 processes, 

globaliztion is concept continually being debated – i think what he says there is provess globalization not effective unle people buy into it. 

Diapsora – pg4 1st paragraph org b/c some event thats horrible, 

next paragraph

Part of this constructive identity – very negative historical event and what follow. He does call a foundation myth – they are transhistroical 

Syas power of myth and why imp, good, and also how history is like a counter. 

Paradox between africa exist and africa not exist, the africa you came from – no longer exist. 

The enemy of cultural study thinking is anyone belief in an essence – africa – has a lot diff meanings. 

Africa warmth, family, life before white cames, 

page 16

but theses examples suggest….

essenc eis not bad – just imp to pin point – looking back africa, london – try rediscover, but actually whats done is translation to something new.

Translatio is process – working between 2 languages, but by systems fraud. Translation, transnationalism are similar. 

Next paragraph

– 

globlize – always directional – you learn ours. 

He say , these people bring change to dominion culture, he talks diaspora. Toward the otto – “minorities not effectively..”

– I don’t think its a universal thought among all caribean – black is more neutral, 

Black power thinking – socialist thinking – link with 3rd world struggles – all in same boat to overthrow imperialism. 

– Translation – you put history into framework you invented, putting carribean culture into a new angle. 

Wait – spain didn’t bring drum, clothes, music here?? its black !

PROFESSOR

– he talks of diapsora in couple ways – spread out of culture outward. SOmeone mentioned paradox on page 5 – “Now out troubles begin..rome”  What we call caribean….”

SO what he say is that try to fix identity for island people, ll who didn’t start thetr, is complex. History makes it complex. 

“Next paragraph..history..”

SO imp point, one bothers question of diaper – if such thing diapsora african, how african is it..

Page 7 question, bottom “close conception diaspora…an other..outside…for us..doble up… spectrum..” 

Good point, 

page 9 last paragraph ” global developments …. “

-One thing of globalization – counter model to the nation. The nation is no longer imp in that thinking – economic..

“culture…”

He say, a thought of nation, europian/colianal rule – has its purposes – but also thinking the region is very helpful, able ind what goes on with culture

Missed lecture 4 and 5 feasts absence

Lecture 6 end week 2

– Live, Love, Let alone

love love love

story lady when guy alcoholic, beats her alone, ect

found out she was wife of rich doctor in city

ALl confused why she stayed with strange man and bad condition

The got to know each other, she want to help him, and they end up living on the streets. 

What else do  you make of this story

– interesting no furniture in house, weird transient feeling of emptiness, that house being weird, for outsiders

– They think the guy is not A MAN, they feel sorry for the lady

– funny how they alway compared man with dogs – companion. 

When wife left, he transformed into his own dog

– idea dogs is measure of person

– man beats wives, most

– why they think he not a man – He stopped a party

– they often were fighting so noisy themselves

– first reason they not like him because feel he beat his wife too much. 

– also he couldn’t hold his liquor – no man because can’t hold himself back

– despised because couldn’t carry his liquor , made fee l uncomfortable more than anything else

– beating wife not so unusual back then, but he was excessive

– they try fit in, street stores – they really just didn’t blend in. 

-trinidad contrast nature in groups f people

– could be a matter of class or race

– race of people on street – some are idian 

some not – know indian cultures

– basically indian and black people

– get the sense toni is black or indian – nearest cantell they portuguese

– women on street felt bad for her, tell her to get out and o away

– she say “Toni forgot all I did for him, took care when sick, I give up everything for him, what did I do todesevre all this”

TOni look like man can kill and not think too much about it. 

– very similar to what we know of abisove relation – abused takes it because feels guilty. 

I think they are an atypical couple on the street

– beating just everyday thing

ordinary part life

– so this couple does stand out from being so different then everything else

– narrator mother right “you are making too much of this love stuff”

– idea people can be driven to tho kin of situation and stay in it

Another story- blue cart

– go from news of baby girl – feel sorry for edos, and then edos proud to father baby

– narraive siad he is someone he wants to be like

– edos is one aristocrats on street, provide independence/status/ and income

– he has this relationship with this women

– idea of being a father is attractive to him

– edos wants to be a father

– they don’t know if she is his daughter

– ensuring its her baby because they wan to take him out of his depression and make him happy

– pattern of story is women complete guys life

– take man away from being that guy, for a while

– edos wants to be a  father, loves this women

– edos say she going to make me away st. claire , no tools there

– He capsulated whats going on in a nutshell

– nice moment for them compliments sweet baby and sweet man

– women on street adopt baby and allows grow up in good environment. 

– economic situation of island in general 

– guys with carts

– colonial third world economies – based on reusing things

– lots indication of this economy is coming out

– interesting how amen on street would help raising child, take part in raising her up

– they ind fact she didn’t have mother there and they all step up to help. 

– suggests cohesiveness  of communities on street, when things had to get done, they’d step up

– Hats situation

– they talk about hoe dolly is just there, they don’t interact but she just there

– if following along these stories, a couple things going on 

– young boy growing up through stories

– consistent is hat is king leader in street, people interested in opinion, boy gather around, he is cool unusual guy and people find his thoughts imp

 – he sells milk

– Dolly comes into his life, after a long time without any one women

– He taught me many things that afternoon, I asked him to explain scoreboard – …

– Trinidad, historically is completely passionate and crazy over cricket!!

– sport brought by colonizer and then colony over succeed

– hat takes the boys to these matches and races

– all these things imitate leisure life

– sport populäre for ordinary trinidad

– so what about dolly

– 2/3 way through story

     – she is very static, don’t know much, Hat buys a lot jewelry and then she runs off

– running off not unusaul

– Story famous Matilda, thief money and run

– he in situation never been before, treat badly by women

– interesting , only time remember speak is when draw hat away from a lll else, the gang

– he more concern mak money buy gifts to keep her happy

– when she runs away hat takes it badly

– he goes to jail for while

– outcome of jail time – goes to jail and comes out after time – he comes back and Hat has this presence in narrator life, and in everyone that when he eaves something is lost that never gained back

– all this romance see when he grows up, all characters and ext.- getting older and start to see things as adult, not buy

– brightness left him

– he siad, expected friendliness and they made him librarian

– so many books with no one to read them

– now he smokes, no longer young

 – a onment like right of passage

– hat grow up, learn world, he earn hat like ordinary man

– mistique gone and it will be a different story now. 

– 

The Story Mechanical Genius

How to pronounce Bachu??

– kind of a loving thing to do – perks up uncle –

– he has obssesion in fix car

– running joke because  he not mechanic

– constant failure, she keeps trying different hings

– the couple must have money because buy new cars. 

– bachu going through several incarnations in story

– reads a lot, someone who is scholar

– wife is very proud of his endeavors

– funniest part is when work on car and it falls on him

– Bachu, 

– this whole , there is an emergency going on and he takes time to scold kids – joke

– main saying in story – creativity

Bachu is looking for some outlet for creativity – keeps pursuing it

– funny part Bachus wife very proud of it when time to beat her

– Also there is sec ion here get a better picture of women

– Laura, narrators mom

– wmoen on street judge things, gets along

Bachu whom narrator like, not liked ny men – considered nuance

– Bachu artist

– not worry money

 – again ice relationship btw him and uncle

– absurd life again, someone try find another way – not quite making it. 

NEXT STORY

Ganesh

God came down and spoke ego him

 he is someone provides people with advice

he was coming to wild – party and drinking

– he learns worldy pleasures – so seek ganesh about it

– 

leture 7 4/17

-Night pole – first writing that is going to be notable

– pattern of stories to build up character and then break dwon

– night pol

england in oxford school

works for BBC

– he will publish first novel in 57

– Awarded scholarships – travels carribean islands and areas, then write boo little passage

He will begin to mark as a kind of critic, 

1950 – ghana

edward book 

wrote in 70s about carribean language = “nation language”

Poet in NYU

Rights of passage – poetry

Questions – 

1. the title “Rights of Passage”

why rights like legal instead of normal rites..of passage

– play on words

– rites = developed by anthropologist – attributes our life to rites of passage. Begins at birth – birth almost have some ceremony attached to it. everyone has something when brought in world like bapt, circumcision, baby shower

– usually welcome into adulthood – confirmed, barmitspha – marking you are no longer child

– next is marriage

– after that mercy, usually  – death. Ceremony to mark passing, burry, cremate.  

– Now next passageto adult not until go college or graduate

– alluding term to poems – there is a sense of passage here of some kind 

Generational change – idea why here, who they are

– a lot different figures in poetry, a lot diff locations

– see movement over places, situationally

Lets look at poems

– it s sectioned into 3 parts

 – passage that interesting is that there always are 3 stages

– initial stage is seperation

– middle stage some kind transformation while seperartion

– and third stage is return.

– almost all rites passage – familiar, transformed, back to state

example in literature it is a very common pattern

– Works all in blues  -what comes to mind when he says this

     – could be hard work, to get by

     – when blues – talks in US , various aspects to that particular genre

1. first poem

1. people cross the division to get to another maybe better place

2. this is the movement of people

3. what make you thing its the sahara – descriptions of dry region, people die during way cross sahara, no rain, hot day and cold night

4. Also we can note this journey, they are trying to establish themseve somewhere, find home. But wherever go it gets destroyed. Village burned down by fire

5. FIre – used as heat in dessert, to cook things, and also to destroy 

6. This can also be a play on israel exit from Egypt. Every other page their page something happen when about to die, and god helps them, fire on their side .cross red sea. but here constantly finding a reason to move one. 

7. The up – gets somewhere, estb something. and downs – destroyed, and move on

8. In the desert. 

9. when he talks about trypanosome – very particular in africa – sleeping sickness. fatal to horses and cattle and people can also get and die. He tie into idea to crosses and hurriers are natural, terrain and diseases, rot of heat and trying to survive as well. Lots of decay theme

10. Page 6 – no rain while flesh rot, over riverbed is green leaves. SO build, mortor – hopefully section of poem talks of regeneration of some sort. 

11. Critically clear that people still now build houses out of mud. 

12. Aobe houses – but unstable foundations , talks reason why mud building not long lasting. 

13. “Grant god…” a moment when prayer being said. When they say God, we don’t know which one. Flames returns. 

14. So he establishes a pattern, we can a least follow a change of journey. 

15. This poem transition from previous poem and more directed to some one

16. leaderless, hopeless – no hope no…

17. This idea of not being a direction, savior, leader and you are still moving. MAde it through soils

18. section – quick fire ex… he invokes both colonial leaders and native leaders “no hawking” “hawk native leader who exist”. He is raging over a long period of history, long tim and diff locations

19. VItal distinction between people walk across desert to find new land – to weapons which were used to conquer and find slaves.  and then goes on,  – its this encounter with west, slavers, wealth in where they are living. 

20. throughout – the arrogance is both coming and going. – 

21. in poem goes back to notion of fire, fire betrayed us in village

22.  Violence of fire arms – tai enlace, use of shackels. Departure see second part. 

23. idea – it will be long long time …for our blood mixed in their passion and sport, Referring to they are being forced from home they know, and repetition that they will be changed through this and won’t see home for while via passage . Then will be different cultures, generations. Referring to cultural change. 

24. blood mixed their passion dn sport – forced sex. new civilization will be violent encouner

2. Tom Poem

1. who is tom? later he will be called uncle tom. /he can be considered one of first slaves working. 

2. Using tom and uncle tom, what are connotation – radicalizing of being black, labor, slavery. He talks of his own children making fun of him and not realizing how they were stereotyped and forgetting of it. 

3. Indication of complacency. 

4. Uncle toms cabin – evolution text. HEr intention is for uncle tom as positive character, but later is negative stereotype of Black. Term used now as insult to black americans – means you sell out, giving into white superiority, model slave. 

5. Passage poet want s us to form opinion of tom and his experience, initially what we are told about tom , cotton seed passage – clearly we invoking slavery/lands/cotton. Bottom lands – not where you farm but where slaves and free blacks where they would grow their own. THey grow casaba. 

6. Blow on cotton blues – sax musci, blues

7. Tom- dreams of sore, keep dream pure. We work, dream. Forgtten – we dance. = Its like humanity in inhumane voice. ITs hard to live as slave. All they can do is cal back into self and just dream and dance. Kind of a stereotupyicla view that you haven’t achieved anything – but implication that within these activities there is core seed that you can hold on to something that is a seed in you. 

undergrits poem 

they don’t know where they are going they are just going. Not knowing exactly where want to go . Just going

Cardboard, rain coats – not all tot money but trying to make a better place for themselvres

third stanza – they do not know

last reference – 

 second section – show contrast between old time, columbus found america so beautiful, clean resources – same time this civilization – not about to find beauty, now people come and men die – show the real life of whats going on. 

There is a kind of pristine world in front of them . 

One illusion – 

columbus becoming sure of his mission or goal 

Dust Poem

There is a conversation , 2 women

evoking of religous figure

its between the wars because mention 1942 war

between first and second ww

pg. 63, ..trust me..

for sure an island, the way she is talking

THE CABIN

long lines – poem

cabin – later generation lost meaning of what it meant that there ancestors were slaves

 

QUESTION IS

now knowing your pass, why is your choice, and the choice is envetitablly to move on word. 

rite of passage – surviving that – makes you strong

4/26

..for the widow

page 83 – two paragraphs

– volcano erruption is a tragic event kills people and not obj, obj is all thats left – she is past this transition about material things she gain but she doesn’t feel the life there anymore

– her own memories being suppressed through time.

– volcano destroy all the well to do , sense of carefulness in time of romantic time of life. 

matching of current wealth with faded wealth. Idea that somehow this silver and gold and artifacts they make – somehow importance to you. 

Sense – she wants to get back home, security where she lives. 

Jase metamorphsis – to jerome johnson

– before physical death, he died to her in another way

that is transition of jake to jerome- she didn’t see him as same person

– having this feeling with own skin and people – has to do in line with ihim

as she changed so did he

page 115

The more nuance things in life – music ext – put aside for more diff things

– Jay one who knew roots and embraced black heritage

jerome hard working and successful – no longer listen to blues and black origin

– image she uses is someone running marathon, going hard

– pg 115/116

yearly trip… day

Interesting because when think american dream like – hard work, perseverance, suceed

not always made clear that you give up something

here its you give up identity for another one to become what family need

– more intenese memory she has after left ship, stays at fancy hotel.

– Proper johnson and what to wear

– she is on island of granada

– island walking – dehydrated and feel bad

– run shop and character she meets there…..

– Liber Joseph

– small room mad out of mud- but she feels comfortable there which is unusual for her character

– she opened up to him 

– it like he know what she is dealing with

– initially she is put off by the guy

– it strike us she isn’t one to open up to stranger about private thought – but here she is in rum shop opening up life

– Joseph – 

change from AMerican Ideal to her heritage

Last part book – lev e tet 

– vudo 

– we can say there is a barrier – hatian

she has a distance she feels

from island people and she white

why should there be any knowledge of echother of comradery

– legba- deity of west africa – nigeria

he is a trickter God

he is parallel o f

chritianity and african religion of slvaes- vadoon, and legba ect..

legba – trickster GOd involved with characteristic 

– one leg shorter than other

Scene where she carried on with excursion

pg 166

wakes up feeling bad in hotel pg 151

pg 162-163

seeing crowd people on dock – some excursion – and then old man starts talk and not stop

Johnson – who was about to throw her out, he hagen telling and talking to her all his life an dhistpry

they value certain diff things – he his past and she her coat

– there is a kind of echo to it too

next page – “corn” 

here he refers to the “old Parents”

ancester and notion of old parents. 

Your kind – those who don’t remember

really strange

material thing – he goes in back and bring coconut water with rum

she will be surprised

he wil convonce her to go

she will go on the excursion

across to where the excursion is

– whats going on boat ride

she gets sick and throw up everything – like her and her old ways

pit stomach – uncomfotabl efeeling on cruise

island – washes her, cleanse, a rebirth of herself

very dramatic thing

page 193

she is going to see a man – old black women with history and knowledge

page 194

forever 

bear these ladies she doesn’t know she next to, and man on cruis

2 parallel on cruise

these women will treat her as daughter, protect her, hold her, shield so no one watch

finally 

page 197

She has this image elf all people piledin boat – slave middle passages

serious rites all these she goes through before get to island

page 203, she talks about a sermon

page 209

4/28

pg 248-250

she is transformed by a ritual, a communal rite that has been going on for some time

she is in trance of some sort

indicative that when she had arms in air, people compelled to stand up and stop her from dancing. 

idea of past living, ascending

she was being some way restrained when saw signs of loosing touch to world

she sees ties with stranger – like ones she had in carolina in her home town

a kind of rebirth as she embraces all these things. 

Story – schematic in sense everything lines up neatly, also invalidating culture she knew as child and how islands are similar. 

She was living on Gula islands – known for keep, holding african traditions – known for remain and retain cultural ancient ways

Mass – read up to the return

Concept of mass – in african traditions not just mask, a whole suit. Ellaborate

don’t see human inside – covers everything

All suit is a mask. not just face

People inside as ritual goes on, dance and drums- are usually posses by spirits – sometimes of God or Ancesters, depending on what mask

OBSERVATIONS:

libation – where in ritual – have valuable liquid, pour on earth so ancestors can drink

make ancestors happy because they effect your life

– he puts out food and drinks for ancestors = “old people”

– ancestors are though to be part of energy between Heaven and earth but earth – where ancestors reside

– not lift feet of ground – staying grounded with real world. 

– rites when plant, rites when harvest = rituals, libations, ect..

Prelude

– remembering your old offering prayer, recognition and request blessings

91- think of the labor and music as their roots as well

dungeon – word you think about the slave trade, definitely looking backward – Africa, naming places

– its kind of saying you paved the way to be here, and call on goddess earth for future

– talks about sacrifice – take blood fowl..

– This being spoken to Goddess, spirit of Earth

– the idea of sacrifice – like catholic and communion – sacrificial sign

= case in rituals when you want things to happen, you offer up another kind of life

Page 94

Making of the Drum

– you take something that was living

to make the drum

– to do so, you kill it. 

first goat killed and then stretched

then their is a prayer for goat. 

They don’t call goat, the animal has praise names. 

Again, there is even a way to kill animals. 

right way, to cut throat and let bleed out. 

Your able to shape when heat, burn, to get just right way

a bell without clapper – gong gong

to make the drum

– idea to use drum for spiritual thing

a tu pan = the talking drum

= the drum imitates the language

drums are the language to speak to the ancesters

page 107

– movement

– implying getting to a promise land

– reference to Jews contemplating and doubting exodus – over time

– movement to flee destruction – society apart

– much we walk all the time..

– I heard of place with cattle..water..

– toward end of poem = heard the whisper of ground.. growing soft and  greener = moving out of desert 

Axum

– muslim 

– they were conquerring

– ethiopia today

– like egypt

– kings were black – achieve cultural and wealth like egyptain

but image in VOLTA

– that energy and conquering spent, try to survive all hardship in travels and movement

The Forest

– kind of like resting place if not final destination for them

– new to them

– idea this becomes a refuge after struggling – not having water – being able to stop and dance

– the forest becomes this new location

– get out of it that he says its something new, different

– …dense trunk tee tops../ leave gather darkness, no path shows the way..

-very dense and don’t see sun much

-so they are afraid – they don’t know whats out there

– 

– all thinking back of what they used to believe and what drove them

– sounds like they found this new purpose to keep going

despite leaving and forgetting the kings. They are still being very , celebrating migration from original home

– they have their force to creat new GOd, forces, things to protect hem because win new place so need to connect to. 

Leave old God behind, and now new Gods coming from their enviroments

So they carved them

these are things they will use in their worship, material things to remind them of whats important and environment – they adapted to their new place. 

– they were scared, by taking elements of forest they are making their own protections, things to keep safe, ect

– making a new religion

page 116 middle

– no we in this new place we feel comfortable

..no onger harms us…exploding dimensions of song..

They moving again, going through towns – though meet white river

– last stanza = they reach and can’t go any further – like first poems in rites of passage = movement to Africa and What they meant

Monday – read THE RETURN

4

LTEN 188 Contemporary Caribbean Literature

Constructing and Contesting Identities

Spring 2017

Physically, the Caribbean is a region consisting mainly of several strings of islands and waterways. These constitute numerous nations speaking at least four languages and their related dialects. Since the history of diverse peoples of the Caribbean is as fragmented as the islands themselves, cultural production and representations are used to create identities and fill gaps in written and oral histories. Among the experiences and identities considered and constructed are those rooted in race, class, gender, sexual identification and ethnicity. Caribbean writers and musicians transform these sources and experiences into literary and cultural works that, seen in an overview and in relation to one another, comprise an often-shifting mosaic of the region’s recent and past history. Working with texts and music from the English-speaking, or anglophone, Caribbean, we will examine several literary genres—novels, poetry and short stories—as well as forms of contemporary music such as calypso, steel drum, mento, ska, rock steady and reggae in order to understand the ways in which these artists create and recreate their world.

Instructor: Robert Cancel Location: 4050A York Hall

Office: 428 Literature Bld. Days and Time: MWF 9 – 9:50AM

Phone: 858-534-3986 Office Hours: MWF 10:15 – 11:15AM

Section Code: 895817 or by appointment

Email:

rcancel@ucsd.edu

Course Requirements

[All requirements must be completed to pass the course]

Class Participation 25%: This includes attendance and taking part in discussions. There will be minimal lecturing in order to allow exchange and input from all members of the class. If you are shy about speaking out in class, email me written responses to the material after each meeting.

Papers 50%: Two papers will be required during the term. Each will be seven (7) pages long and treat a film, text or song(s) we’ve done in class. The first paper will be due May 1st and the second on June 5th. Specifics of assignments will be provided in class.

Final Exam 25%: Might consist of a take-home or might be taken in class during final exam time slot. This will depend on the quality of responses, discussions and papers up to the end of the class. Final Exam: Wednesday 14th June, 8 – 10:59AM.

Class Etiquette

To belabor the obvious, arriving on time and leaving only when class is ended will be expected of each student. If someone has a valid reason for either arriving late, leaving early or missing a meeting, let the me know in advance or, if necessary, after class. Attendance will be taken early in each class session, starting from the second week of the quarter. If it is too difficult for students to pay attention to lectures or discussions they are encouraged to drop the course.

While acknowledging the importance of electronic information flow and social media, laptops/tablets/cell phones are to be used during class time to take notes and, if necessary, look up information pertinent to lecture topics, if I ask you to. Multi-tasking is nice, but most studies suggest that focusing on one task at a time, in this case lecture, note taking and discussion (actually three tasks), is a more effective way to understand and remember information. Students who cannot abide by this rule will be asked to either close their devices or simply drop the class.

Literature, a film and some music constitute the main data of this class. You maximize your understanding and appreciation of this material if you complete assignments before they are lectured on or discussed in class. If you do not do this, and then have a hard time trying to understand or write about the material, you might want to consider one of the sources of your problem (see first two sentences of this paragraph).

Finally, this is an upper division literature course and writing is important. All UCSD students have signed a pledge of academic integrity. Any suspected cases of plagiarism will be submitted for formal investigation by the university. The whole idea of writing a paper is for students to express their own analytical findings, ideas and impressions; otherwise no real learning is taking place. If writing is a problem for you, please ask me, or someone, for help in a timely manner in order to maximize your chances for success.

Syllabus

4/3 Introductory Remarks: Course Requirements and Overview of Caribbean History

4/5 Caribbean History and Literature

4/7 African Diasporas: Race, Class, Gender and Postcolonial Subjects

READ: “Thinking the Diaspora – Home Thoughts from Above”, Stuart Hall

_____

4/10 Naipaul’s Subaltern Calypsos

READ: Miguel Street, V.S. Naipaul, “Bogart” to “B. Wordsworth”

4/12 Naipaul’s Calypsos, continued

READ: Miguel Street, “The Coward” to “Love Love Love Alone”

4/14 Naipaul’s Calypsos, continued

READ: Miguel Street, “The Mechanical Genius” to “How I left Miguel Street”

_____

4/17 Brathwaite’s Diasporic Epic

READ: The Arrivants: A New World Trilogy, Kamau Brathwaite, “Rights of Passage”, pp. 3 – 45

4/19 Brathwaite’s Epic, continued

READ: “Rights of Passage, pp. 47 – 85

4/21 Common Themes in “Rights of Passage”

_____

4/24 Marshall’s Mythology of “Home” and Identity

READ: Praise Song for the Widow, Paule Marshall

4/26 Marshall’s Mythology, continued

4/28 Brathwaite’s Rituals of Return

READ: The Arrivants: A New World Trilogy, “Masks”, pp. 89 – 122

_____

5/1 Brathwaite’s Return, continued

READ: “Masks”, pp. 123 – 157

FIRST PAPER DUE TODAY

5/3 Re-imagining Africa and the Diasporic Journey

5/5 Brathwaite’s Island History and Transformation

READ: The Arrivants: A New World Trilogy, “Islands,” pp. 159 – 205

_____

5/8 Brathwaite’s Island History, continued

READ: “Islands”, pp. 207 – 270

FIRST PAPER DUE TODAY

5/10 What is Brathwaite’s Construction of the African Diaspora?

5/12 Caribbean Music from Calypso to Reggae

_____

5/15 Caribbean Music from Calypso to Reggae, continued

5/17 Jamaica’s Breakthrough Film: The Harder They Come

5/19 Thelwell’s Jamaican Political Appropriation

READ: The Harder They Come, Michael Thelwell

_____

5/22 Thelwell’s Appropriation, continued

5/24 Thelwell on Film to Text

READ: “The Harder They Come: From Film to Novel,” Michael Thelwell

5/26 Cliff’s Exploration of Race, Identity and Gender

READ: No Telephone to Heaven, Michelle Cliff

_____

5/29 No Class Today Due to Holiday

5/31 Cliff’s Exploration, continued

6/2 Rastafari: Jamaica and Beyond

_____

6/5 Banks’s Questioning of Outsider/Insider Claims

READ: The Book of Jamaica, Russell Banks

SECOND PAPER DUE TODAY

6/7 Banks’s Questioning, continued

6/9 Ways of (Re)Creating Caribbean Roots and Contemporary Agency

Final Remarks