Caribbean Literature And Ideas

The story that surrounds the transatlantic slave trade is notoriously known, by both young and old, across the nation. This story has not only survived, but thrived as “truth” through generations for several centuries; Although, it is much closer to a mystical tale than reality. In Reversing Sail, Michael Gomez lays the myths affiliated with African Diaspora to rest. Gomez shows the path of the amalgamation of the African people along with their resources into Europe. A path that leads to the New World, that would potentially become the Americas, would ultimately result in more than just the exploitation of Africans as slaves. Compacted into an eight-chapter undergrad textbook, Gomez uses Reversing Sail to unground the history, complexity, and instrumentality of the African Diaspora. He does such in a

Jamaica Kincaid successfully convinces her audience that post colonial impact still remains. Through the use of rhetorical appeals such as pathos, logos and imagery she successfully explains her claim. Through this novel she gives an insightful explanation of what antigua is like from a person who comes from that area. Kincaid being born in antigua, she gives us a view from her eyes on what antigua is really like while going through post colonial impact. Kincaid incorporates historical background in text to convince her audience that this impact is holding back antigua from the good and enjoyable place it can really be. She develops a connection with the audience when she makes them feel like the tourist that is figuring out what's going on in the background of antigua. This connection serves as pathos as it makes the audience feel the emotion of anger and disappointment for not knowing what mess is really going on in this small island. This demonstration shows how cultures everywhere are affected by postcolonialism and how there is a negative global commonality between tourist and natives.

Throughout history, race, social development, politics and colonization have played a major role in the indoctrination of modern day Caribbean peoples mind subconsciously. Haiti and the Dominican Republic are two countries that were once one nation, however, the long-lasting effects of colonialism have separated the island which the nations sit into two independent Caribbean countries. Numerous events have led to the modern day conflicts and issues between these great nations, which include violations of civil rights, deportation and violence. To illustrate, relations that developed after the Parsley Massacre and the independence of these nations played a major role in their current social and racial battles. While the nations hatred for each other is clear today, it is important to note that the feud between Haiti and the Dominica Republic has been going on for more than 400 years.

Among the more notorious dimensions of the age of exploration and colonization is the impact which this massive wave of maritime transmigration would have on the indigenous populations of those locations where European settlers made landfall. And perhaps no historical figure is as emblematic of this impact than Christopher Columbus, who in his ambition to bring gold, spices and cotton home from the lands he believed to be the West Indies, would help to set off one of the most complete genocides in human history. As the text by McKay et al (2003) demonstrates, Columbus approached the natives that he encountered in the Caribbean with a sense of European superiority that would come to define colonialism and to justify its attendant ethnic cleansing. Indeed, the perspective offered by Columbus is that of a conqueror establishing dominance over a people quite vulnerable to subordination.

The Caribbean region in the late eighteenth century was exploited in many ways: plantations altering any financial potential and cruel oppressors exploiting natives and slaves to keep the “Old World” linked to the “New World.” Full of pirates, slave rebellions, and involved in multiple wars including the Nine Years’ War and the Seven Years’ War. They were home to many plays for profit, the easiest of which was smuggling. The causes and responses to smuggling were all around the same, all that matters was whom the smugglers were working for, and whose funds were being subverted by said smuggling.

Charles Beatty-Medina specializes in Latin American History and did extensive research in Latin America. He completed his doctoral dissertation is 2002, and taught at Harvard University 2001-2003. Currently, Dr. Charles Beatty-Medina teaches courses on African experiences in the Americas, the Atlantic World, Colonial Latin America,

It is impossible to begin to understand the dynamics of the Panama Canal Zone without looking at the intersectionality of race, class, and gender within the Zone. Racism, classism, and sexism were seen in many day to day interactions between Panamanians, United Statesians*, and West Indians in the Zone. These prejudices were seen first through the power dynamics between Panama and the United States, and the citizens of each. Donoghue describes the Zone as the result of a “Mephistophelian deal with the United States” (9). In this description, the United States acted as Mephistopheles, a devil from Faust by Goethe, which in turn used its power to exploit Panama, demonstrating from the beginning

The Caribbean is a vastly diverse area representing the effects of colonialism, slavery, and the combination of many cultures.

In a quaint little village tucked away on a beautiful Caribbean island, lays the seaside town of Runaway bay. A town filled with deep rooted culture on an island filled with welcoming natives. The pleasant vibes of reggae music and Rastafarian culture flow from the hills to the sandy shores. This island rich with tropical fruits and spices is located in the heart of the Greater Antilles. History tells that the enslaved island once known to its natives as “Xaymeca”, has come a long way in becoming the independent nation known today as Jamaica. In the Sea of many islands known as the West Indies, Jamaica stands peaceful, welcoming tourist and expanding rapidly. From an early age my passion for the island and its culture

In “A Small Place” by Jamaica Kincaid, Kincaid explicitly describes the effects and consequences that imperialism had on Antigua, while implicitly condemning imperialism for the effects and consequences indigenous people endured through allegory. Examining the results of imperialism in a cultural aspect provides a deeper connection for the audience to fathom the struggle people of Antigua experienced. Kincaid illustrates herself as the main protagonist who directly speaks to the audience as if they are the ignorant tourist. Through the utilization of the second person perspective, she immerses the reader emotionally, which through the experience proves to be more captivating.

Challenges of Caribbean Society in Achieving National Unity There have been many attempts for the Caribbean nations to come together as one, leading to national unity in the region. Some attempts at unity include: Federation, CARICOM (Caribbean Community), CARIFTA (Caribbean Free Trade Association), CDB (Caribbean Development Bank), UWI (University of the West Indies), CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council), and recently CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy), which is still in the process of being carried out. The Caribbean’s aim is to come together socially, economically, and politically and to try to work as one nation. However, there are many cultural differences between the countries,

The evolution of Caribbean Literature started centuries before the Europeans graced these shores and continues to develop today. Quite noticeably, it developed in a manner which transcended all language barriers and cultures. Today the languages of the Caribbean are rooted in that of the colonial powers - France, Britain, Spain and Holland - whose historical encounters are quite evident throughout the region. The cosmopolitan nature of the region's language and cultural diversity develop from the mixture of European languages with Native American languages (mainly the Caribs and Arawaks) in the formation of creoles and local patois (hybrid languages) and those of Africans brought to the Caribbean as

“To what extent can it be argued that genocide and revolution are central themes in Caribbean History?”

To begin Latin America and the Caribbean as many countries that make up it group of countries. These countries each have an individual national identity which can be built in bountiful of ways. Firstly, a national identity is something that can presented by a single country using the greater of a wealth of topics, for example politics, culture, historical, climate and tourist attraction, this is just a small amount that can make up a country national identity. The country that this writing assignment is specifically about the one country of The Bahamas. The Bahamas as a country has many elements to its national identity and many of those elements will be discussed in detail throughout this paper. The first component of that national

“Do you believe Caribbean Media are victims or causal factors of the Americanization of Caribbean Culture?”