Literature of the Caribbean »

LIZABETH PARAVISINI-GEBERT is Randolph Distinguished Professor of Hispanic Studies at Vassar College.

The Caribbean is an exotic but not too distant land, full of rich cultural traditions. The literature of the Caribbean reflects the social, political, and cultural concerns of the region and is a valuable tool for learning about the area and its people. This book includes chapters on roughly a dozen contemporary Caribbean writers. Along with plot summaries, these sections discuss major themes and give close attention to how Caribbean culture figures in the writer's texts. To help students conduct further research, each chapter cites works for further reading.

Savannah Schroll Guz - Library Journal

Paravisini-Gebert (Jamaica Kincaid) opens with an abridged essay-style chronology of the West Indies, tracing its frequently violent history-inextricably tied to sugar and tobacco farming-from the arrival of Columbus to the present day. The book's subsequent 15 chapters are devoted to a specific author, including a biography, publications, and description of the author's defining work. Presented are detailed, multipage plot analyses and explanations of relevant historical details, as they relate to narrative comprehension. Accessibly written and filled with penetrating insights, this book will prove a vital interpretive tool for both previously unacquainted readers and symbol-seeking scholars. Highly recommended for all literature collections.

Preface

1. Introduction

2. Michael Anthonys The Year in San Fernando

3. Alejo Carpentiers The Kingdom of this World

4. Michelle Cliffs Abeng

5. Maryse Conds I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem

6. Raphael Confints Mamzelle Dragonfly

7. Edwidge Danticats Breath, Eyes, Memory

8. Zee Edgells Beka Lamb

9. Magali Garca Ramiss Happy Days, Uncle Sergio

10. Jamaica Kincaids Annie John

11. Mayra Monteros The Messenger

12. V. S. Naipauls The Mystic Masseur

13. Patricia Powells A Small Gathering of Bones

14. Jean Rhys Wide Sargasso Sea

15. Simone Schwarz-Barts The Bridge of Beyond

16. Derek Walcotts Omeros

17. Joseph Zobels Black Shack Alley

18. Works Cited