Whereas to holidaymakers from the West the Caribbean has always appeared to be a paradise on earth – beaches, carnival and reggae – news coverage of this region has, in contrast, presented it as a hell-hole of political and natural disasters. Caribbean writers have consistently challenged both of these types of representation in their texts. Using current literary/cultural theory to read some key texts, we will explore the potential of Caribbean literature as anti-colonial resistance and as an attempt to create a pan-Caribbean identity.
Texts:
Perry Henzel: The Harder They Come (1972)
Jamaica Kincaid: A Small Place to Be (1988)
Jean Rhys: “Let Them Call it Jazz” (1962)
Participation:
Regular attendance, active participation, reading and writing assignments.
For those who want to take the course as a "Proseminar", requirements include a short oral presentation and a term paper.
For those who want to take the course as a "Cultural Studies Übung", an oral presentation or a written test at the end of term will suffice.
If you have any questions, please contact me at swantje.kaiser@uni-saarland.de |
