A central theme in Caribbean literature is the absence of regional or national identity (Povey 275). Also Edward Kamau Brathwaite, one of the major voices in the Caribbean literary canon, focuses on transcending and healing the fragmented culture of the dispossessed people, mainly the descendants of West African slaves, living in the Caribbean region. In his poetry, he reexamines the history of the black diaspora in search for cultural wholeness in present-day Caribbean life. Brathwaite’s aim thereby is to offer a corrective to these people’s problems of dispossession of history and of language.
In his first major work The Arrivants, Brathwaite’s overall goal is to enact a trajectory from the slave experience in the Caribbean colonies to Africa and back again to the islands, and thereby explore the African roots as well as the contemporary situation of the African diaspora in the Caribbean. Thus, he is able to illustrate some important African values, considered to be long-lost, in today’s Caribbean society and moreover, he is able to portray the affiliation of these black people to the Caribbean culture.
Accordingly, based on Edward Brathwaite’s poetry volume The Arrivants, the importance of West African people to the Caribbean culture and especially their imported African elements, such as language, dance, song, and ritual-artistic expressions, will be outlined in this paper to depict their strong influence in the Caribbean and to support their strong survival identities. Therefore, first of all, the social and cultural history as well as the languages of the Caribbean are described to help the reader better understand the contemporary historical background to which Brathwaite’s poetry refers. Subsequently, a brief overview of The Arrivants is given, to later on go into more detail by interpreting two of its poems, namely New World A-Coming and Caliban. In these poems, Brathwaite points out the brutal reality of historical deprivation in the New World and thus, the search of identity of African slaves for almost 300 years. But against this background, he later on emphasizes the desire for self-determination and the resistance of these black people, their newly developed African rituals and hence, their great influence on all aspects of Caribbean culture.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Historical Background of the Caribbean
- Cultural and Social History
- Language in the Caribbean
- Interpretation of Brathwaite's Poems
- Brief Overview of The Arrivants
- New World A-Comin'
- Caliban
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the poetry of Edward Kamau Brathwaite, particularly his collection "The Arrivants," to explore the significance of West African influence on Caribbean culture. It analyzes the poems to understand the historical context of Caribbean identity, the legacy of slavery, and the search for cultural wholeness in the diaspora. The paper aims to illustrate how Brathwaite's work offers a corrective to the fragmented identities of Caribbean peoples, particularly the descendants of West African slaves.
- The impact of slavery on Caribbean culture and identity
- The role of language and cultural expression in shaping Caribbean identity
- The search for cultural wholeness and self-determination within the Caribbean diaspora
- The influence of African traditions and values on Caribbean society
- The resistance and resilience of African slaves in the face of oppression
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter, "Introduction," establishes the central theme of the paper, exploring the absence of regional or national identity within Caribbean literature, specifically focusing on Brathwaite's work and its exploration of cultural fragmentation and healing. This chapter introduces "The Arrivants" and Brathwaite's overarching goal of tracing the trajectory of the slave experience from Africa to the Caribbean and back again, highlighting the importance of African roots in contemporary Caribbean society.
Chapter 2, "Historical Background of the Caribbean," delves into the complex cultural and social history of the region. It discusses the indigenous populations, the arrival of Europeans, the development of the plantation economy, and the tragic impact of the Atlantic slave trade. This section details the inhumane conditions of the Middle Passage, the subsequent dehumanization of slaves, and the formation of fugitive communities as a form of resistance.
The chapter then examines the influence of the French Revolution on the Caribbean, highlighting the rise of slave rebellions and the eventual abolition of slavery. It concludes by exploring the introduction of indentured labor from India and other Asian countries, offering a continuation of colonial exploitation after the formal end of slavery.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on themes of Caribbean identity, cultural fragmentation, and the influence of African traditions on Caribbean society. Key terms include: Edward Kamau Brathwaite, The Arrivants, African diaspora, Atlantic slave trade, cultural wholeness, language, identity, resistance, and the Caribbean.
- Quote paper
- B.Ed. Lena Groß (Author), 2014, The indispensability of former West African people to the Caribbean culture, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/272886
