Caribbean snow and ice

Graziadei, Daniel (2020): Caribbean snow and ice. Exploring Literary Tropical-Arctic Island Relations. In: Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures, Bd. 14, Nr. 1: S. 10-29

Abstract

This article discusses a rather unexpected connection between ice and islands, namely the occurrence of snow, ice, and coldness in Caribbean literature. The first part examines decolonising literary answers to the colonial tradition of snow and ice in Caribbean schooling: Kamau Brathwaite's study History of the Voice and Derek Walcott's Nobel Prize lecture The Antilles, Fragments of Epic Memory prepare for the different positions taken in V.S. Naipaul's novel The Mimic Men, Sam Selvon's short story 'The leaf in the wind', and Aime Cesaire's long prose poem Cahier du retour au pays natal as well as Stewart Brown's poem 'Whales'. The second part focuses on snow, ice, and coldness as reflections of the diaspora experience. It does so via close readings of 'M'a kai den sneu' by Curacaoan poet Frank Martinus Anion as well as L'enigme du retour by Haitian-Canadian novelist Dany Laferriere. The third part turns to the role of snow, ice, and coldness in furthering global relations and metafictional passages via a discussion of Kamau Brathwaite's poem 'Guanahani', Edouard Glissant's last novel Ormerod, and Derek Walcott's short essay 'Isla Incognita' as well as his poem '18' from The Prodigal. Ultimately, the article argues that the poietic creation of literary spaces and places that include snow, ice, and coldness within Caribbean literature can serve emancipatory and globalising purposes.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften > Department 2
• Themengebiete: 400 Sprache > 400 Sprache
• ISSN: 1834-6049
• Sprache: Englisch