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Postcolonial Literatures in French

Explore Patrick Chamoiseau's works focusing on rewriting history, in-betweenness, and postcolonial themes. Analyze the impact of globalization and regionalism on Caribbean identity and culture.

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Postcolonial Literatures in French

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  1. Postcolonial Literatures in French Dr Georgina Collins 1 February 2012

  2. Overview • More on Patrick Chamoiseau – his social, political, literary beliefs • Relevance of certain trends in the French Antilles – regionalism. Globalisation • Rewriting history – unofficial accounts of Martinique’s past • Chamoiseau – representing inbetweenness in his texts

  3. Trends in the French Antilles • Chamoiseau – Caribbean and French thinker • Thought must be understood against: the following background: • Cultural • Historical • Linguistic • Political • Regionalism and globalisation – antagonistic forces • Independence and départementalisation

  4. Regionalism • political or cultural attitude questionning legitimacy of national framework • Possible to argue that Chamoiseau adopts a regionalist posture • Against assimilation • France shouldn’t be the ultimate reference • Support for a recourse to Creole

  5. Globalisation • A good and bad phenomenon (Chamoiseau and Glissant) • Good: • it undermines the idea that ‘national’ roots are exclusive/unique • It offers possibility of redifining identities rhizomatically • Nationalism and capitalism – 2 major threats

  6. Texaco • Prix Goncourt – 1992 • Themes also present in Chronique… • Longer and more ambitious novel • Recounts the story of the island since slavery • Result of the author’s ethnographic study

  7. An unofficial account of Caribbean history • Between the past and present • Between traumatic legacy left by slavery • Negative consequences of départementalisation • Inventive and postmodern • Polyphonic representation of Caribbean history

  8. Ethnographic research • Ethnographic research – revealed in narrative itself • Paragraphs interspersed by passages from a diary • Ethnographer intervenes directly as narrator

  9. Defying power • exploring history from a different angle • parallel between yesterday and today • Martinicans have not escaped their chains • development of survival strategies • NB. débrouillardise

  10. Periods of Martinican history • Temps de paille(1823?-1902) • Temps de bois-caisse (1903-1945) • Temps de fibrociment (1946-1960) • Temps béton (1961-1980)

  11. Magic realism • Texaco: creole inbetweenness • Djobers’ market place – lieu de creolité • 2 strategies to explore creolité • Creole words and phrases • Magical realism • Magical realism often associated with postcolonial literatures

  12. Cultural difference and complexity • Effects of poetic strategy: • Allows ‘marqueur de paroles’ to mark cultural difference • Offers possibility of re-asserting the complexity of the other • NB shape of Caribbean island group – geographical metaphor

  13. Sum up the key points… - - - - - - - - - -

  14. This week’s seminar tasks Presentations to the class: think of questions to ask! Discussion of this week’s seminar questions Analysing the reviews

  15. Don’t forget to prepare for next week! The seminar questions are on your handout

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