Welcome to our academic blog! Join the class discussions whenever and as often as you can. You can comment using your first name only, since we know each other fairly well by now.
I really fell in love with and had more appreciation for West Indian literature when I studied short narratives (the short story) as a UWI undergraduate student. I'm sure you remember the questionnaire you filled out at the beginning of the course; now that we have just two more novels to go as we study West Indian prose fiction this semester, what thoughts do you have so far as you read the selected texts, in comparison to what you've read previously - for study or for leisure - or are reading for other courses? Let's do some blogging and share what we think with each other.
I think the West Indian novel has a wider perspective scope than I anticipated.
ReplyDeleteThe day that Nadja asked the question about Anthony's intention I remembered when I was doing Introduction to Poetry and Dr. Kublalsingh said that writers write from their subconscious and it's our job as literary critics to decipher the meaning from their work. So that some writers may feel that there are no underlying intentions but subconsciously they are there waiting to be found.
ReplyDeleteSorry. I did not answer the question. The West Indian novel is my favourite genre of literature. Jean Rhys was much better on the second read. I read it during the vacation before the semester started and I did not understand why someone would write such a boring, predictable story. However when I heard all the issues interwoven in the 'boring' story I thoroughly enjoyed it afterwards. The bacchanal in Minty Alley was the best! Animated like other West Indian texts i've read like Crick Crack Monkey. Voices in the Dark was sad with death as most West Indian novels are that i've read. Finally the colored girl gets something and she loses it. Butterfly in the Wind started of slow but it ended well. Reading of the everyday life a young woman in Trinidad and her experiences years ago makes you see that you are very fortunate.
ReplyDeletereading about the everyday life of a young woman*
ReplyDeleteThanks for starting us off, John; and for adding your contribution(s), Alana.
ReplyDeleteThe similarity in what the two of you have to say has to do with the fact that your reading (and re-reading) of the West Indian novel has brought about a level of change in your thinking and understanding. That's good because it means you're being educated in some way by the literature.
Let's see what the others have to say.
I agree with Alana that Voyage in the Dark is a much better read the second time around. The second time you notice all the nuances that you missed the first time. Minty Alley, even though it had a lot of bacchanal was just ok to me, but Voices under the Window was good. I think I like the most about this course that we are exposed to West Indian writers that we previously had not met like Lakshmi Persaud and John Hearne. I'm not sure why this course is optional though. It seems to be that students should have to do both a W.I. poetry and a W.I. novel course.
ReplyDeleteYes, Oswyn, I too have encountered some writers for the first time in teaching this course. That you're now exposed to writers that for you are new means that you made the right option for yourself as regards this elective.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of the writer's intention and writing from the subconscious is an interesting one. When we did Short Narratives I came across the blog of one of the writers -I believe it was Geoffrey Philp- and he talked about this same issue. He said that many people approach him with their own interpretations of what he has written and in some instances he would concede that although their particular interpretation was not part of his original intention, it may have been in his subconscious. He also noted that even in cases were he is adamant that a particular interpretation was never part of his intent, some people still insist that they know what he meant better than he did. This must be pretty annoying for a writer to face. Whenever we discuss books in class I often wonder what the authors would think about our ideas.
ReplyDeleteWell, based on what I've heard one or two of them say, some are intrigued or pleased at what critics and readers come up with - that there books are analyzed and written about; some think when their books are published that they belong to the public domain and can be interpreted in various ways; some, as you say, insist they didn't mean certain things or have certain intentions proffered by readers; etc. How I see it is, why become a published writer if you don't expect that your work will garner various interpretations and responses - even those you didn't intend? I think it's similar to (visual and performance) art - the work will touch the viewer or audience in various ways because people see things through different 'eyes' (i.e. because of their diff. backgrounds, experiences, etc). We won't otherwise also have all these reviews, books, articles, essays, dissertations, etc, on authors and their work. We won't be studying Literature to begin with! So it is indeed an interesting thing to consider, Veron. Thanks for raising that.
ReplyDeleteThe West Indian Novel has been a great experience for me. I feel as though I have made connections with some of the protagonists that I have encountered. The way in which Lashkmi Persaud describes people and setting, paints a picture for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Lakshmi Persaud illustrates (and explains) quite vividly East Indian community and family life in a Trinidad setting. We'll talk in class about HOW this is done quite realistically and also what it means that this is conveyed through the point of view (who sees) and voice (who tells) of the East Indian female.
ReplyDeleteI took notice of the fact that early in the book Kamla highlights the essentially meaningless colonial education that she receives. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I still have not finished the book (I'm drowning in a sea of coursework) and therefore it may be too early to tell, but so far I see Lakshmi using Butterfly in the Wind in a similar way that Chinua Achebe used Things Fall Apart; giving her own culture the voice she thinks it deserves.
ReplyDeleteYou're quite right, Veron.
ReplyDeleteI think Achebe is a very strong comparison. I equate it with Crick Crack Monkey and Annie John, as these two women also SUFFERED under the 'meaningless colonial education'and left their respective islands to be exposed to the real deal- English education.
ReplyDelete