English 244. Contemporary Caribbean Literature in English
An introduction to the work of Anglophone Caribbean writers who grapple with the issues of colonialism, class, race, ethnicity and gender in a context of often-conflicting allegiances to Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. The main emphasis will be on fiction and poetry published since the 1950s, but we will also read some earlier 20th-century literature to better understand the priorities and concerns of later writers. As we read, we will find some common concerns reappearing, such as anti-imperialism and nationalism, migrancy and homeland, and the relationship of literature to oral traditions and Caribbean music such as calypso, reggae and dub. Authors usually include Derek Walcott, Kamau Brathwaite, Louise Bennett, Grace Nichols, Olive Senior, V. S. Naipaul, The Mighty Sparrow and Jean Binta Breeze.