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PACE Submission Front Sheet
33235046
STUDENT/ REG No
8 DIGIT NUMBER ON ID BADGE
Pa101zf@gold.ac.uk
COLLEGE EMAIL
B.A. Social and Cultural Studies 2011-2014
PROGRAMME
NAME & YEAR
CU51012A
MODULE CODE
TUTOR NAME
1,709
WORD COUNT
DRAFT DEADLINE 7th December 2011
DATE OF 7th December 2011
SUBMISSION
Essay or Assignment Title
(type in grey box below)
Please ensure when you submit your assignment that you attach the following
documents;
1. Submission Front Sheet
2. Plagiarism Document
3. Mitigating Evidence form if applicable
4. Disability Front Sheet if applicable
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Definition of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is an attempt (deliberate or inadvertent) to gain advantage by the
representation of another person's work, without acknowledgement of the
source, as the student's own for the purposes of satisfying formal assessment
requirements.
Recognised forms of plagiarism include
1. the use in a student's own work of more than a single phrase from another
person's work without the use of quotation marks and acknowledgement of
the source;
2. the summarising of another person's work by simply changing a few works or
altering the order of presentation, without acknowledgement;
3. the use of ideas or intellectual data of another person without
acknowledgement of the source, or the submission or presentation of work as
if it were the student's own, which are substantially the ideas or intellectual
data of another person;
4. copying the work of another person;
5. the submission of work, as if it were the student's own, which has been
obtained from the internet or any other form of information technology;
6. the submission of coursework making significant use of unattributed digital
images such as graphs, tables, photographs, etc. taken from books/articles,
the internet or from the work of another person;
7. the submission of a piece of work which has previously been assessed for a
different award or module or at a different institution as if it were new work;
8. a student who allows or is involved in allowing, either knowingly or
unknowingly, another student to copy another's work including physical or
digital images would be deemed to be guilty of plagiarism.
9. If plagiarism is suspected students will be required to supply an electronic
copy of the work in question so that it may be subjected to electronic
plagiarism detection testing. Therefore students are required to keep work
electronically until after they receive their results as electronic detection may
be part of the investigative process.
Source: Assessment Handbook 15f.
In submitting this work I confirm I have read and understood the
regulations relating to plagiarism and academic misconduct that I
signed when I submitted my Assessment Confirmation Form.
ASSIGNMENT TITLE
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WHY IS LANGUAGE SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN CARIBBEAN
LITERATURE? ILLUSTRATE YOUR ANSWER WITH REFERENCE TO AT
LEAST TWO WRITERS.
“How calm and tranquil look these negro huts,
Their fruit-trees round, and scattered cocoa-nuts!
Their dear security the negro loves...” (Chapman, 1833, Barbados)
Language is an important issue in Caribbean literature because it can be seen as a
means of questioning Caribbean heritage and solves the mysteries surrounding
Caribbean identities. An important aspect of Caribbean language is creolization which
is an aspect of Caribbean history. The mingling of slaves from different parts of
Africa across the Caribbean meant they had to communicate in a way which was
different from their original means of communication and that of their masters. This is
an aspect of creolization and must be looked into when understanding how important
language is in Caribbean literature. Also the idea of conformity by predecessors to
their masters as they imposed their norms makes the language used in Caribbean
literature essential in the sense that; should Caribbean literature be comprehended as a
true genuine thing originated from the Caribbean or simply a product of English
literature and other colonial masters.
28th August 1833 saw the Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British
Colonies; for promoting the Industry of the manumitted Slaves; and for compensating
the Persons hitherto entitled to the Services of such Slaves. All Persons who on the 1st
August 1834 shall have been registered as Slaves, and shall appear on the Registry to
be Six Years old or upwards, shall from that Day become apprenticed Labourers 1.
M.J. Chapman, a Caribbean poet wrote in this era; 1833, a poem called „Barbados‟
which expresses notions of freedom. It can be argued however that the poem is an
idyll and does quite distort reality. An idyll is said to be an extremely happy, peaceful
or picturesque period or situation, typically an idealized or unsustainable one2.
If the Act for the Abolition of Slavery saw the Slaves become registered as
apprenticed Labourers, surely the level of their freedom is still in question as they
were still required to do physical labour jobs under their master as an apprentice.
Therefore Chapman‟s expressions can be considered an idyll and a distortion to
reality. “The negroes now desert the master‟s field, And seek the joys that dearest
home can yield” (Chapman, 1833, Barbados) presents to its readers a sense of
happiness that follows freedom from oppression. Words such as “desert” can have a
punning meaning which has multi-effects on the meaning of what Chapman intended.
Although “desert” in this sense could mean to depart for good, it also paints a picture
of huge space as “desert” can refer to the acres of space on earth such as the Sahara.
This space could represent freedom metaphorically and the idea of “desert the
master‟s field”, although meaning to leave for good; combined with its punning
meaning, could be the poet‟s expression of becoming free. Supported with “joys that
dearest home can yield” the sentence then becomes the definition of an idyll, a happy
situation. Home being described as “dearest” helps emphasise how wonderful this
freedom is, but it is “Home” that underlines this freedom as it is often associated with
a sense of belonging. It is almost as if Chapman‟s sense of identity grows stronger as
1
http://www.pdavis.nl/Legis_07.htm
2
Oxforddictionaries (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/idyll
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he seems to portray a sense of Caribbean identity in “Barbados” positively. “How
calm and tranquil look these negro huts”, sums up the poem as a whole. The poem
mirrors a fantasy as Chapman expresses joys within a poem written during the time of
the Abolition of Slavery.
From the view of a Ghanaian Identity with an English upbringing; considering the
British were Colonial Masters of the Ghanaians, up until Ghana being the first black
African country to gain independence on the 6th March 19573, Chapman‟s views in
“Barbados” shows optimism which is a positive for not just Caribbean identities but
African identities as well, simply because our history is also one of oppression and
freedom just like Chapman‟s poem “The negroes that desert our masters field” which
clearly outlines oppression and freedom, and the Ghana National Anthem that is titled
“God Bless Our Homeland Ghana” and has a very powerful, emotional quote “And
help us to resist oppressors rule with all our will”. Although a religious quote, as God
is asked for patience to live through oppression, the fact that it is still singed today
shows the significance of Colonialism in Ghanaian/African identity. Growing up in
Britain feels home simply because they were once the Colonial Masters of our
Ancestors and like our Anthem shows, it is appreciated decades onwards from the
period of Colonialism. In relation to what has just been touched on about Ghanaian
identity combined with Britishness, the Abolition of Slavery in 1833 throughout all
British Colonies seems to create that excitement and appreciation for the Colonial
Master in the piece of work from Chapman in 1833 “Barbados”, which is an idyll and
distorts reality, but in a positive way.
There is, to take a final example only, the figure of the African Daaga, described in
the last chapter of Joseph‟s History of Trinidad, who in 1837 led a brief and ill-
prepared mutiny of the 1st West India Regiment in his determination to take his
followers back to Guinea. (Lewis, 1983, p.228-229) Identity is a problem. Although
the 1833 abolition of slavery saw “Negro” Slaves free of slavery, their identities were
never really recovered. Despite the argument that the transition from Slaves to labour
Apprentices is not exactly in itself a positive transition as they mirror the same
purpose, the fact that their heritage has been taken hence their identities transformed
from what it could have originally been from their intended social context, their
freedom is further in question which makes the idyll presentation in „Barbados‟ a
distortion to reality. Their freedom was not necessarily a “dear” return “home” as they
“desert their master‟s”. The language placed by Chapman in „Barbados‟ could simply
be outlining how important that little step to self proclamation is after the
emancipation of slavery. Use of language and metaphors picture the sweetness of the
freedom which is really important to Caribbean literature when the mixture of
different African identities is considered within Caribbean culture. Even today, they
may be free of their master but their unknown African heritage still lays over them
which bring the question of whether they are free in terms of knowledge of truth.
“I noticed he kept looking towards the east, watching as I conjecture the first
appearance of the morning star... „How is dis? I can‟t put dis meat in Quaco‟s
coffin‟... He ate it all up and placed the empty gourd in the coffin.” (From Michael
Scott‟s Tom Pringle‟s Log) Two different language registers are used in this passage.
Register can be considered the language style and vocabulary appropriate to particular
3
http://www.ghanaindependence.com/
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circumstances4. Here, the writer uses two different language style and vocabulary to
differentiate between the two characters within the poem. The first tone or register in
the opening line is presented the view from whereas the second is viewed as. It is
presumed from register in the first voice that it is the white man mimicking or
speaking for the black man as the story is being told about the black man. The
different dialects differentiate. Dialect is a regional, social or subordinate variety of a
language, differing distinctively from the standard language3. The rather informal
dialect is read out from the interpretation of the black man from the white man. The
use of different register and dialect is important to point out how the two races within
that era did not only differ in skin colour and in social class but intellectually as well.
It in a way brings to an understanding that the intellectual capability of the master was
the key to their position over the colonialists.
The white mans perceptions are perceived as correct and the norm whereas the black
mans is the complete opposite; queer in another sense. “He could understand how
devotees in pagan lands were moved at time almost madness by the call and
compulsion of their strange and horrible religions.” (de Lisser, 1929, The White
Witch of Rosehall) White observers in this passage are simply disgusted by the
actions of an African religious ceremony. The language used “strange and horrible
religions” which is described as “madness” is enough to explain the ways in which a
culture of normality is created by the white man and anything that does not conform
to that is not normal. Comparing this piece to the previous one, they both share the
idea of the superior and the inferior. From the different tone in voice between the
black man and the white man, to the differences in spiritual practices, the fact that the
white man is fascinated to portray to their understanding; this “weirdness”, an overall
view of colonialism is perpetuated as the white man in these texts impose their views
of what is correct similarly to how pre-colonial masters would have exerted their will
over the colonialists.
Earl Lovelace who wrote later in the 20th century as a Caribbean writer; from Trinidad
expresses his literary views differently compared to Pringle and de Lisse. “Dancing is
the chanting that cuts off power from the devil. Dance! Dance! Dance! Carnival
brings this dancing to every crevice of this hill.” (Lovelace, 1979) Unlike the previous
two writers, Lovelace shows some form of conformity to the white man ideology as
his reference to cutting of the devil shows his awareness of religion and a need to be
delivered from evil. Lovelace tends to relate to religion in this piece of work “Let
every sinner man bear his own blasted burden. Who is I to die for people who ain‟t
have sense enough to that they can‟t pelt a man with big stones when so much little
pebbles on the ground.” (Lovelace, 1979, p.4) During colonialism the treatment of
slaves created anger and hatred towards the white population owners, feeling that the
slaves could vent in only one way: resistance. Yet for the resistance to succeed, slaves
needed to share some common values. These slaves that were able to convert to
Christianity were able to create such a band through common religion 5. This idea of
common values makes Lovelace different. By using religion to what can be
considered to the satisfaction of the white man, there is no doubt Lovelace work
would be embraced as a norm. Religion outlines society, at least of the white man in
pre-colonial era, not strange practices like feeding the dead and rituals.
4
The Penguin English Dictionary 2002
5
http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/slave_trade/individual_essays/jeffery.html
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“The day the first snow fell I floated to my birth of feathers falling by my window;
touched earth and melted, touched again and left a little touch of light and everywhere
we touched till earth was white” (Brathwaite, 1984, p.310) Reference to snow here is
important when it is considered that not only would English be spoken in Anglophone
Caribbean, the education system would carry the counters of an English heritage,
hence Shakespeare, George Eliot, Jane Austen. (Brathwaite, 1984, p.310) Education is
an important theme in Caribbean literature when the work of Brathwaite and Lovelace
is looked at, seeing as the imposition of religion and English literary geniuses are
placed on the Caribbean‟s as they are presented to be of little knowledge. Looking
back at the references to snow, it could be argued that the studying of the likes of
Charles Dickens would have had an impact on the imagination of Caribbean Literary
geniuses such as Brathwaite, which makes the use of language in Caribbean literature
very important. It all boils down to sense of identity and whether the truth of their
heritage plays a part in their imaginations or whether their identities have been
moulded by colonialism.
Language used in Caribbean literature, whether formal or informal is a product of
colonialism. Whether it is the descriptions used by various writers or poets, or even
the relation to particular beliefs; the judgements made on what Caribbean literature
presents seem to be influence by the thinking of the colonial masters. Caribbean
Literature tends to focus on all that is oppressive and Language is an important device
in helping this stand out.
REFERENCE SHEET
Brathwaite, E.K., p.310, 1984, Nation Language, History of the voice: The
Development of Nation Language in Anglophone Caribbean Poetry London and Port
of Spain: New Beacon
Brathwaite, E.K., p.310, 1984, Nation Language, History of the voice: The
Development of Nation Language in Anglophone Caribbean Poetry London and Port
of Spain: New Beacon
Chapman, M.J., 1883, „Barbados‟
Chapman, M.J., 1883, „Barbados‟
de Lisser H.G., 1929, The White Witch of Rosehall
Lewis, G.K., p.228-229, 1983, Main Currents In Caribbean Thought, The John
Hopkins University Press
Lovelace, E., Calypso, 1979, The Dragon Can‟t Dance, assignment sheet from
Goldsmiths University of London
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Lovelace, E., p.4, 1979, The Dragon Can‟t Dance, Prologue
Michael Scott‟s Tom Pringle‟s Log
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.pdavis.nl/Legis_07.htm
Oxforddictionaries (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/idyll
The Penguin English Dictionary 2002
http://scholar.library.miami.edu/slaves/slave_trade/individual_essays/jeffery.html
http://www.ghanaindependence.com/
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