Based on your previous readings of Caribbean literature and as you begin reading the texts for this course, what do you think Caribbean women writers specifically have to offer in contradistinction to their male counterparts?
Based on my previous readings of Caribbean Literature I think Caribbean women writers may be differentiated from their male counterparts mainly in terms of their point of view, especially factors of women such as their role in society. With a male Caribbean writer factors dealing with women will be from a third person perspective and therefore not as in-depth and accurate as would be the case with a woman writer.
I agree with kathleen entirely and even though i have not been exposed to much Caribbean women writers i feel as though they have a lot to offer because of the rich history of women in the region. These women would be able to produce work based on their personal experiences in terms of the struggles they may have faced with different issues such as the role of the woman, religion and the evolution of the caribbean woman just to name a few. For male writers on the other hand they may only write based on observations or what they "feel" or "think" are some of the things women go through. I want to make it quite clear also that when persons hear about female writers, they sometimes automatically think that the books may be riddled with social issues alone and a lot of emotions.However i feel as though women writers in the region are also quite capable of producing inspirational work which would be beneficial to many in the long run.
I agree with Adanna 100%. Literature written by Caribbean women reflect the true image of a Caribbean woman. I have not read a lot of literature by Caribbean women so I am excited about doing this course.
Like Shelly I haven't been exposed to much literature written by Caribbean women but i do think, however that they possess totally different experiences in comparison to that of women of the western culture whether it be socially or historically. I know they have a lot to offer and also that this course would be very informative.
From my limited knowledge of Caribbean women's writing, I realize that there is an attempt to explore the female mental state and the public facade she puts on. Basically there appears to be this splitting of self - woman the mother, woman the daughter, woman the wife etc. There is this preoccupation with what is expected of the woman and her attempts to grapple with or resist these expectations in books such as Crick Crack Monkey, Candy Don't Come in Grey, Wide Sargasso Sea etc. Therefore, as a female reader it is easy at times to make a connection with the material and the female protagonists' attempts to find themselves as the male protagonists in male Caribbean literature find themselves through initiation processes and revolutionary ideals.
It is obvious that the tradition of writing in most literary canons is male dominated and it is only fair that the canon of women writing be augmented. Most times one will encounter female protagonists or other female characters, but the total effectiveness of the female perspective is expressed through the eyes of a male author. In my mind, I found it difficult to recall any West Indian Woman Writer without doing an extended recollection of literary works that I have read. Names such as Sylvia Wynters, Merle Hodge, Louis Bennett and Jean Rhys came to mind. For Caribbean Women Writers, there is a desire to convey ideas, issues and experiences at the core of the Caribbean woman, not only through the competence of the West Indian Male writer or the writer writing from outside of the region, but in representing the region, directly from the entire experience and perspective of the Caribbean female author – ‘the horse’s mouth’. Literature written from the source like this captures the soul of its subject in ways that the imagination may only be able to do superficially by the male counterpart. The writing is then infused with a newness that includes the imagination and perspective of the minds of Caribbean women. The women writers write about themselves, by themselves with the recognition of an identity merged into the reality of the story’s essence. What makes the writing distinct is the competence of Caribbean Women Writers to represent the voice, mind and experience of the Caribbean region and that of Caribbean women adequately.
The title of Gayatri Spivak’s essay “Can the Subaltern speak?” first came to mind when I read the question for this blog. Why?
Like many of you have already noted, Caribbean women writers offer the story from a female perspective. It is their writings which give voice and agency to a group of once marginalized and dispossessed Caribbean women whose stories were once told only through male voices. Caribbean women writers therefore speak “the half that has never been told” (a phrase borrowed from the writings of both Lorna Goodison and Erna Brodber). This to me, is a major point to be noted in considering their contradistinction to their male counterparts.
Additionally, some noteworthy trends I have found in reading Caribbean women writings (that are also ways in which they are somewhat different to male Caribbean writers) is their preoccupation with: 1.Nature 2.The family 3.Specific themes, such as insanity and madness It is not that male writers overlook such, but the way in which they are presented and treated in women’s writings is often quite something to marvel at.
That being said, Helene Cixous’ challenge to female writers to- “write themselves out of the world men constructed for women” and “to put themselves- the unthinkable/unthought-into words” – I think, has been successfully accomplished by our Caribbean women writers.
For me Caribbean Women Writers, though they can be compared to their male counterparts have experienced levels of oppression and have constantly been seen as less than the male figures in society. Through the writings of the woman artist alot of the issues surrounding the experiences of women have been looked into from historical to present day issues. Based on my previous readings poetry by Lorna Goodison as well as looking at the works of Olive Senior and Erna Brodber's "Myal" we see themes of oppression, feminism and politics with regard to women in society constantly being raised in their works. In 20th Century Literary Theory the works of Helene Cixous and 'The Laugh of the Medusa' where she expresses 'that women must put themselves into the text as into the world and into history by their own movements'. through reading and theory." I have also learnt that though these writers are female and writing the women experience and represent a kind of 'Tribal Eye' on behalf of women, they are reluctant to confinement they do not want to be label as Feminist and to be out into any particular space they are Caribbean writers all the same.
Although reading literature by a Caribbean woman writer would give a female perspective on issues - a perspective that a man will not be able to give, I still think that that perspective will only be hers and not all women's, because each woman is different and, although we may have similar experiences, we would interpret those happenings differently. The voice of one woman will never be the voice of all women.
I think that everyone who commented highlighted the main distinction between male and female Caribbean writers; perspective. However, at the same time, perspective would be different amongst all writers, as they inherently write from their subjectivities. I am hoping that by the end of this course I would be able to articulate what is meant by "perspective". In my prior engagement with Caribbean writers, I think that way the personal and political spheres come together is what separates them from their male counterparts. I would like to suggest that women writers take a closer look at domesticity/domestic life whereas their male counterparts often don't engage as deeply with domesticity. Secondly, women writers from the Caribbean write out of a position of double marginalization as proposed in the introduction of "Out of the Kumbla," which enables them to have a different experience/interpretation of life.
while as Caribbean people our experiences will be generally the same we, as women may reract differently to or feel differently about specific situations. This also apllies to us as individuals. 10 different writers assessing the ssame story may have 10 differing points of view based on their individual feelings, norms, values and exposures. One way in which females in the Caribbean may differ from the males may be with regards to the idea of the loss voice, where the Afro-Caribbean female would feel a sense of double oppression in comparison to their male counterparts.
As everyone said, I think the most distinct feature would be the experiences that Caribbean women write about as well as their writing style in comparison to their male counterparts. Their unique perspective on female experiences in communities, families or the general public makes for good Caribbean literature. From the literature I have read before, female writers basically raise the same issues and dwell on the similar themes.
The experiences of women and strong female characters in literary pieces by Caribbean women writers have made these pieces very distinctive with respect to women finally having an identity within the pages of Caribbean scripts. I believe that literature is a form of art and art is about how you respond to it. With these female writers, they offer a world with their works where women can identify and feel empowered by these experiences that are enacted in these writings. Their male counterparts have dominated the literary landscape for a number of years; however I believe they offer a more general experience that can be vaguely identifiable by both males and females.
Based on my previous readings of Caribbean Literature I think Caribbean women writers may be differentiated from their male counterparts mainly in terms of their point of view, especially factors of women such as their role in society. With a male Caribbean writer factors dealing with women will be from a third person perspective and therefore not as in-depth and accurate as would be the case with a woman writer.
ReplyDeleteNoted. Thanks for starting off the discussion, Kathleen!
DeleteI agree with kathleen entirely and even though i have not been exposed to much Caribbean women writers i feel as though they have a lot to offer because of the rich history of women in the region. These women would be able to produce work based on their personal experiences in terms of the struggles they may have faced with different issues such as the role of the woman, religion and the evolution of the caribbean woman just to name a few. For male writers on the other hand they may only write based on observations or what they "feel" or "think" are some of the things women go through. I want to make it quite clear also that when persons hear about female writers, they sometimes automatically think that the books may be riddled with social issues alone and a lot of emotions.However i feel as though women writers in the region are also quite capable of producing inspirational work which would be beneficial to many in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Adanna 100%. Literature written by Caribbean women reflect the true image of a Caribbean woman. I have not read a lot of literature by Caribbean women so I am excited about doing this course.
ReplyDeleteLike Shelly I haven't been exposed to much literature written by Caribbean women but i do think, however that they possess totally different experiences in comparison to that of women of the western culture whether it be socially or historically. I know they have a lot to offer and also that this course would be very informative.
ReplyDeleteI read this poem recently... very interesting: http://caribbeanwomanincharge.blogspot.com/2011/03/baby-mama-drama.html
ReplyDeleteFrom my limited knowledge of Caribbean women's writing, I realize that there is an attempt to explore the female mental state and the public facade she puts on. Basically there appears to be this splitting of self - woman the mother, woman the daughter, woman the wife etc. There is this preoccupation with what is expected of the woman and her attempts to grapple with or resist these expectations in books such as Crick Crack Monkey, Candy Don't Come in Grey, Wide Sargasso Sea etc. Therefore, as a female reader it is easy at times to make a connection with the material and the female protagonists' attempts to find themselves as the male protagonists in male Caribbean literature find themselves through initiation processes and revolutionary ideals.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that the tradition of writing in most literary canons is male dominated and it is only fair that the canon of women writing be augmented. Most times one will encounter female protagonists or other female characters, but the total effectiveness of the female perspective is expressed through the eyes of a male author. In my mind, I found it difficult to recall any West Indian Woman Writer without doing an extended recollection of literary works that I have read. Names such as Sylvia Wynters, Merle Hodge, Louis Bennett and Jean Rhys came to mind.
ReplyDeleteFor Caribbean Women Writers, there is a desire to convey ideas, issues and experiences at the core of the Caribbean woman, not only through the competence of the West Indian Male writer or the writer writing from outside of the region, but in representing the region, directly from the entire experience and perspective of the Caribbean female author – ‘the horse’s mouth’. Literature written from the source like this captures the soul of its subject in ways that the imagination may only be able to do superficially by the male counterpart. The writing is then infused with a newness that includes the imagination and perspective of the minds of Caribbean women.
The women writers write about themselves, by themselves with the recognition of an identity merged into the reality of the story’s essence. What makes the writing distinct is the competence of Caribbean Women Writers to represent the voice, mind and experience of the Caribbean region and that of Caribbean women adequately.
The title of Gayatri Spivak’s essay “Can the Subaltern speak?” first came to mind when I read the question for this blog. Why?
ReplyDeleteLike many of you have already noted, Caribbean women writers offer the story from a female perspective. It is their writings which give voice and agency to a group of once marginalized and dispossessed Caribbean women whose stories were once told only through male voices. Caribbean women writers therefore speak “the half that has never been told” (a phrase borrowed from the writings of both Lorna Goodison and Erna Brodber). This to me, is a major point to be noted in considering their contradistinction to their male counterparts.
Additionally, some noteworthy trends I have found in reading Caribbean women writings (that are also ways in which they are somewhat different to male Caribbean writers) is their preoccupation with:
1.Nature
2.The family
3.Specific themes, such as insanity and madness
It is not that male writers overlook such, but the way in which they are presented and treated in women’s writings is often quite something to marvel at.
That being said, Helene Cixous’ challenge to female writers to- “write themselves out of the world men constructed for women” and “to put themselves- the unthinkable/unthought-into words” – I think, has been successfully accomplished by our Caribbean women writers.
For me Caribbean Women Writers, though they can be compared to their male counterparts have experienced levels of oppression and have constantly been seen as less than the male figures in society. Through the writings of the woman artist alot of the issues surrounding the experiences of women have been looked into from historical to present day issues. Based on my previous readings poetry by Lorna Goodison as well as looking at the works of Olive Senior and Erna Brodber's "Myal" we see themes of oppression, feminism and politics with regard to women in society constantly being raised in their works. In 20th Century Literary Theory the works of Helene Cixous and 'The Laugh of the Medusa' where she expresses 'that women must put themselves into the text as into the world and into history by their own movements'. through reading and theory." I have also learnt that though these writers are female and writing the women experience and represent a kind of 'Tribal Eye' on behalf of women, they are reluctant to confinement they do not want to be label as Feminist and to be out into any particular space they are Caribbean writers all the same.
ReplyDeleteAlthough reading literature by a Caribbean woman writer would give a female perspective on issues - a perspective that a man will not be able to give, I still think that that perspective will only be hers and not all women's, because each woman is different and, although we may have similar experiences, we would interpret those happenings differently. The voice of one woman will never be the voice of all women.
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone who commented highlighted the main distinction between male and female Caribbean writers; perspective. However, at the same time, perspective would be different amongst all writers, as they inherently write from their subjectivities. I am hoping that by the end of this course I would be able to articulate what is meant by "perspective". In my prior engagement with Caribbean writers, I think that way the personal and political spheres come together is what separates them from their male counterparts. I would like to suggest that women writers take a closer look at domesticity/domestic life whereas their male counterparts often don't engage as deeply with domesticity. Secondly, women writers from the Caribbean write out of a position of double marginalization as proposed in the introduction of "Out of the Kumbla," which enables them to have a different experience/interpretation of life.
ReplyDeletewhile as Caribbean people our experiences will be generally the same we, as women may reract differently to or feel differently about specific situations. This also apllies to us as individuals. 10 different writers assessing the ssame story may have 10 differing points of view based on their individual feelings, norms, values and exposures. One way in which females in the Caribbean may differ from the males may be with regards to the idea of the loss voice, where the Afro-Caribbean female would feel a sense of double oppression in comparison to their male counterparts.
ReplyDeleteAs everyone said, I think the most distinct feature would be the experiences that Caribbean women write about as well as their writing style in comparison to their male counterparts. Their unique perspective on female experiences in communities, families or the general public makes for good Caribbean literature. From the literature I have read before, female writers basically raise the same issues and dwell on the similar themes.
DeleteThe experiences of women and strong female characters in literary pieces by Caribbean women writers have made these pieces very distinctive with respect to women finally having an identity within the pages of Caribbean scripts. I believe that literature is a form of art and art is about how you respond to it. With these female writers, they offer a world with their works where women can identify and feel empowered by these experiences that are enacted in these writings. Their male counterparts have dominated the literary landscape for a number of years; however I believe they offer a more general experience that can be vaguely identifiable by both males and females.
ReplyDelete