Editor's Introduction

 Throughout this semester we have read an incredible amount of stories that detail the Caribbean and the culture and lifestyle of those in the Caribbean. The literary style and themes are so unique and many of the different themes link together through central cultural ideas and activities. We have explored non-fiction sources, like documentaries that highlight the day-to-day life of those living in Caribbean nations. On the other hand, we have explored movies and fiction stories that highlight the entertainment and literary ideology of the Caribbean and their magical thematic ideas. After taking in and examining all of the stories and documentaries there have been five artifacts that have highlighted all the material that we have gone over this semester. The artifacts and themes include death, loneliness/isolation, the ocean, gender dynamics, and hegemony. All of these main themes and artifacts link together to create an overall dark tone to many of the stories that we have read this semester. Outside of the documentaries, all of these ideas are the main driving forces to many of the stories that we have read. They contribute to almost all of the stories not having a traditional happy ending.

The theme of death is present in many of the stories and is one of the biggest artifacts. It is a main part of Caribbean literature and highlights the darkness in many of the stories. The artifact of death in my digital archive is centered around the story “The Last Voyage of the Ghost Ship”. This story had one of the most interesting plots of all of the stories that we read this semester. This story deals with death in a way that is so tragic; the main character of the story comes home to find that his mother has suffered a heart attack while he was away. What made this even more death centered, is that the chair that the mother was sitting in had four others die in it previously, and this all occurred while the young man had spotted a ghost ship, which is another sign of death.

Next, the theme of loneliness and isolation is the main theme in the story “Some People are Meant to Live Alone”. This story is completely and wholly about loneliness and living in isolation. The story focuses on Uncle Arthur, an introvert that lives alone on a hill. He lives away from everyone, and tells the young boy the story of why he lives alone. He tells his nephew that some people are meant to live alone and that he has never become truly lonely. However, like many of the Caribbean short stories of the year there is a dark undertone; it is possible that Uncle Arthur lives on his own because he killed another guy that was bothering him and driving him insane. If true, the loneliness is needed because he is shrouded in guilt and must stay away from the general public. The isolation and loneliness shows how some people are meant to be alone, and throughout Caribbean literature loneliness can be a way for authors to express how poor living and societal conditions are around them.

In addition, the ocean is also an artifact that is key to the Caribbean literature that we have read this year. The ocean is multifaceted in Caribbean literature, and is such a powerful object. “Dream Haiti” highlights all of the powers and symbols that the ocean possesses. In this story I believe that it fully encompasses how the Caribbean would view the ocean. It is full of opportunities, but it is also a barrier that ties with the other artifact of loneliness. In this case however, it is not the feeling of isolation but rather a physical barrier that can present that said feeling. In “Dream Haiti” this barrier is highlighted because the main character can not go back once he is aboard. He sees the trip out of Haiti to a new land as a point of opportunity, but it is also a roadblock to returning home if things do not go to plan. In a Caribbean fashion it is the roadway to new opportunities, but it can also keep many from opportunities if they do not have the means to leave.

Also contributing to the Caribbean short story dynamic is the relationship between genders. In the poem “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid. This was a very fascinating poem that we read towards the end of the year. It really was unlike anything that I have read. It has a very distinct style to it and gets its point across very well. In a bunch of the Caribbean literature that we have read, it is clear that the women in the stories were seen as inferior, and in many cases that they were dirty. In this poem it is the same. It highlights a girl (Caribbean), and it goes through her daily thoughts. She constantly has to focus on acting like she is clean because she does not want to be viewed poorly or have someone take advantage of her. This causes the artifact of women to have their very specific problems that are caused by the absence of equality among genders in the stories.

Lastly, hegemony is an artifact that is ever present throughout Caribbean literature. Hegemony is one of our postcolonial terms, and it is important to the literature that we have read this semester. Hegemony is present due to the colonization that was prominent throughout the Caribbean by European nations. Now, many nations are feeling the repercussions of colonialism. In “Pioneers oh Pioneers”, the story highlights hegemony. In the story there is a clear divide between the native people and the white Europeans on the island. The main character starts to have a relationship with a lady of color, and the other white people on the island become very critical of him for having a relationship with someone of a different background. They feel that it is wrong to interact with someone they feel is inferior. It shows how colonialism and hegemony has set a divide among nations, and again how many groups feel isolated and set in a niche.