Browsing by Author "Rose, Denise Angela"
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Item Marxism, Naturalism, And Allegory In Roger Mais' Novels(2009) Rose, Denise Angela; Carter, Linda M.; Jackson, Wendell P.; English and Languages; Master of ArtsThe problem of this study was to examine in Roger Mais' novels, The Hills Were Joyful Together, Brother Man, and Black Lightning, Mais' interpretation of Jamaican poverty and its effects. In order to conduct this study, the writer employed both Marxist theory and fundamental concepts of naturalism. Essentially, the characters in The Hills are deficient because of economic limitations and fate, leading to discontent, violence, and murder. Mais' second novel, Brother Man, illustrates his pessimism about the general lifestyle of the poor, and, as in The Hills, describes death, gloom, and despair. Although the characters in Black Lightning hold similar values as those in the above two novels, Mais presents these characters less harshly. All three novels evidence Marxist ideologies, as Mais was sympathetic toward the strengths and weaknesses of the poor. Even though Mais speaks from this Marxist perspective, he draws upon a seemingly incompatible, naturalistic view when he suggests that his characters are determined by environment, rather than free will. These are contradictory premises, in light of the Marxist suggestion that proletarians can change their circumstances through a raising of class consciousness, whereas naturalists tend to depict human beings as defenseless victims of circumstance. From another point of view, these two positions are oddly compatible because both attempt to explain why the poor are routinely defeated. Mais channels the above didactic impulses aesthetically by converting his narratives into quasi allegories; for in all three novels there is an underlying pattern in which the setting acquires a metaphorical or in some cases a symbolic quality. This symbolic setting, in other words, becomes the initial chain of a predictable novelistic structure — setting, character experiences, and consequences of character actions. Despite his critics, therefore, Mais has contributed significantly to Jamaican literature by emphasizing the plight of the Jamaican poor, not only describing them realistically, but also evincing a Dickensian sympathy for their struggles, disillusionment, and disintegration.Item Roger Mais's Protest Novels: A Revolt and Self-Affirmation Mandate for Marginalized BlacksRose, Denise Angela; Henzy, Karl; Brown, Leiza; N'gom, M'bare; English and Languages; Doctor of PhilosophyThe problem of this study was to examine how Black marginalized individuals in the Caribbean use hybrid cultural practices—religion, family life, and creative arts—to protest societal dictates and simultaneously affirm their identity. Specifically, the marginalized use hybrid practices to cope with and simultaneously challenge the status quo that relates to their social, economic, and political climate. Mais adjoins his artistic sensibilities and skills to his writing, illustrating his intertwined overt and covert agenda of passive aggression—to effect desired change. Thus, in seeking to understand the mentality of the downtrodden population in Jamaica and their coping mechanisms, the researcher evaluated the problem identified in this study by critically examining Mais’s three multi-faceted novels: The Hills Were Joyful Together (1953), Brother Man (1954), and Black Lightning (1955). Mais’s three novels illustrate overlapping reasons why deviating from traditional religious practices, family structures, and creative arts necessitate the fundamental changes that the marginalized, in their seeming defenseless and naïve state, demands. Mais unmistakably demeaned societal values through the subtlety of his craft, which was predominantly apparent in this discourse. To establish the premise for this exposition, the researcher delved into historical facts that pre-date Mais’s affirmation and protest mechanisms. Additionally, the researcher employed theoretical works on colonialism, postcolonialism, cultural, socio-economic, and religious theories to advance the scope of the discussion. Although Mais’s novels evidence postcolonial readings, a lingering colonial mode pervades, particularly illustrated through the projection of the social institution of marriage as the standard for decent family decorum and traditional religious practices as the preferred or acceptable norm. Likewise, Mais examines Jamaican cultural norms in the form of creative arts—traditional dances, folk music, and crafts—which were derived from African and other historical experiences that the indigent used as coping and revolting tools. Mais’s novels also discuss the correlation between poverty and rebellion. Notable is that these selected novels structurally raise a thorough awareness of the strategies that poor people use to protest the system and simultaneously affirm themselves. In addition, Mais uniquely magnifies and celebrates his characters, despite the eventualities that he realistically inserts into their everyday existence, while he deliberately undermines any possibility of dignifying the actions or inactions of the colonizers and their oppressive “Babylon” system.