Caribbean Lit and Film Final Exam

A Small Place

author: Jamaica Kincaid

country of origin: Antigua

The Infamous Rosalie

author: Evelyne Trouillot

country of origin: Haiti

Lisette

main character of The Infamous Rosalie, a young female Creole slave of Arada descent; related to Grandma Charlotte, Ma Kilman, and Brigette; in a relationship with Vincent

Ma Augustine

Lisette's godmother and guardian; shipsister with Grandma Charlotte

Grandma Charlotte

Lisette's grandmother; tells her stories about the Middle Passage; helps her connect to her past

Brigette

Lisette's great-aunt; skilled midwife, Voodooist, knowledgeable woman; aborted 70 babies before she confessed and died;

Michaud

former slave overseer; leader of the useless slaves; go-between for the maroons; has one arm

Gracieuse

an unwilling sexual partner of her master; had seven abortions done by herself before she died

Clarisse

betrays Lisette

A Tempest

author: Aime Cesaire

country of origin: a mythical island

Prospero

a sorcerer/master of the island

Caliban

a black slave who serves Prospero

Ariel

a mulatto slave who serves Prospero

Eshu

a black devil-god

The Kingdom of This World

author: Alejo Carpentier

country of origin: Haiti

Ti Noel

main character of The Kingdom of This World; friends with Mackandal

Mackandal

leader of the Haitian Revolution; believed to have magic powers

de Mezy

plantation owner

Henri Christophe

chef turned king

Marie Louise

Henri Christophe's wife and Napolean's sister

Soliman

Marie Louise's lover; practices voodoo

Annie John (novel)

author: Jamaica Kincaid

country of origin: Antigua

Annie John

main character of Annie John; has trouble becoming a separate self from her mother

Mother (Annie John Sr)

begins as a loving mother, but turns mean after Annie reaches puberty; representative of the British Colonial power

Gwen

Annie's best friend and first love

The Red Girl

an unconventional little girl who is a rule breaker and fascinates Annie John; Annie's second love

Ma Jolie

an obeah woman

Ma Chess

Annie's grandmother and a powerful obeah woman

obeah

a Caribbean sorcerer or sorceress

Omeros

author: Derek Walcott

country of origin: St. Lucia

Philoctete

fisherman with a wound on his shin

Achille

fisherman in love with Helen

Ma Kilman

healer woman

Hector

fisherman turned taxi man; also in love with Helen

Helen

a beautiful woman

Maud

Plunkett's wife

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

author: Juniot Diaz

country of origin: Dominican Republic

Oscar Wao

main character of Oscar Wao; fat nerd who struggles with being the traditional Dominican man

Beli

Oscar's mom who has had a rough life

Lola

Oscar's older sister; runs away from her abusive mother multiple times

La Inca

Beli's aunt/cousin and guardian

Yunior

womanizer, dated Lola, Oscar's roommate and family historian (narrator for most of the story)

The Last Supper

director: Tomas Gutierrez Alea

country of origin: Cuba

time period: 18th century

12 Years a Slave

director: Steve McQueen

country of origin: United States

time period: 1841

Black Shack Alley or Sugar Cane Alley

director: Euzhan Palcy

country of origin: Martinique

time period: 1930

The Man by the Shore

director: Raoul Peck

country of origin: Haiti

time period: 1960s

Lucia

director: Humberto Solas

country of origin: Cuba

time period: 1895, 1930s, 1960s

The Harder They Come

director: Perry Henzell

country of origin: Jamaica

time period: 1970s

Cows Wearing Glasses

director: Alex Santiago Perez

country of origin: Puerto Rico

time period: 2014

In Praise of Creoleness

author: Benabe, Chamoiseau, Confiant, Khyar

quote: there is no Caribbean literature yet

creoleness

a combo of Caribbean, European, African, Asian, and Levantine cultures

creolization

the coming together of cultures under pressure

Caribbean Discourse

author: Edouard Glissant

Caribbeaness

Caribbean creole culture

The Viewer's Dialectic

author: Tomas Gutierrez Alea

capitalist cinema

cinema to simply entertain; Hollywood cinema

cinematic realism

reveals layers of reality

active viewer

engages viewer in provoking thought and conversation

passive viewer

does not engage viewer

"Caliban" from Islands

author: Brathwaite

quote: Ban Ban- steel drums playing

Discourse on Colonialism

author: Aime Cesaire

quote: the colonizer is no better than Hitler

On the Marvelous Real in America

author: Alejo Carpentier

marvelous real in America

American form of magical realism

magical realism

supernatural mixed into reality, yet is normal or accepted

Towards a Third Cinema

author: Solanas and Getino

third cinema

cinema demonstrating liberation, Guerilla cinema

first cinema

filmmaker is free to express himself

second cinema

filmmaker is trapped; has no creative liberty

diaspora

the dispersion of any people from their homeland