Growing old with dignity: Women in Francophone literature of the Caribbean
Item
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Title
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Growing old with dignity: Women in Francophone literature of the Caribbean
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:832028e27f2a:10048
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identifier
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10119
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Creator
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Gertz, Charlotte,
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Contributor
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Lucienne J. Serrano
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Date
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2009
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Caribbean literature | aging | caribbean | dignity | francophone | postcolonialism | women
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Abstract
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This dissertation proposes to study the role of older women in the literature emanating from Haiti, Guadeloupe, and Martinique during the latter half of the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty-first century. The focus is on how the older woman attains the status of Dignity as a result of the strength and fortitude she displays in resisting the assaults inflicted upon her mental and physical persona. She is able to rise above her contemporaries in spite of the struggles which she had to endure before attaining that esteemed goal. Few literary accounts disclose the continuing recital of humiliation and degradation suffered by older women in the era of slavery and the periods of colonization and postcolonialism. Authorship was male-dominated among the few who had literary skills. The women's voices were muffled; they could neither read nor write in the language of the Other. They depended on oral history and collective memory to tell their descendents the stories of pain and subjugation they suffered. The Emancipation Proclamation, described by Professor Glissant as une ceremonie vide, resulted in spite of its short-comings, to encourage some women to take the initiative and loosen the fetters of silence. They became the voice for their less vocal sisters.;The literature included in this thesis, compounded of fact and imagination, reflects the beliefs and aspirations of a vital segment of society waiting to be heard. The tales told begin with part myth, part fact and then gradually evolve into the story of a people. The methodology employed is an examination of novels, essays, and critical works to assess the basic ideology of a whole segment of bruised humanity. The novels discussed act as messages from the women who wished to give credence to their silent history. They are written in French, the prescribed language of the Francophone communities, even though many references are made to Creole, the language dear to the heart of the people.;Although this dissertation is seamlessly integrated, it is divided into separate chapters using the literary works as fruitful sources: "Oral History," deals with the probable past as interpreted by the teller. When based on "Collective Memory", the story is often fused with personal adaptation. The illness and triumph of the ageing process accent the respect one earns after reaching un certain âge, but it also deals with the debilitating affects of sickness which often accompany old age. "Language and Religion" are two factors which are inextricably woven into basic structures of human society. The secret language of the African slaves and their inherited religion sustained them during their tempestuous mode of survival. "Color-Coded Determinism" deals with a woman who is thwarted in her life's activities because of the color of her skin. She relieves her frustrations and captures her self-identity in the act of writing her intimate thoughts in a journal. "Sexual Abuse" is a major factor in causing women to lose their self-esteem, dignity and family values. Gender is introduced as a social concern rather than a biological phenomenon. "Postcolonialism" is the chapter that demonstrates the after-effects of slave rule. Poverty, hunger, and inadequate living conditions still prevail, but there is hope for the future generation, sustained by the mothers and the grandmothers who sacrifice their own well-being to further the education and social ascension of their offspring.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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French
