The Caribbean Identity Essay -- Culture Caribbean History Cultural Ess

The Caribbean Identity The way in which Bentez-Rojo and Mintz tackle the perplexity of Caribbean identity in their articles, is a removed, documentary ideal, in contrast to Michelle falls portrayal of Jamaican identity. Cliffs portrayal touches the centre and soul of Caribbean identity. While Mintz and Bentez-Rojo are investigating trends in the Caribbean as a whole, from an outside perspective, Cliff offers the personal, tactile imagery of what it is to live in the Caribbean, utilizing the objective account of history as a background. Furthermore, Cliff deals with Jamaica, one island in the Caribbean, while Mintz and Bentez-Rojo are dealing with the Caribbean on a grand scabrous overview. The fact is neither article can be taken as complete truth. In fact, although Cliff uses history in her novel, I look at the account of history from someone who has completely accessed the interior of a place, is forever and a day going to be biased. Likewise, Mintz and Bentez-Rojo in making their hypotheses, are lacking an insiders view. It is the difference between a Caribbean person and Caribbeanist, respectively. Therefore, while on a logical level, an analytical level, Bentez-Rojo and Mintzs, conclusions as to Caribbean identity could rightly be accepted, these 2 authors do not possess the experience and intensity to make me as a reader, convinced of their conclusions.Bentez-Rojo and Mintz do utilize imagery in their texts. For example, Bentez-Rojo quotes E. Dovergier as a manner of displaying with images what he has attempted to explain regarding rhythm as being the unifying factor of Caribbean culture. Part of this description reads, the buyers buzz nearly like a swarm of flies they haggle, they gesticulate, they laugh, they babble ... ...er, it seems to be in Jamaica specifically, the elite and ruling class are never going to encounter what it was like to be a slave or possibly never admit that it was wrong to encourage slavery. Those who were slaves or rela tives of slaves, understand the horrors associated with slavery and impart not be able to forgive completely the naivity and self occasion on the part of elite in continuing slavery. For as Clare says, although emancipation eventually came, as well as official freedom of Jamaica from Britain, at that place is no essence of complete freedom. BibliographyAntonio Bentez-Rojo, The Repeating Island (Durham and London Duke University Press, 1992)Michelle Cliff, Abeng (New York Penguin, 1995 orig. 1984).Sindney W. Mintz, The Caribbean as a Socio-Cultural Area, in M. Horowitz, Peoples & Cultures of the Caribbean (Garden City, N.J., 1971).