Brathwaite!
“Much postcolonial literature seeks to assert the richness and validity of indigenous cultures in an effort to restore pride in practices and traditions that were systematically degraded under colonialism”.
Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin. The Empire Writes Back. New York: Routledge, 1989.
Having reading some of Kamau Brathwaite’s work is my first time in reading about the colonization in the modern era. What chiefly grapes my attention is the writer’s language. That is not a pure English, and not as the same time an independent language as it is driven from the colonization circumstances at that land.
After failing in understanding lots of words and ideas, I directly focused on the interview since I was certain it will reflects some of the writer’s ideas, philosophy, and background. As a result of being an American writer and having a Carrabin origins, Brathwait wanted to discuss his original home issues- one of which is the colonization and all of its concerning issues such as slavery, poverty, and losing identity- in a literary way. Regardless of respecting his usage of the “nation language” as he descried it, I am really wondering what if he used the standard English, so that it will be easier and perhaps more popular not only for English speakers, but secondary English speakers as well.
In addition, I am feeling there is in somehow a connection between the language font and the “Islam”! The font as I have read, reflects the Meadville Islamic manuscripts. I am not, frankly, pretty sure what this land popular religion; nevertheless, I am just wondering why did he choose this particular font. Is he a Muslim, Does he like the font style? Or is he just focusing on introducing or renew a non- familiar things?
Also, his tendency of repeating some words is really obvious in a number of his poems. Is there propose of doing so? Does his choice of a certain words reflect it’s significant even if some of them are pronouns? Or repetition is something related of being an oral performance?
Some of the parts made me confused as well you said, and I tried hard to figure out how I should read or interpret. I think the repetitions might be related to the oral performance. But I am not sure if Brathwaite performs his poems. Another thing you mentioned in your response is the word “Islam” and if it has any religious connotation. I think it definitely does and also points out the diversity of the African communities in terms of religion, tradition, culture and language. The commonality between these nations and communities was being captured and traded as slaves.
Noura, I agree with Hediye here that African culture is diverse in terms of religions and languages.
Brathwaite’s repetition of some words, I believe, is to emphasize their significance in the text. I listen to some of his spoken poetry and he also uses the same strategy of repetition to stress some words which are more important for his theme than the others.
We will talk about “Creole” languages tonight which might help clarify.