Karukera: Presence litteraire de la Guadeloupe (review)

Karukéra: Présence littéraire de la Guadeloupe, by Micheline Rice-Maximin. New York: Peter Lang, 1998. x + 197 pp. ISBN 0-8204-2696-2 paper.

Karukéra is comparable to a major folktale that sweeps the reader away to a breathless voyage through the Guadeloupean past. The author focuses on the inscription of this past in the writing of selected representative Guadeloupean literary figures to elicit the expression of the island's cultural identity from these works. The structure of the book illustrates the storytelling tradition of the Caribbean echoing the African call and response oral practice. The introduction requests the reader's attention with the storyteller's calls "tim tim!," and the conclusion appropriately closes the tale with the audience's response "bwa sèk."

The underlying impetus behind the book is the dialogue between history and writing. The first of the three parts, "Writing the Past," provides a succinct digest of the prominent themes and historical figures in Guadeloupean literature. Attention is devoted to the island's relationship with nature, a recurring theme exemplified by the very title of the book, KarukÈra, meaning the island with beautiful waters, to designate Guadeloupe. To the storyteller and the grandmother, both responsible for transmission and preservation of Guadeloupean heritage, the author devotes approximately five pages. Much emphasis, however, is placed on the rebellious spirit and acts of maroons, mythical figures whose contribution to the emancipation of 1848 is adequately acknowledged. Recognition is also granted to the significant role of nature in the maroon tradition of Guadeloupe, which is a component of Guadeloupean historical collective memory and identity. Other historical figures, such as Delgrès, Ignace, Solitude, Schoelcher, and their fight for independence, are also discussed.

The second part, "Writing History," focuses on Guadeloupean culture as expressed in the works of women writers. Although the importance of these women writers in Guadeloupean literature is recognized, the author devotes merely six pages to the chapter entitled "La femme." The selected works of renowned Guadeloupean women writers are briefly discussed in this chapter and are subsequently analyzed in the book where appropriate. The author also discusses the problematic of assimilation and the ambiguous and paradoxical relationship that Guadeloupe has maintained with France. The main thrust of the third part is the evolution of the Creole language in Guadeloupean literature and the role of that language as an instrument of unification and identification for Guadeloupean and French Caribbean communities alike. The hybrid nature of Guadeloupean literature constitutes one of the focal points of this section. The writing project as defined by the author reveals the ambitious nature of this endeavor, which provides the reader with a rather panoramic view of the complex nature of Guadeloupean literary themes. Although only the positive aspect of the problematic of Creole literature is discussed, the attempt to engage other Antilles in that problematic is to be commended.

The few typographical errors found on pages 87, 122, and 139 do not diminish the merit of this well-written book. The writer conveys the importance of oral tradition in Guadeloupean literature not only through the themes of the book but also by its structure. The author's writing style also reflects inclusion of women by always using both masculine and feminine forms where applicable. This book constitutes a very insightful and succinct discussion of Guadeloupean literature and will encourage the reader to further research nay theme of interest.

Danielle Wainwright

Danielle Wainwright received her PhD in francophone literature from The Ohio State University and is currently an independent researcher.

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