The Caribbean Identity Essay -- Culture Caribbean History Cultural Ess

The Caribbean individuality The way in which Bentez-Rojo and Mintz tackle the question of Caribbean identity in their obligates, is a removed, objective ideal, in contrast to Michelle slumps portrayal of Jamaican identity. Cliffs portrayal touches the heart and soul of Caribbean identity. While Mintz and Bentez-Rojo atomic number 18 investigating trends in the Caribbean as a whole, from an outside perspective, Cliff offers the personal, haptic 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 dealings with the Caribbean on a grand scaled overview. The fact is neither article can be taken as unload truth. In fact, although Cliff uses history in her novel, I believe the account of history from individual who has completely accessed the interior of a place, is always going to be biased. Likewise, Mintz and Bentez-Rojo in ma king 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 two authors do not be in possession of 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 element of Caribbean culture. Part of this description reads, the buyers buzz around like a pelt of flies they haggle, they gesticulate, they laugh, they babble ... ...er, it seems to be in Jamaica specifically, the elect and ruling mob are never going to understand what it was like to be a slave or possibly never admit that it was wrong to advance slavery. Those who were slaves or relatives of slaves, understand the horrors associated with slavery and will not be adequate to forgive completely the naivity and self involvement on the part of elite in continuing slavery. For as Clare says, although emancipation eventually came, as closely as official freedom of Jamaica from Britain, there 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).