Calypso Magnolia: The Caribbean Side of the South

FAIN: FA-53657-07

John Wharton Lowe
Louisiana State University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, LA 70803-0001)

This project examines the Caribbean's influence on key texts of the United States South, beginning with slave narratives and continuing through other genres and eras. Throughout the study, U.S. texts are compared to contemporary narratives of the Caribbean; similarities, differences, and possible influences are probed. Key issues examined include race, ethnicity, immigration, diaspora, colonialism and postcolonialism, exile, gender, and class. The study will also examine the ways in which stereotypes have been exploited or fought in various arenas, including popular novels and films. Ultimately, the project seeks to help establish a sense of the global South and a wider concept of Caribbean cultures