A Guadeloupean festival |
Guadeloupe and Martinique
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
BP5 Introduction
Monday, October 22, 2018
Blog post 4 Guadeloupe Research
When
trying to find information on Guadeloupean culture, there is multiple sources
to use. Guadeloupean culture has a variety of cultures inside of it. The
cultures I’m primarily focusing on is the French and Afro-European cultures.
Guadeloupe is under the jurisdiction of France. The citizens on the island are
just as French as the people in France. Guadeloupe has been an island of conflict
since it was discovered. The island was fought over several times between the
French and British. The French ultimately gained control of the island. The Africans
on the island were brought as slaves and they were harvesting sugar cane along
with other slaves to the European power houses.
The
most difficult part of researching the Caribbean cultures is that there is not
just one specific culture to investigate. I’ve had to dive into African culture
that tells me why there are certain colors used in the carnivals on the
streets. “Gold is an extremely popular color. It represents wealth and
fertility (http://blog.africaimports.com/wordpress/2015/02/the-hidden-meanings-of-african-clothing/.)”
The carnivals of Guadeloupe tend to last several months and there are tons of
colorful parades through the streets.
Guadeloupe is known for its beautiful waters and beaches,
so there are various places to visit. A notorious beach in Guadeloupe is Grande
Anse. This beach is a favorite among tourists.
The
next part of my research will be about the music used at the Guadeloupean festivals.
The music is called Zouk and I will be looking into the several instruments
played in the music. The music has a unique pattern to it that is different
from a typical 1-2-3-4 beat.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
BP3 "Little Cog-burt" and "Cotton Candy" Comparison.
In Little Cog-Burt, there is a little boy who cries all the time. This boy is known as Cog-Burt. He is very small and is often seen as a bratty little kid. He receives a gift but does not want it. However, Cog-Burt wants a fairy on the top of the Christmas tree. The woman hosting the party think the fairy is so precious that she shouldn't give Cog-Burt the ornament, but she gives in. Once, she hands him the ornament, she realizes he will never grow any larger.
In "Cotton Candy" by Dora Alonso, there is a woman named Lola whose sexual desires are suppressed by her mother's unwillingness to let her grow up and be out on her own. Lola often names butterflies after men she has desired to be with. Lola grows older with these sexual desires and finds some satisfaction by watching the animals mate in the zoo. As an old woman, she still has the overbearing desires and she eventually sees herself young again in the mirror with an older black man.
In Little Cog-Burt, the boy has an item he wants, and he gets it eventually, but in Cotton Candy the message is unclear whether Lola gets the satisfaction of another man. Both of these stories begin with another person not wanting to give them what they wish for. Lola's mother won't let her grow up and the hostess won't give Cog-Burt the fairy. However, in Little Cog-Burt the ending is more satisfying because the small boy clearly receives the item he wishes. At the end of Cotton Candy Lola saw her desires as a young woman again with the black man, but it's not stated that they have any sexual relations.
Lola and Cog-Burt are both portrayed as unattractive and unable to communicate their desires. Phyllis Shand Allfrey and Dora Alonso use the characteristics of being unattractive to show the audience how appearance matters. If the Characters in the story appeared to look normal, then they might have been able to get what they wanted easier. Lola felt like since her mom wouldn't let her communicate her desires for men, she couldn't ever state how she felt to a man. Cog-Burt's mother communicates to the hostess that he wanted the fairy. Communication is a struggle for both characters, but if Lola didn't have her mother then she might have gotten a man easier. Cog-Burt wouldn't have been able to request the fairy on his own. The mother's play a big part in both stories. One mother is helpful, while the other is controlling.
In "Cotton Candy" by Dora Alonso, there is a woman named Lola whose sexual desires are suppressed by her mother's unwillingness to let her grow up and be out on her own. Lola often names butterflies after men she has desired to be with. Lola grows older with these sexual desires and finds some satisfaction by watching the animals mate in the zoo. As an old woman, she still has the overbearing desires and she eventually sees herself young again in the mirror with an older black man.
In Little Cog-Burt, the boy has an item he wants, and he gets it eventually, but in Cotton Candy the message is unclear whether Lola gets the satisfaction of another man. Both of these stories begin with another person not wanting to give them what they wish for. Lola's mother won't let her grow up and the hostess won't give Cog-Burt the fairy. However, in Little Cog-Burt the ending is more satisfying because the small boy clearly receives the item he wishes. At the end of Cotton Candy Lola saw her desires as a young woman again with the black man, but it's not stated that they have any sexual relations.
A Caribbean mother. |
Monday, September 10, 2018
Bp2 Analysis Tetiyette and the Devil
A Guadeloupean woman |
“Tetiyette and the Devil” is the story about a teenage girl who is
never satisfied. She is seventeen years old and is in an appropriate age to marry.
There are several men who come the see her that are referenced as a “goat (Pg.1)" and
a “pig (1)" she denies seeing these men because of their appearance. However, a devil
comes a long and is dressed in gold and catches her attention. This conveys a
message that she is worried about appearance other than what can be inside a
person.
In the story, the mother tries to warn her daughter of the
potential evil of her husband. The daughter then lies to her mother by telling
her that everything is fine. When the daughter lies to the mother it makes it
clear that wealth and appearance is more important to this girl rather than her
honesty towards family.
Later in the story, the daughter cries out for help to her
mother as her husband starts consuming her. “Oh, Mama! Oh, Mama! Bel-air-drum! The
man to whom you married me, Bel-air-drum! Is a terrible devil! Bel-air-drum (3)!" He’s
eating me up! Bel-air-drum! The mother is showing her daughter tough love by
not helping her. Her mother proclaims, “As far as I’m concerned, I had also
warned her to beware (4)."
During the story there is repetition of the phrase “Bel-air-drum (3),”
and this can be used to make the reader or audience remember the story. The
intended audience of this story would most likely be for young Guadeloupean girls
or teenagers approaching the age of marriage. It’s a folk story to warn the
young women of Guadeloupe of a potential love based on appearance, because
everyone is not who they appear to be. Also, it informs these women that if they
get themselves into trouble the closest people to you may not help, as they
have warned you. It also shows, that you must be responsible for your own
actions.
At the end of the story the girl is almost fully consumed,
until her brother comes upstairs and cuts the devil open, then his sister
emerges whole. Even though the sister lied to their mother, the brother is a
forgiving person by helping her. The audience is in a conflicted state because
the unforgiving mother is just in her own right, but the brother is the savior
of the sister. So, who do you side with?
Works cited
Cesaire, Laurent, I and L. 1991.Green Cane Juicy Flotsam. New Brunswick, New jersey. Rutgers University press.
Monday, August 27, 2018
BP1 Guadeloupe and Martinique
Beach in Guadeloupe |
Have you ever desired of going to Guadeloupe or Martinique? If you have, here are some facts to consider before going. Martinique and Guadeloupe are roughly 170 miles away from each other. Martinique is the largest of the Windward Islands. Both Guadeloupe and Martinique are under the jurisdiction of France.
Guadeloupe
and Martinique have been fought over for centuries between the French and
British. The reason why Guadeloupe and Martinique are under the jurisdiction
today of France is due to several peace treaties. The Treaty of Paris in 1763
allowed the French to gain possession of the islands once more after the 7
years’ war. The reason these islands were fought over so much along with many
other Caribbean islands, is because of the sugar cane. Tobacco was the most
profitable crop until sugar can surpassed it in the world’s economy.
The
culture of Guadeloupe and Martinique primarily consist of African and French
settlers. Martinique is referred to the Paris of the lesser Antilles and the
most common creole language spoken there is based off French. However, there is
still a mixture of languages that include Portuguese, Spanish, English, and
some African languages on both islands. The most common African language would
be considered Pidgin. In Guadeloupe, men and women believe that they should be
respected equally. In Guadeloupe the people of the island practice Christianity,
but in Martinique the main religious practice in Catholicism. In Martinique, a dish
that the locals eat is named Boudin which means delicious local sausage
according to Culturetrip.com. Culturetrip.com states that there is pork, pigs’
blood, onions, and other ingredients included in the local meat. On these
islands, most travelers should try the fresh fruit and fish.
Cactusworldwide.com states that the Amerindian
people call Guadeloupe “Karukera” which is means island of the beautiful
waters. Guadeloupe a landmark you should see when visiting Guadeloupe should be
Fort Napoleon. Martinique has some mountainous views that should be explored,
and the capital is Fort-De-France. If you ever decide to go to these islands,
you should try the different foods, meet new people, and check out some of the
historical sights.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
About me
My name is Wayne, but I go by Joey. I live on my own and I work full time. I decided to move out of my parent's house at 18 because I knew it was best for me. Since that day, I have learned how to provide for myself and stand on my own. The prime reason I am in college is because I want to help people as physical therapist.
When I moved out of my parent's house, I was nervous, and I had every right to be. There were times to where I would have to work on my truck myself and fix it. Working on vehicles was something I have never done before, but I had to learn because I didn't have the money to pay someone else to do it. Getting started on your own has proven to be very difficult to me, while attending college. However, things are better now because I have learned how to save my money and work on my truck.
I went to boot camp when I was in middle school, because I got into some trouble. Ever since then, I have been fascinated with how the body works. All throughout highschool I was in weight training. During my time in weight training, I injured my back and I was not able to lie down comfortably. I went to physical therapy because the pain was unbearable. After three months of participating in physical therapy, I was able to lay on my back without it being in pain. After physical therapy, I thought to myself, "I could help other people recover." With this thought, I knew I could help people stand allowing them to function on their own again. However, there will be times that all I am doing is slowing down the process of someone losing their bodily functions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)