Trickster-hero and rite of passage: effects of traditionally west African folklore forms on postcolonial Afro-Caribbean literature

<p>This thesis focuses on the implied presence of African storytelling tropes and characters in postcolonial Afro-Caribbean literature. It argues that Afro-Caribbean writers deliberately utilize these tropes in order to separate themselves from a vestigial European cultural presence. The three main tropes and characters studied in this thesis are rites of passage, Trickster, and Hero. A hybrid character that embodies traits of both Trickster and Hero appears in contemporary Afro-Caribbean literature, suggesting that an African-inspired cultural hero is needed to transcend neocolonial boundaries. African-inspired rites of passage suggest that all Caribbeans of African descent should undergo both cultural and identity-related rites of passage, arriving at a sense of pride in both African pasts and a collective Afro-Caribbean present free from the colonial grasp.</p>

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

English

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Slana, Virginia

• postcolonial literature
• Caribbean literature
• neocolonialism
• afrocentrism
• African oral tradition

Repository record dc:identifier

https://via.library.depaul.edu/etd/171

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:via.library.depaul.edu:etd-1181