ORALITY AND TEE SHORT STORY: JAMAICA AND THE WEST INDIES HYACINTH MAVERNIE SIMPSON A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Programme in English York University North York, Ontario June 2000 Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et 8ibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KI A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Lhrary of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ORALITY AND THE SHORT STORY: JAMAICA AND THE WEST INDIES by Hyacinth Mavernie Simpson a dissertation subrnitted to the Fâculty of Graduate Studies of York University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of OOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY @ 2000 Permission has been granted to the LIBRARY OF YORK UNIVERSITY to lend orsell copies of this dissertation, to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA to microfilm this dissertation and to lend or seIl copies of the film, and to UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS to publish an abstract of this dissertation. The author reserves other publication rights, and neither the dissertation nor extensive extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's written permission. Abstract - Oraiity and the Short Story: Jamaica and the West Indies This thesis argues that the distinctiveness of modem short stones from Jamaica and the West Indies is evident in the writers' reconfiguration of the aesthetics oftheir art so that the oral imagination becomes the basis of their literaxy output. Critical analysis is primarily concemed with identïfjmg traditional and contemporary uses of language within the Afio-Jamaican cormunity and tracing ways in which this oral context has impacted on narrative voice, structure, genre, characterization and themes. Close reading of selected texte reveals that the connetion between modem short stories and theu oral context is demonstrable in a number of ways including: 1. The use of dialect as both the language of narration and dialogue in ways that extend the meanïng of the story; 2. Experiments in genre which allow for the '%oicing"of the text, that is, the recreation of the dynamics of speech events in the written text; 3. The use of myths, rituals, tropes and plot structures fiom the oral tradition as the basis for creating socially relevant texts. The study Iocates the close connection between orality and short story writing in the historicd and social circumstances which shaped literary tradition in Jamaica and the West Indies. Examples fiom the growing body of Jamaican short stories are offered as representative of the shaping innuence of historical and social conditions on the deveIoprnent of an oral aesthetic. In tracing ways in which the oral context has proposed methods of narration and rnodels of characterisation in modem short stones, the study repeatedly underlines the cornplementarÏty (in comrast to cornmon claims of their relationship of opposition) of oral and denforms. This complementarity, it is argued, proceeds from the writers' acknowledgment of, and active participation in, the creolisation process which has shaped West Indian expenence and iiterary imagination. One of the first fidi length accounts of the impact of orality on literary aesthetics, this thesis outhes the temof an oral theoretical approach in the analysis of short Stones fiom Jarnaica and the West Indies. Acknowledgernents 1 am gratefùl for financial assistance fiom the Canadian Commonwealth Scholars' Trust and for a gant in the form of an Ontario Graduate Scholarship, both of which made research for this study possible. 1 am especially gratefùl to Frank Birbalsingh whose UllStinting weand generoçity as an academic supe~sorspeeded the cornpletion of this study. Without his guidance, the process of conducthg research and wnting the dissertation would have been far less enjoyable and productive. I am also very much indebted to Susan Warwick and Paîrick Taylor. Parrick's eye for detail helped me produce a better paper and Susan's comments were invaluable in helping me clare my arguments. Jan Pearson's support in diEicult times encowaged me to keep working even when the odds seemed too great. Finally, but by no means least, special thanks to Sergei Shipilov for cornputer assistance, help with proof-reading, and for convincing me that 1 could finish what 1 started. Chronology of the Jamaican Short Story including major regional anthologies and movements 18% Selections From the Misceiianeous Posthumous Works of Philip Cohen Labatt, in prose and verse. PMp Labatt. Kingston, Jarnaica: RJ. Decordova. 1880 Ananci Stories. Folkway Records 3: Part 1, 53 54. W.A. Musgrave. London. 1 890 Marna's Biack Nurse Stories. Mary Parnela MilneHomes. Edinburg and London: Wiam Blackxvood and Sons. 1 896 "AReluctant Evangelist" and Other Stories. Nice Spinner. London. 1898-1 899 The Jamaica Times Weekiy Short Story Com~etition. A Selection of Anancy Stories. Una Jeffiey-Smith. Kingston, Aston W. Gardner. Anancy Stories. Pamela Colman-Smith. New York: RH- Russeii. Newo humour, beiq sketches in the market. on the road and at mv back door. Graham Cruickshank. Chirn-Chim: Folk Stories From Jamaica. Pamela Colman-Smith. New York: RH- Russeil. Maroon Medicine. E.A. Dodd. Kingston: Times Printery. Jamaica Song and Story. Walter Jecbll. London. Rpt. New York: Dover, 1966. Pe~-rpot:a maeazine depicha the personal and liahter side of Jarnaican He. Ed. C. Thornley Stewart and R.M. Murray. Kingston: Jamaica Times P~tery. Plummer 's Magazine. Ed. Oscar Plummer . Short Stories of Jamaica and "The War". Elspeth Fielding. Kingston: P.A. Benjamin Mfg. Co. Press. 1916 Jamaica tales for big and little folks. Walter M. N. Henry. Kingston: Times Printery. 1920 The Cacique's Treasure (And Other Tales). Alexander MacGregor James. Kingston: The Gleaner Company. 1920-1945 Planter's Punch. Ed. H.G. DeLisser. Kingston: The Gleaner Company. 1921 Four Stories and a Drama of Old Jamaica. Alexander MacGregor James. Kingston: The Gleaner Company. De mericle at Mona- a story of Alexander Bedward and some Jamaican sketches. M. Lopez. Kingston: Mutual Printing Company. 1924 Jamaica Anancv Srories. Martha Warren Beckwik. New York: G.E. Stechert and Co. 1927 Pimento. with a dram of common sense. Ed. Pat Beckett. Kingston:Mortimer DeSouza. 1928 A West Indian Pep~emot:or Thirteen "Ouashie" Stones. Thomas Reginald St. Johnston. 1929 Black Roadways. Rpt. New York: Negro University Press, 1969. 1929 and 1930 The Trinidad Magazine. Trinididad and Tobago. 1931-1933, 1939 The Beacon. Port of Spain, Trinididad. Ginaertown. Claude McKay. New York: Harper and Brothers. West Indian Review. Ed. Esther Chapman, Kingston. The Public Ovinion. Kingston: City Printers. Face and Other Stones. Roger Mais. Kingston: Universal Printers. Anancy Stories and Poerns in Dialect. Louise Bennett. Kingston: The Gleaner Company Ltd. And Most of Aü Man. Roger Mais. Kingston: City Printery. vi Sheets in the Wmd. A-E-T.Henry. Kingston: The Gleaner Company. 1942 BM.Barbados. 1943 First Issue of FOCUS These Mv People. Claude Thompson. Kingston: The Herald Printery. ''Rain For The Piains" and Other Stories. Cicily Waite-Smith. Kingston: The Gleaner Company. 1944 Bats in the Be&. AE.T. Henry. Kingston: City Printery. "The Cow That Laughed" and Other Stones. RL.C. Aarons. Kingston: Printers Ltd. Blue Mountain Peak (vrose and poetrv). John Figueroa. 1945 Bronze: Short Stories, Articles. A Poem and A Play Archie Lindo. Mandeville, Jamaica: Coilege Press. 2 945-present Kvk-Over- Al. Georgetown, Guyana. 1945-1958 The Caribbean Voices Propramme. 1946 My Heart Was Singinn: Poems and Short Stones. Archie Lindo. Mandeville, Jamaica: The College Press. 1948 Second Issue of FOCUS Pickapema. A.E.T. Henry. Kingston: The Gleaner Company. Two special issues of New Letters on Jamaican and West Indian Literature. Ed. Robert Herrïng. 1950 The founding of The Pioneer Press. Anancv Stories and Dialect Verse. Louise Bennett, Dorothy Clarke, Una Wilson and Others. Kingston: The Pioneer Press. 14 Jamaican Short Stories. Kingston: The Pioneer Press. vii "Scattered Petals7': A Collection of Verses and Short Stories. G.O.B. Wailace. Kingston: The Author. "Slumberina Ernbers": A Collection of Verses and Short Stories. G. O.B. Wallace. Kingston: The Author. Tales of Old Jarnaica- Clinton V. Black. Stones and verses to read and share. Eiia Washington GdEn. Kingston: The Pioneer Press. Caribbean Antholow of Short Stories. Kingston, Jamaica. Third Issue of FOCUS Anancy Stories and Diaiect Verse. Louise Bennett- Kingston: The Pioneer Press- West Indian Stones. Ed. Andrew Saikey. London: Faber and Faber. The Inde~endenceAntholoav of Jamaican Literature. Selected by AL. Hcndriks and Cednc Lindo with an Introduction by Peter Abrahams. Kingston: Ministry of Development and Welfare, The Arts Celebration Cornmittee. Lau& With Louise Bennett: a pot- DO^ of Jarnaican folkiore. stories. songs and verses. Louise Bennett. Kingston: The Author. The Caribbean Artists Movement began in London with Edward Brathwaite, Andrew Salkey and John LaRose. 1967-present Jamaica Journal. Kingston: Institute of Jamaica. 1970 SAVACOU'S fkst issue appears. 1973 Anancv' s Score. Andrew Salkey. London: Bogle L'Ouverture. Now. Ed. Stewart Brown. St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica. 1977 SAVACOU'S Women's Issue. 1978 "The Raa Doll" and Other Stories.