Kristine Martin demonstrates the need for the serious scholar to address the topic of African and Pacific literature in the form of comparative analysis. She has provided a good example for others to emulate. for her study is concerned with self-identity in the formation of ethnicity

Williams, James H.

English

VCU Scholars Compass

self-seeki n g j ourney . a l l  is not l os t .  A case ca n be made t o  show t h a t  even t he best  wri ters a re o n ly seek i n g  t he m sel ves: but i n  doi ng s o, t hey i l lu m i na t e  b o t h  t he i n ne r  a nd outer h u m a n l a n d sca pes no ma t t e r  what or where t he terr i t o ry l ies .  Li t e ra t u re must  be p l a n ted fi rmly i n  s ome o i l .  Even w o rk o f  n o n -rea l i s m  such a s  t h ose o f  Jorges Luis Bo rges make use o f  p i r i tua l l a n d  ca pes w h ich  h ave a t  least been part l y  i n her­i ted by t he wri ter .  Jus t  a orne Africa n a n d  Paci fic i s l a n d  l i tera ture is  t rans la t e d  into E n g l i s h  o r  French, 0 good n o n -l oca l w r i ters  t ra n sla te a foreign cul tural l a n d sca pe . A n y  t ra n s l a t i o n  is n ecessa r i l y  i m perfect , but the l i nk p ro­i ded m akes co m p re h e n  i o n  m o re p robable.  M a rga ret Laure nce was  i n  So m a l ia a nd Nigeria fo r seven year s .  He!, abi l i t y  t o  w r i te g rea t f iction about E a s t  a nd We t Africa, Ca nad a .  a nd t he B r i t i s h  I s les i s  d ue i n  p a rt t o  h e r  i magi na t i ve comprehensi o n  o f  t he O t h e r  - a n  abi l i t y  nurtured by h e r  e x periences on the African con t i nen t .  W h e n  l ike ca n o n l y  peak for  l ike, d i s t o r t i o n  fol l ows. Emissa rie bet ween peop le ca n h e l p  g i ve us a n  a pp recia t i o n  of human differences a n d  s h a red u n i ve rsa l s .  M a r t i n  h a s  d o ne fo r us what  M ich e n e r  a nd M e l vi l le were unable t o  d o  fo r her .  Critique R .  Dennis  Stewart Davis, Cal i fo r n ia Kr is t i ne M a rt i n  d e m o n  t ra tes t h e  need fo r t h e  ser ious sc h o l a r  to  a d d ress  the t o p ic o f  A frica n a n d  Paci fic l i tera ture i n  the f o rm of co m pa ra t i ve a n a ly. i . S h e has prov ided a good example for o t h ers  to emula t e .  fo r her stud y i s  co ncerned w i t h  se l f- ident i ty  i n  t he format i o n  of et h n ic i t y .  O t h e r  rea ders  w h o  a re u n fa m i l i a r  wi t h Africa n and Pacific is la nd t ra ns i t i o n a l l i te ra t u re m a y  ques t i o n  t h e  rele a nce and impo r t a n ce of M a rt i n 's a rt icle o n  fi r t rea d i ng .  H owever. the aut hor  makes two key p o i n t s  w h ich  a p p ro p r ia te ly  a d d re a ny concerns about relevan ce for widen i ng our fra m e  o f  refe re nce. Fi rst, s h e  n ote that  "the major con­ce r n s  of m a n y  Afr ica n a n d  Paci fic wri ters  a re issues which d e t e r mine t hei r v iabi l i t y  a s  member of  an et h nic co m muni ty. "  And her seco nd maj o r  p o i n t  i t ha t  A fr ica n a n d  Paci fic l i terature provides "a focu'. a mea ns by w h ich peo p le ca n i d e n t i fy t h emsel ves as members of a group w h ose b o n d s  t ra n scend t h e mae ls t rom genera ted by the col l ision of t ra ns i t iona l  a n d  tech nol ogica l forces. " 12 Beyond the analysis of l i t erat ure in the format ion of e thnic id en t i ty. however, is M art in's caref u l ly crafted biogra phica l informat ion con­cerning the develop ment of her course a t  the high school level in A ustral ia .  It is a lesson from which we can a l l learn in d eveloping e thnic cont ent in our own classes and co urses. I nd eed . M ar t in shows what obstacles stand before us whi l e  d e monstrat ing tha t  the roa dblocks are s u rmountable .  Scholarly e n d eavors s uch a s  M art in's m u st be u sed a s  tools  for ana l yz i ng and bringing forth the v i t a l  reservoir of s p ir i t u a l  and inte l lec­t u a l  power of racia l m inorit ies throughout the recent ly colon ii'ed world . for the sign i ficance of se l f-estee m in the format ion of a pos i t ive ethnic id entity is  para mount . Any thing less  than the fu l l  d evelop ment of e thnic a r t ists i n  academ ic circles can only serve a s  a d i l ut ion and ca mouflage for that which we ca l l  ethnic stu d i es .  Ja mes H .  W i l l iams Cal ifornia S t ate Polytechnic LJ n i vers i t y  Literature of Oppression: A Critique of "African and Pacific Literature" Mary Sisney Krist i ne Mart i n  sta tes tha t "the l i teratur e  which ha s d eveloped over the past thirty years in Africa and over the past ten in the Pa cific m irrors the i r  shared experiences and outloo k ." Black  Americans ha ve a lso l ived in a society control led by whites .  They have a lso been portrayed as unc i vi l ized . cu l tura l ly depri\ed . Iess-than-second-c1a ss cit izens. And �Iack Americans have a l so felt "bitterness ,  fru stra t ion. and longing . "  I t  IS not surpris i ng, therefore, that black American l iteratur e  ha s many of the  charact erist ics M art in found in African and South Paci fic l i t era­t 1I re. Li ke the wri ters of t he ne w l y  ind e pendent African and Paci fic n a t ions, such post-C i v i l  War b lack wri ters as Charles Chesnutt, P a u l  D un bar, and Ja mes W e l don Johnson were intent u pon red efining black i d ent ity. Their major characters were doctors, teachers. and ta lented m u s icians. This e m phasis u pon the b lack m i d d l e  class -"the ta lented tent h"- was an a t t e m pt to d emonstrate  that for mer slaves cou ld s uc­ceed in a whi te  world . Perha ps more i m portant , it was a lso an atte m p t  t o  erase. or a t  l e a s t  t o  ne u tra l ize ,  the Joel Chand ler H arris and Thomas Ne lson Page i ma ges o f  shi ft l ess b lack b uffoons. dom inant in late nine­t eenth cent ury A merican lit erat ure. '  13 

Critique [of African and Pac!fic Literature: A Comparative Study]

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Critique [of African and Pac!fic Literature: A Comparative Study]

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