Caribbean Literature and the Works of Alejo Carpentier By Kimberly VanKoten

The Caribbean Mixed heritage Indigenous, European, African, Asian Mixed heritage Indigenous, European, African, Asian Multilingual Multilingual Spanish-Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico Spanish-Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

Alejo Carpentier Cuban novelist, musicologist Cuban novelist, musicologist Born 1904, died 1980 Born 1904, died 1980 Russian mother, French father Russian mother, French father Lived in Switzerland, Cuba, Venezuela, France Lived in Switzerland, Cuba, Venezuela, France Precursor to “Boom” Precursor to “Boom” Sympathetic to communism and Cuban Revolution Sympathetic to communism and Cuban Revolution

The Kingdom of This World Published 1949 Published 1949 Setting-late 18 th, early 19 th century Haiti Setting-late 18 th, early 19 th century Haiti Slave uprising against French plantation owners, reign of black King Henri Christophe Slave uprising against French plantation owners, reign of black King Henri Christophe Inspired by 1943 trip to Haiti Inspired by 1943 trip to Haiti –First experience of the “marvelous real:” Citadel of La Ferrière, voodoo Marvelous Real Marvelous Real

The Marvelous Real Carpentier one of the first to employ this style Carpentier one of the first to employ this style Landscape, history, culture of Latin America inherently marvelous Landscape, history, culture of Latin America inherently marvelous "But what is the history of Latin America but a chronicle of magical realism?" "But what is the history of Latin America but a chronicle of magical realism?" Differences between magical realism and the marvelous real Differences between magical realism and the marvelous real “…what difference can there possibly be between Surrealism and the marvelous real? …if surrealism pursued the marvelous, one would have to say that it very rarely looked for it in reality. The marvelous real that I defend and that is our own marvelous real is encountered in its raw state, latent and omnipresent, in all that is Latin American. Here the strange is commonplace and always was commonplace.” “…what difference can there possibly be between Surrealism and the marvelous real? …if surrealism pursued the marvelous, one would have to say that it very rarely looked for it in reality. The marvelous real that I defend and that is our own marvelous real is encountered in its raw state, latent and omnipresent, in all that is Latin American. Here the strange is commonplace and always was commonplace.”

Baroque Style 17 th Century Europe 17 th Century Europe Pessimism Pessimism Disillusionment/rejection of renaissance ideals of order and beauty Disillusionment/rejection of renaissance ideals of order and beauty Preoccupation with the passage of time Preoccupation with the passage of time Emphasis on originality and stylistic devices- metaphors, hyperboles, and antitheses Emphasis on originality and stylistic devices- metaphors, hyperboles, and antitheses Ornate Ornate Distortion/artifice Distortion/artifice Carpentier sought to adapt this style Carpentier sought to adapt this style Differentiate New World from Europe Differentiate New World from Europe Invent a new idiom to describe the phenomenon of the “marvelous real” in Latin America Invent a new idiom to describe the phenomenon of the “marvelous real” in Latin America

Caribbean elements New World identity/break with Europe New World identity/break with Europe Colonial issues Colonial issues Slavery/Africans and Indigenous peoples Slavery/Africans and Indigenous peoples African cultural traditions-myth, legend, religion African cultural traditions-myth, legend, religion

Themes/Motifs in other Works Primitive vs. Civilization/time Primitive vs. Civilization/time –The Lost Steps (1953) Music Music –Concierto barroco (1974) –La consagración de la primavera (1978) Political themes Political themes –El acoso (1956) (Manhunt) Colonialism Colonialism –El siglo de las luces (1962) (Explosion in Cathedral) revolution –El arpa y la sombra (1978) (The Harp and the Shadow)

Works Cited Carpentier, Alejo. The Kingdom of This World. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, Eng: Penguin Books, Carpentier, Alejo. The Kingdom of This World. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, Eng: Penguin Books, Pérez-Reilly, Elizabeth K. Lo Real-Maravilloso in the Prose Fiction of Alejo Carpentier: A Critical Study. Nashville, Tenn: [s.n.], Pérez-Reilly, Elizabeth K. Lo Real-Maravilloso in the Prose Fiction of Alejo Carpentier: A Critical Study. Nashville, Tenn: [s.n.], Kristal, Efraín. The Cambridge Companion to the Latin American Novel. Cambridge companions to literature. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, Kristal, Efraín. The Cambridge Companion to the Latin American Novel. Cambridge companions to literature. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, Webb, Barbara J. Myth and History in Caribbean Fiction: Alejo Carpentier, Wilson Harris, and Edouard Glissant. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, Webb, Barbara J. Myth and History in Caribbean Fiction: Alejo Carpentier, Wilson Harris, and Edouard Glissant. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, Zamora, Lois Parkinson, and Wendy B. Faris. Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, Zamora, Lois Parkinson, and Wendy B. Faris. Magical Realism: Theory, History, Community. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press,

Works Cited for Pictures ier ier ier ier _c43480f63a.jpg?v= _c43480f63a.jpg?v= _c43480f63a.jpg?v= _c43480f63a.jpg?v=0