Publication Date

2017

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Smith, Matthew B.

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

LCSH

Language and languages--Study and teaching; African Americans--Study and teaching; Theater

Abstract

This thesis is a play written in English based upon the French audio recording entitled J'ai venge la race by Maurice A. Sixto, famed Haitian story teller, comedian, diplomat and language professor (1919-1984). Mr. Sixto is regarded in Haitian literature as an oratory genius for his uncanny ability to analyze every segment of Haitian society using a rich and prolific narrative. With humor, wisdom, and a deft understanding of Haitian societal norms, he used his iconic voice to create authentic characters that have become part of the Haitian cultural fabric. His stories exposed the ills plaguing 20th century Haitian society; everything from the psychological remnants of slavery, to class differentiation and discrimination, to the attachment to the French language versus the use of Haitian Creole in bureaucratic and academic arenas, and beyond. As it is written, the play is in keeping with the Haitian literary tradition of a narrative within a narrative style of storytelling that Sixto uses in J'ai venge la race. The play also does not support a fixed chronological canon, leaving its conclusion without closure and open to speculation. Thematically, the play is polymorphous, its themes ranging from the supernatural, to historical criticism, to personal testimony, to mysticism, to sex.

Comments

Advisors: Matthew Smith.||Committee members: Shannon Becker; Mark Schuller.

Extent

vii, 94 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

Download

Share

COinS