Writing from 'Within' as well as 'Without' the Tradition
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Due to the multi-ethnic origin of West Indian communities, the feeling of placelessness and search for cultural identity often emerges among important literary topics. V.S. Naipaul describes his necessity to emigrate in order to pursue the path of creativity and to challenge the feeling of his 'erasure' from global society. He speaks about oppressive 'numbness' the West Indian environment imposes upon its population. However, greater creative freedom under the patronage of a European country brings also extremely paradoxical situations which include as well as exclude the postcolonial artist who is at the same time inside as well as outside the Western tradition. Such position can become a burden but also a gate into the rich pool of cross-cultural imagination. Wilson Harris embraces the 'cauda pavonis' of West Indian essence challenging stereotypes and prejudices of hegemonic traditions, while Naipaul cherishes 'placelessness'/'distance' allowing him greater objectivity of vision. |
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