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Student Research submissions 2015 (2015 research options) Research Post 1 |
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Joyce
M. Strong
Haitians’ Identity through Literature
My research is focused on the Creole or Kreyòl language of Haitians and
how the usage of Creole in literature represents Haiti’s identity as a former
colonized country. The colonization of Haiti by France and the Haitian
Revolution are widely known, whereas the culture that was developed due to the
influence of France is not as widely known. I am familiar with the subject of
Haiti and its languages and religion due to the French language and civilization
courses I took during my undergraduate studies. The areas of Haitians speaking
French and them becoming the first black republic were focused on with little
attention to the Creole language that emerged. I am interested in learning more
about the Creole language of Haiti and the usage of it not only in everyday life
but literary works. The question that I have is how does the usage of Creole in
Haitian Literature represent its identity as a former colonized country?
I began my research using Wikipedia to search for Haiti. Selecting the
culture tab led me to the Wikipedia page for Haitian Language (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Creole).
The page offered the history and origins of the language. It is a creole
language based on 18th century French. It emerged from contact
between French settlers and African slaves in the French colony of Saint
Domingue. Saint Domingue is now known as Haiti.
The orthography of Creole was the most significant aspect on the page. I
went to the references section of the page to find sources that pertained to
more than the orthography of Creole. I didn’t find any that was of interest so I
began a search on UHCL’s library online databases. I found several articles in
Academic Search Complete and JSTOR that pertained to the Haitian Literature and
the usage of the language after independence was won. In the article "Haitian
Creole at the Dawn of Independence" (http://www.jstor.org/stable/4149315),
Albert Valdman provided an overview of Creole texts from the late colonial and
early independence periods. History and examples of the Creole language are
shown with several excerpts from Creole texts. Emphasis was placed on the
expressions that were often used when speaking French first and switching to
Creole.
Herman F. Bostick’s article “Toward literary Freedom: A Study of Contemporary
Haitian Literature" (http://www.jstor.org/stable/272876)
discussed how Haitian Literature emerged after the writing of the Declaration of
Independence. It led to the new trend in literature that showcased national
pride. The literary works that were published gave insights in Haitian minds and
as Bostick states “to express the soul of the Haitian people taking into account
both their African and French backgrounds” (252). Bostick’s article
mentions the technique that many writers
used that incorporated the French language with Creole expressions and how
Haitians authors “seek to write a
literature that can be called their 'own'—representing the Haitians as a people
bound together by a common heritage” (256). In the article “A Primer of Haitian
Literature," George Lang revealed the connection between Kreyòl and Haitian’s
independence. Kreyòl was the language of the Vodou practitioners Boukman, and
Makandal. They led the slave revolt
against the French using Vodou. It was also the language of Toussaint
Louverture, the leader of the Haitian Revolution.
Lang focused more on the influence of the French influence in his
article. French verse forms were included in Haitian Literature and despite the
heavy influence, African heritage and oral tales were included in Kreyòl
literature.
In conclusion, the Haitian identity is represented in Literature through
Creole. The language itself is a reminder of Haiti’s history as a colonized
country. Creole is an aspect of their colonized history that Haitians considers
their own. The French could not entirely understand Haitian Creole due to the
addition of African languages and dialect to their French language. Haitians
held on to their native language by combining it with the language they were
forced to speak due to colonization. The literature that emerged after their
independence gave a voice to Haitians. Their life experiences, beliefs, and
culture were captured in written texts through the language that represents
their French and African background. It became a way to record their history and
have it available for future generations.
Bibliography
Bostick, Herman F. “ Toward Literary Freedom: A Study of Contemporary Haitian
Literature. Phylon 17.2 (1956): 250-256. JSTOR. Web.2015.
Lang,
George. “ A Primer of Haitian Literature in Kreyól.” Research in African
Literatures 35.2 (2004): 128-140. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2015.
Valdman, Albert. “ Haitian Creole at the Dawn of Independence. Yale French
Studies No.107 (2005) 146-161. JSTOR. Web. 2015.
Wikipedia.com. 2015. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Creole).
