Becoming Sea-worthy

We have a big day ahead of us in that Parts I and II of Wide Sargasso Sea will be before us. Chadha's film on Wednesday emphasized fusions and hybrids in the context of cultural productions and individual/collective identities, ideas we can certainly think about as we discuss Rhys and her novel. Rhys, of course, was a white Creole from Dominica, which makes her part of an important transnational, multiracial category, and provides challenges to the basic notions of identity (challenges which are experienced by Antoinette/Bertha in her own ways in the novel). Rhys also represents problems of classification in that she's often designated a "British woman writer." As someone has written, how can the creator of Christophine be sincerely British? In any event, I've already given you a broad question or two to think about as you read Part II, but thinking back to Part I it seems there's still plenty of details to discuss: the significance of the parrot? Mr. Mason's attitudes about race, his wife, island politics, etc.? Antoinette's dream? The garden imagery?

Regarding other matters, I'm hoping that those of you who have yet to post a comment about Bhabha's "DissemiNation" will still do so by clicking on the comments link below Matt's posting. I have provided some information about the research review paper via a link on the website's schedule page; I'll try to give you some kind of a sample review essay, too, so that you can get some sense of how to go about structuring the paper. I was also asked about mkaing some of the quotes from the powerpoint slides available to you; I'll try to gather them (along with other miscellaneous quotes that gather around our reading and discussions as we proceed) on a new quotables page. I've also updated the website's bibliography page, and will continue to do so in the coming days/weeks (maybe an intriguing title there will set you on your way with your research review paper). Finally, you may have noticed Katie's suggestions for apprehending a copy of McLiam Wilson's novel, Eureka Street: she directed you to half.com and to alibris.