Breadfruit or Chestnut? examines gender construction comparatively across the fiction of contemporary writers of Guadeloupe and Martinique. In particular, it explores the construction of gender identity by six authors—three male and three female—who have never been brought together in a study of this issue. Rather than following the trend of studying theory and cultural identity in the central male writers and of studying "women's writing" in the works of the female writers, Thomas expertly blurs these traditional boundaries in order to present an unexplored aspect of identity. In addition to illuminating women's conception of gender, this work examines the male equivalent and how each gender observes and perceives the other. Breadfruit or Chestnut? not only contextualizes the primary literature, but also draws on contemporary theoretical debates surrounding feminism, subjectivity, and postcolonialism. The combination of literary and historical tools of analysis allows for a deeper probing into gender relations in the French Caribbean.
Bonnie Thomas is a lecturer in the European Languages & Studies department at The University of Western Australia.
Chapter 1 Gender Identity and the French CaribbeanChapter 2 Literary Background and Gender BiasChapter 3 "Man is a Breadfruit and Woman is a Chestnut"Chapter 4 History, Lack and GenderChapter 5 Two Faces of the femme matadorChapter 6 Gender in the créoliste Satirical NovelChapter 7 Moving Away From StereotypesChapter 8 Conclusion: An Analysis of French Caribbean Gender IdentityChapter 9 Appendix A: Interview with Patrick Chamoiseau (extracts)Chapter 10 Appendix B: Interview with Maryse Condé (extracts)Chapter 11 Appendix C: Interview with Raphaël Confiant (extracts)Chapter 12 Bibliography
Thomas has undertaken the important task of reading for gender construction comparatively across the fiction of male and female authors of Guadeloupe and Martinique since the 1960s. Few scholars have been willing to invest the necessary effort. The results are stimulating and sometimes surprising, especially at the intersection of historical representation and gender construction.
