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Preservation Or Progression : Indo-Trinidadian Cultural Fluidity As Seen Through The Works Of V.S. Naipaul And Shani Mootoo, Mohua Chakraborti

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The aim of this thesis is to clarify and analyze the arguments about national and marginal identity made by two Indo-Trinidadian authors, V.S. Naipaul and Shani Mootoo. Naipaul argues that Trinidad as a nation cannot survive because it must be dependent on colonial rule. He argues that Indo-Trinidadian's are neither British nor Indian, and they lack identity and stability. In contrast, Mootoo argues that Trinidad is fully capable of establishing its own identity, and that Indo-Trinidadian culture does not need colonization nor India to define it. She argues that culture is a fluid and constantly changing idea. Mootoo recognizes the …