Journal article
The Science of Illusion-making in Aimé Césaire's La tragédie du roi Christophe and Une tempête
Research in African literatures, Vol.42(1), pp.154-171
03/22/2011
DOI: 10.2979/RAL.2011.42.1.154
Abstract
This essay considers Césaire's theater from the point of view of performance, by focusing on two works from his trilogy on decolonization: La tragédie du roi Christophe and Une tempête. The ability to create illusions, including the scientific knowledge necessary to do so, is portrayed as a European instrument, which can be used either negatively, to deceive the characters with the objective of exploiting them, or positively, as a means of raising consciousness in a manner that provokes development. The making of illusions by the different characters unlocks a game of mise en abyme, which leads to the establishment of a metatheatrical discourse about the role of theater in economic development. Ultimately, the frequent representation of illusion-making as a scientific or technical practice reflects Césaire's views about the transfer of Western cultural elements-including both theater and modern technologies-to the former colonies in the era of decolonization. © 2011.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The Science of Illusion-making in Aimé Césaire's La tragédie du roi Christophe and Une tempête
- Creators
- Roxanna Curto - Illinois State University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Research in African literatures, Vol.42(1), pp.154-171
- DOI
- 10.2979/RAL.2011.42.1.154
- ISSN
- 0034-5210
- eISSN
- 1527-2044
- Publisher
- Indiana University Press
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/22/2011
- Academic Unit
- French and Italian; Spanish and Portuguese; University College Courses
- Record Identifier
- 9984398019702771
Metrics
13 Record Views