Realism(s) in the Caribbean: the Early Fiction of Edgar Mittelholzer, Roger Mais, V.S. Naipaul and Wilson Harris (1950-1962)

The main purpose of this work is to provide, through the study of selected works, a survey of the Caribbean novel and of realism as its fundamental mode of representation in a decade, the 1950s, characterised by a veritable Caribbean literary ‘boom.’ The thesis investigates the role of social realism in the formation of a West Indian identity in the pre-independence period, but also in relation to the requests of the British literary market. Nevertheless, the research also intends to emphasize the rich and polyphonic nature of the Caribbean novel which, both formally and thematically, often tends to absorb other forms, modes or genres transcending mere ‘descriptivism’ to welcome anti-realistic or experimental stances. My investigation, which insists on the continuity between the English and the Caribbean literary traditions, covers a period of about twelve years and focuses on four representative authors: Edgar Mittelholzer, Roger Mais, V. S. Naipaul and Wilson Harris.