NEGOTIATIONS OF MULTICULTURALISM THROUGH MIMICRY AND HYBRIDITY

Abstract

Multiculturalism, as the fundamental condition of Caribbean life, has been at the centre of deliberations in the Indo-Caribbean literary text. Indeed, one can read the entire continuum of positions on multiculturalisms through the very earliest representations of Seepersad Naipaul and Samuel Selvon. Not only do these two writers confront multiculturalism as ideology, they also address it as an intrinsic socio-psychological conundrum in the quest for belonging in the Caribbean place. This article explores the ways the two writers present these issues and discusses the ongoing relevance of their representations in light of contemporary debates on multiculturalism as official policy.