The Cultural Politics of Sugar: Caribbean Slavery and Narratives of Colonialism (Cultural Margins)

Keith Sandiford's study examines the importance of sugar as a central metaphor in the work of six influential authors of the colonial West Indies. Sugar, he argues, became a focus for cultural desires as well as a hard fact of the Caribbean's political economy. Sandiford defines this metaphorical turn as a trope of ''negotiation'' that organizes the structure and content of the narratives. Based on extensive historical knowledge of the period and recent postcolonial theory, this book suggests the possibilities negotiation offers in the continuing recovery of West Indian intellectual history. With The Expansion Of Trade And Empire In The Early Modern Period, The Status Of Sugar Changed From Expensive Rarity To Popular Consumer Commodity, And Its Real And Imagined Properties Functioned As Central Metaphors For The Cultural Desires Of West Indian Creoles. Keith Sandiford's Study Examines How The Writings Of Six Colonial West Indian Authors Explore These Properties To Publicise The Economic Value Of The Consumer Object, And To Invent A Metaphor For West Indian Cultural Desires. Sandiford Defines This Metaphorical Turn As A Trope Of 'negotiation' Which Organises The Structure And Content Of The Narratives: His Argument Establishes The Function Of This Trope As A Source Of Knowledge About The Creolised Imagination, About Its Social And Political Idealism. Based On Extensive Historical Knowledge Of The Period As Well As Recent Postcolonial Theory, This Book Suggests The Possibilities Negotiation Offers In The Continuing Recovery Of West Indian Intellectual History.--jacket. 1. Ligon: 'sweete Negotiation' -- 2. Rochefort: French Collusions To Negotiate -- 3. Grainger: Creolizing The Muse -- 4. Schaw: A 'saccharocracy' Of Virtue -- 5. Beckford: The Aesthetics Of Negotiation -- 6. Lewis: Personalizing The 'negotium'. Keith A. Sandiford. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 208-216) And Index. With the expansion of trade and empire in the early modern period, the status of sugar changed from expensive rarity to popular consumer commodity, and its real and imagined properties functioned as central metaphors for the cultural desires of West Indian Creoles. Sandiford's 2000 study examines how the writings of six colonial West Indian authors explore these properties to publicise the economic value of the consumer object, and to invent a metaphor for West Indian cultural desires. Sandiford defines this metaphorical turn as a trope of'negotiation'which organises the structure and content of the narratives: his argument establishes the function of this trope as a source of knowledge about the creolised imagination, and about its social and political idealism. Based on extensive historical knowledge of the period as well as postcolonial theory, this book suggests the possibilities negotiation offers in the process of recovery of West Indian intellectual history. Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 7 1 Ligon: 'sweete negotiation'......Page 30 2 Rochefort: French collusions to negotiate......Page 47 3 Grainger: creolizing the muse......Page 73 4 Schaw: a 'saccharocracy' of virtue......Page 94 5 Beckford: the aesthetics of negotiation......Page 124 6 Lewis: personalizing the 'negotium'......Page 156 Postscript and prospect......Page 181 Notes......Page 187 Bibliography......Page 214 C......Page 223 G......Page 224 O......Page 225 S......Page 226 W......Page 227