263 relies on non-quantitative or non-statistical modes of data . The The Farming of Bones The Dew Breaker article, using Narratology as its theoretical framework, aims to illustrate the extent to which, and to what ends is focalisation applied as a means of (re)presentation of realities in the selected texts. The paper adopts qualitative research methodology which collection and analysis. Thus, the primary sources of the research narratives: are the primary texts, relevant books, journals, articles, library materials, and internet sources. It is argued in this paper that focalisation details the visual, cognitive, emotional and physical perception of the characters' lives within the context of a given narrative world. Consequently, it is concluded in the paper that the readers' understanding and deeper appreciation of the physical, social and economic realities of the Caribbean/Haitian people is but the function of the application of focalisation. and (re)presentation of Caribbean realities in Edwidge Danticat's Focalisation and the (Re)presentation of Caribbean Realities in & Edwidge Danticat's and The Farming of Bones The Dew Breaker AKUSO, Ezekiel Solomon, Ph.D. Professor, Department of English and Literary Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna YOHANNA, Gilamdo Kwem poetics of focalisation has been deployed as a means of Department of English and Literary Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna Abstract The element of focalisation is one of the most important poetics in all narrative texts. However, it has over the years received less critical attention in the analysis of Caribbean literature as well as narrative texts of other climes in comparison to American and English narratives. This paper therefore examines how the UNIUYO Journal of Humanities (UUJH) Vol. 23, N0. 2, October 2019
264 classical, classical, discourse, structuralist and post-classical approaches. Of these Narratology as “the theory of narratives” is rooted in the formalist/structuralist theories which examine “what all narratives have in common - narratively speaking - and what allows them to be narratively different” (Bal, 1999:3 & Prince, 1982:4). In other words, it is concerned with the distinctive features and characteristics of narratives. Its major task is the elaboration and description of the functions of instruments deployed in the narrative processes for better comprehension of narrative texts. Regarding the categorisation and approaches to Narratology, Nünning (2009:53) and Gholami (2013:14-16) submit that narratology can be viewed from the pre- models of narratological approaches, this paper is located within the context of the narratological concepts are deployed within narratives as means of (re)presentation classical narratological approach, which focuses on “the textual features within a structuralist and formalist paradigm… primarily interested in the synchronic dimension of the poetics of narrative”. Over time existing studies on Narratology have indicated that a pride of place has been given to the English and American (Western) narratives much more than the Focalisation and the (Re)presentation of Caribbean Realities in Edwidge Danticat's and The Farming of Bones and reconstruction of Caribbean realities. through the use of signs and concepts”. It is in view of this that this paper examines how Keywords : Narratology, Focalisation, Zero-focalisation, Breaker (2004) as part of the corpus of Caribbean literature. The paper proceeds on the Internal focalisation, Multiple internal focalisation Introduction This paper surveys the narratological poetics of focalisation and (re)presentation of Caribbean realities in Edwidge Danticat's (1998) and The Farming of Bones The Dew assumption that the selected texts are imbued with narratological elements/concepts thing to stand in for another in order to transmit meaning; the construction of meaning that are meant to convey and represent the Caribbean realities. Representation has always played a significant role in the understanding of literary texts. That is possibly why Plato and Aristotle viewed literature as one form of representation. Dhanya (2014:1) submits that “representation can be a visual, verbal, or oral image; or a narrative, a sequence of images and ideas; or the product of ideology”. This paper, primarily, is concerned with the narrative representation in relation to narratological concept of focalisation which will be dealt with in the subsequent part of the paper. Milner & Browitt (2002:239), define representation as the “[…] use of one The Dew Breaker
265 poetics/elements heavily anchored on Gérard Genette's narrative poetics of Critics like Carraro (n.d:25) posits that Danticat “is probably the best-known contemporary novelist of Haitian descent writing in English…and her talent for writing was evident since 1994”. The choice of the primary texts is premised on the fact that they exhibit and yield themselves more to the exploration of the narratological element/concept of focalisation. Aside that, Edwidge Danticat's narratives also stand out as texts that combine structural innovation and audacity. This paper draws immensely from the classical narratological approach and is strictly limited to the classical narratological focalisation. Thus, Genettean narrative theory provides the framework upon which the and the Caribbean”. This implies that Danticat is not only identified as a recent analysis of this research is based. It therefore means that, as earlier stated, the paper illustrates the extent to which, and to what purpose focalisation is applied to relevant points in the selected texts as a means of [re]presentation of the Caribbean realities. Narratology as Theoretical Framework The etymology of Narratology derives from the French word “narratologie”, coined and first used by Tzevetan Todorov in his 1969 book . As a Grammaire du Décaméron Caribbean female writer but also a diasporic writer of Caribbean descent in America. “introduc[ing] a new dimension to the literary relationship between the United States Caribbean or narrative texts from other regions of the world (Çelebi, 2003; Miettinen, this textual element has been applied in the selected texts as means of [re]presentation 2006; Nkamanyang, 2008; Luo, 2011; Gholami, 2013; Dires; 2014, etc.). Previous researches have also shown that most researches done on Caribbean and, especially, Edwidge Danticat's narrative texts have only focused on context based theories to explore the historical, psychological, and political issues of the Caribbean people (Falquina, 2013; Munro, 2006; Falquina, 2014:171; Marxen, 2005, etc.) So far, little attention has been paid to Narratology as a viable tool of critical analysis of her narrative texts. This paper, therefore, intends to fill this gap by deploying the narratological (i.e. a textual) poetics of focalisation to demonstrate the extent to which of the Caribbean social, historical, political and psychological realities. Thus, the (2001:17) have identified her as one of the key Caribbean women writers primary objective of the present paper is to show the extent to which, and to what ends are the classical narratological poetics of focalisation are deployed in The Farming of Bones The Dew Breaker (1998) and (2004). Some of the earliest critics of Edwidge Danticat's works, Booker & Juraga UNIUYO Journal of Humanities (UUJH) Vol. 23, N0. 2, October 2019
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