UC San Diego

486 Pages·2012·1.61 MB·English

UC San Diego
UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Title
Exhuming caliban : gothic and madness in late twentieth and twenty-first - century
Caribbean literary fictions
Permalink
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0wv917tw
Author
Escudero, Andrew Mario
Publication Date
2012

Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation
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University of California
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

Exhuming Caliban: Gothic and Madness in Late Twentieth and
Twenty–First – Century Caribbean Literary Fictions

A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

in

Literature

by

Andrew Mario Escudero

Committee in Charge:

Professor Rosaura Sánchez, Co–Chair
Professor Shelley Streeby, Co–Chair
Professor John D. Blanco
Professor David G. Gutierrez
Professor Kathryn Shevelow

2012
Copyright

Andrew Mario Escudero

All rights reserved, 2012
The dissertation of Andrew Mario Escudero is approved, and it is acceptable

in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically:

_________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________
Co–Chair

__________________________________________________________________
Co–Chair

University of California, San Diego

2012

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this dissertation to my children Jahlon and Jahlin, and in the memory of my
mother, Frances.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Signature Page………...……………………………………………………………… iii

Dedication………...…………………………………………………………………... iv

Table of Contents………...…………………………………………………………… v

Acknowledgements………..…………………………………………………………. vi

Curriculum Vitae……….....………………………………………………………….. vii

Abstract……….…………………………………………………………….………… ix

Introduction……….………………………………………………………….……….. 1

Chapter One
The Father of Gothic: Horace Walpole…………………………….…….…………… 29

Chapter Two
Constructing the Caribbean: Travel Narratives, Profit and power.….………….…..... 73

Chapter Three
The Cornerstones of Gothic Literary Conventions……...…...……..………...……… 123

Chapter Four
Gothic Literary Progenitors: Evil, Madness and the Supernatural…………………... 166

Chapter Five
Globalized Phantoms: Postmodern Caribbean Hauntings and Apparitions….……… 237

Chapter Six
The Gothic Caribbean/ Caribbean Gothic: A Tempestuous Chronicle….……..……. 286

Chapter Seven
Breaking with Tradition: Gothic Conventions in Caribbean Fiction…….…..……… 348

Conclusion…………..………………………………………………………….…….. 406

Notes……...……………………………………………………………….…………. 436

Bibliography…………………………………………………………….……………. 460
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This dissertation project would not have been possible without the instruction, inspiration
and advice provided by the professors and administrative expertise of the staff of
University of California, San Diego’s department of Literature. I thank the professors of
my committee and the professors that I have had the opportunity to work with in classes
at UCSD and San Diego State University. I also offer special thanks to professors
Rosaura Sánchez, Stephen Cox, Peter Herman, Joanne Cornwell and Maria Sánchez,
UCSD staff members Ana Minvielle, Thom Hill, Dawn Blessman and Kristin Carnohan,
and my dear friend Karen Clayborne for their support during especially trying times.

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CURRICULUM VITAE

EDUCATION

2012 Ph.D. Literature, University of California, San Diego. Dissertation: Exhuming
Caliban: Gothic and Madness in Late Twentieth and Twenty–First – Century
Caribbean Literature. Dissertation Director: Rosaura Sanchez (Ph.D. University
of Texas).

2008 Advancement to Ph.D. Candidacy, Literatures in English, University of
California, San Diego. Specialization: Early Modern British Literature, British
and American Gothic literary genres, 20th and 21st century Anglophone,
Francophone and Hispanophone Caribbean Literatures.
Qualifying Committee: Co–Chair person Rosaura Sanchez, Ph.D., Co–Chair
person Shelley Streeby, Ph.D., John D. Blanco, Ph.D., Kathryn Shevelow, Ph.D.,
David G. Gutierrez, Ph.D.

2002 B.A. with distinction in English Literature, minors in African–American
Literature and Creative Writing at San Diego State University.

1979 B.A. Sociology and B.A. Economics, minor in English, San Diego State
University.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Section Instructor (T.A.). Revelle College Humanities Writing Program at University of
California, San Diego from Fall 2002 through Spring 2011. Director: Professor Stephen
Cox, Ph.D.

Instructional English and writing tutor. Athletics department at San Diego State
University from Fall 2001 through Spring 2002. Assistant Director: Sabrina Youmans,
M.A.

Teaching Assistant and tutor. Remedial college writing program for the Rhetoric and
Writing Department at San Diego State University from Fall 2001 through Spring 2002.
Assistant Director: Professor Michael Underwood, M.A.

Teaching Assistant, Instructional Aid, Emergency Substitute Teacher.
Roosevelt Junior high school, San Diego Unified District Schools from Fall 1976 through
Spring 1980. Supervising Teacher: Vanetta Griffin, M.A.

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RELATED EXPERIENCE

Teacher’s Assistant, Instructional Aid and tutor in English and writing.
San Diego State University’s Upward Bound Program, Summers of 2000 and 2001.

San Diego State University AVID Program English, Writing and Math Teacher’s
Assistant and Tutor for middle school children at Granger Middle School in National
City 1999 and 2000.

Volunteer English and Writing Tutor for inner–city youth at the San Diego Inner City
Junior Golf Foundation 1999.

Teacher’s Assistant, Instructional Aide and Student Mentor. San Diego State
University’s Engineering Department. Super Summer Program in cooperation with the
San Diego Foundation in the summer of 1999.

English composition, expository and creative writing tutor. San Diego State University’s
College Readiness Program, Division of Undergraduate Studies from Fall 1999 through
Fall 2000.

LANGUAGES

Semi–fluency and reading proficiency for research in Spanish.

MEMBERSHIPS

Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society 2001
Modern Literature Association 2002

REFERENCES
Rosaura Sánchez, Ph.D. – Department of Literature, U.C. San Diego
John D. Blanco, Ph.D. – Department of Literature, U.C. San Diego
Stephen Cox, Ph.D. – Revelle Humanities Writing Program, U.C. San Diego
John Hoon Lee, Ph.D. – Revelle Humanities Writing Program, U.C. San Diego
Antony Lyon Ph.D. – Revelle Humanities Writing Program, U.C. San Diego

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ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION

Exhuming Caliban: Gothic and Madness in Late Twentieth and
Twenty–First – Century Caribbean Literary Fictions

by

Andrew Mario Escudero

Doctor of Philosophy in Literature

University of California, San Diego, 2012

Professor Rosaura Sánchez, Co–Chair
Professor Shelly Streeby, Co–Chair

Exhuming Caliban: Gothic and Madness in Late Twentieth and Twenty–First –
Century Caribbean Literary Fictions identifies a late twentieth and twenty–first – century
(1980–2007) creative literary trend that is characterized by applications of quasi–gothic
and traditional gothic literary conventions and features in Caribbean fictions, and
extensively investigates the historical, cultural and literary origins of each contributing
aspect of this phenomenon. This dissertation analyzes the interactive relationship
between knowledge and discourse and its discursive power in the formation of
representation processes. I, then, trace the historical origins and literary genealogies of

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