Dec 30, 2009
The Kingdom of This World | The Kingdom of This World
At a glance:
- Author: Alejo Carpentier
- First Published: 1949
- Type of Plot: Magical Realism
- Time of Work: 1750 to after 1830
- Setting: Haiti, Cuba, and Italy
- Principal Characters: Ti Noël, Monsieur Lenormand de Mezy, Mackandal, Pauline Bonaparte, Soliman, Henri Christophe
- Genres: Long fiction, Magical Realism
- Subjects: Caribbean, Blacks, Colonies or colonization, Nineteenth century, Slavery or slaves, Revolutions, Oppression, Eighteenth century, Cuba or Cubans, Italy or Italians, Haiti or Haitians
- Locales: Haiti, Cuba, Italy
The Novel
Mixing history and fiction, The Kingdom of This World recounts the transition of Haiti
from slavery to emancipation and from colony to republic. The change occurs through the use of
African religion. The novel begins by establishing a difference between black African culture and
white European culture. Although these two systems take on different forms throughout the novel
and history, they remain antagonistic toward each other. One is dynamic, the other static. Mackandal,
Bouckman, and Ti Noël represent the liberating spirit of African religion and culture,...
[The entire page is 1825 words long]
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