Caucasia Part Three: compared to what

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Caucasia Part Three compared to what

• Lecture 14
• Caucasia
• Professor Ralina Joseph

2
Characters

• Corvette
• Dot/Taj
• Ali/Ronnie
• Grandmother
• Deck
• Cole

3
Fluidity/Ambiguity

• With sexuality pp. 71, 172
• With gender pp. 190
• Ending of book unpack

4
Clips from 2002 documentary The Weather
Underground

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vlGW8oMM2QA0
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vF_tZuMoclts

5
Group A

• The theme of invisibility and visibility run
  throughout the novel. What do you believe that
  Senna thinks it means to be visible? Invisible?
  What are the consequences for either visibility
  or invisibility?
• Birdie becomes a racial and sexual chameleon in
  Caucasia. What is the significance of this? Why
  does Senna make this choice for her protagonist?

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Group B

• According to the novel, what does it mean to be
  Black or be white? Explain and explore the
  significance of these definitions. How does
  Senna redefine the assumed definitions of
  whiteness or blackness? Whats the significance
  of this?
• In order to disappear, Birdie Lee becomes Jesse
  Goldman and Sandy Lee becomes Sheila Goldman.
  Explore the role of names and naming in the
  novel. What, if anything, do these labels have
  to do with the person inside?

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Group C

• Jesse is bothered by Jims talk of Jamaica as
  well as Nicholass tales of the Netherlands.
  Explore the role of exotification in Caucasia.
• In the novels final chapter we hear Decks new
  theories of race that its all just a
  construction. Birdie, meanwhile, shoots back
  that it is still real. At the same time, Aunt
  Dot has her own theories about the universe that
  deal not with the physical, but with the
  spiritual. Explain and explore what these
  theories mean (you write on two or all three).

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Group D

• Explore what Caucasia presents as the
  ramifications of growing up with parents who have
  strong political ideologies. How do Deck and
  Sandys theories help or hinder Birdie and Cole
  as they grow up?
• Investigate the role of place or geographic
  location in the novel. Why is place such an
  important signifier of identity?

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Group E

• The novel explores what it means to be
  authentic and real. These things are
  expressed in terms of race, religion, ethnicity,
  music, geographic location, hair texture,
  profession, etc. What is the significance of the
  novels markers of authenticity or realness?
• Examine the role(s) of gender and/or sexuality,
  including sexual orientation(s) in Caucasia. You
  could also compare and/or contrast how Senna
  develops issues of race, gender, and sexuality in
  the novel.

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Peer-editing exercise

• Each person should have TWO people read her/his
  essay.
• Does the essay have a clear argument? If not, do
  you see an implicit argument? How can you
  suggest that the writer make it implicit?
• If yes, is that argument well supported?
• What TANGIBLE advice can you give the writer?