What makes an individual worthy of a Nobel Prize in a category as broad as literature? Is it an immense knowledge of writing procedures that other authors have not begun to attempt to use? Or is an appropriate representation of the author's subject that is solely objective, and lacks all personal opinions? If that was the case, several Prizes should be taken away from some authors and handed to other more deserving writers. V. S. Naipaul, who received a Nobel Prize in Literature for Miguel Street, falls into the former category. Naipaul may have filled the technical requirements for a Nobel Prize for his mastery of several difficult techniques, yet his writing neglects to explain the merits of Trinidad while highlighting the negatives found in every culture.
Among the five prizes provided for in Alfred Nobel's will (1895), one was intended for the person who, in the literary field, had produced "the most outstanding work in an ideal direction". These statutes defined literature as "not only belles-lettres, but also other writings which, by virtue of their form and style, possess literary value". At the same time, the restriction to works presented "during the preceding year" was softened: "older works" could be considered "if their significance has not become apparent until recently". The statutes also provided for a Nobel Committee "to give their opinion in matter of the award of the prizes" and for a Nobel Institute with a library which was to contain a substantial collection of mainly modern literature.As guidelines for the distribution of the Literature Prize the Swedish Academy had the general requirement for all the prizes ? the candidate should have bestowed "the greatest benefit on mankind" ? and the special condition for...
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...rite about problems of Western societies.
Although World War II begins, continues and ends in the course of Mr. Naipaul's book, it seldom dominates the scene. The arrival of American armed forces to implement the bases-for-destroyers exchange between Britain and the United States brings measures of disquiet and measures of prosperity. But Miguel Street takes all that in its stride. Trinidad has known many invaders, friendly and unfriendly, in its history. What winter cruise addicts may miss here is the comparative absence of tourists. Those invaders were not often in season during these years. Or perhaps Miguel Street couldn't be bothered with them, particularly. Naipaul presents Trinidad as this cultural wasteland where not even tourists want to go. For his biased and unfeeling representation of a land that gave him life, Naipaul?s Nobel Prize should be taken away.
Gonzales, Jose Luis. Puerto Rico: the Four Storeyed Country and Other Essays (Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishing Inc.)1-30.
Burns, E. B., & Charlip, J. A. (2007). Latin America: an interpretive history (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.
great reputation and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983. He died of heart
Burns, E. B., & Charlip, J. A. (2007). Latin America: an interpretive history (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Kincaid begins by pointing out to “you,” a tourist what is missing from Antigua in order to first make clear the reality that knowledge is not existent, valued, or accessible in Antigua. She illustrates “your” arrival, when she notes, “You are a tourist and you have not yet seen a school in Antigua, you have not yet seen the hospital in Antigua, you have not yet seen a public monument in Antigua.” But she abruptly interrupts this thought and continues in sarcastic and marked nonchalance, “what a beautiful island Antigua is—more beautiful than any of the other islands you have seen.” (3) Here, Kincaid demonstrates that knowledge is severely lacking or nonexistent in the land of Antigua by providing examples of physical manifestations of a well educated society that are not present. Knowledge is attained by learning information, data, and facts made available to children through education in schools. Knowledgeable people—educated children who grow up to be educated adults who have completed to several ambitious years of extra...
This 2006 article by Ed John Merriman and Jay Winter, titled “The Nobel Prize,” is about the history and importance of the Nobel Prize, and how it works. To understand the history of the Nobel Prize, we must start with the death of the Alfred Nobel. Alfred Nobel was known for his work with chemicals and explosives, and was actually the inventor of dynamite. Upon providing dynamite to the world, solely for the use of mining, he found his creation misused for violence, a new war tool that was used to kill thousands of people. In regret for bringing all this destruction, he decided to reserve all his money, to prize others who made notable differences in the world, specifically in the fields of physics, medicine, literature, chemistry, and peace (as stated in Alfred Nobel’s will). The economics prize would later be added and funded by the Bank of Sweden, in 1968. Once Nobel died on December 10th, 1896, his will was found and executed by his assistant Ragnar Sohlman. Sohlman then created the Nobel Foundation, whose purpose was to administer the capital, from Nobel’s will, for the prizes. Even though the Nobel Foundation is given the power of financing, they are not in charge of choosing winners, or laureates. Laureates are chosen by Nobel Committees, one for each prize. These committees receive thousands of nominations yearly, and narrow the candidates down to a little over a 100, per category. These committees then consult with field experts, to determine not only the quality of work, but also its impact on the field of study. As October comes, the candidates are narrowed down to a few, and a simple majority vote takes place, to choose the recipient. The decisions are then made public, and the recipient earns the prize at the ceremon...
Adams, Jerome R. Liberators and Patriots of Latin America. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company Inc., Publishers, 1991. Print.
Galeano, Eduardo. Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent. Translated by Cedric Belfrage. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1997.
Burns, E. B., & Charlip, J. A. (2007). Latin America: an interpretive history (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Yasunari Kawabata was the first Japanese person to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. His style combined elements of classic Japanese prose with modern psychological narrative and exploration of human sexuality. Deeply influenced by the culture of his homeland, his writings capture the vivid and melancholy beauty and spirituality of Japan, while his own experiences and studies contributed to his assay into emotion.
One of the most important themes running through Kincaid’s essay is the political and economic scene of Antigua. The fact that the airport is named after the President, instead of a school or hospital, shows exactly how vital the role of the airport is in the life of the Antiguans. W...
Jamaica 1930 was not the picture of peaceful jungles and calm sunsets that we see in travel agents’ brochures. Jamaica 1930 was a time of economic, social, and natural disaster. As L...
Scholars have debated not only the nature of Iberian colonialism, but also the impact that independence had on the people of Latin America. Historian Jaime E. Rodriguez said that, “The emancipation of [Latin America] did not merely consist of separation from the mother country, as in the case of the United States. It also destroyed a vast and responsive social, political, and economic system that functioned well despite many imperfections.” I believe that when independence emerged in Latin America, it was a positive force. However, as time progressed, it indeed does cause conflict.
2. Knight, Franklin W. The Caribbean: The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism, 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Pres, 1990.
According to Trevor M. A. Farrell, author of perspective, “Decolonization in the English-Speaking Caribbean”, colonialism is when organization of resources of a country being exploited is done for the financial benefit of the oppressor. All the power lies in the hands of the colonizing country (589). The tourism indust...