The Dragon Can’t Dance by Earl Lovace

1. What are the effects of race and colonialism upon the people of Calvary Hill in Earl Lovelace’s The Dragon Can’t Dance? How is carnival a mirror that magnifies the process of transition from a colonial to a postcolonial (or neo-colonial) era?

Be sure to maintain a clear focus, and take into consideration the larger cultural and historical context that informs your concrete analysis. Work to build a strong and original argument, identifying various possible interpretations. Explain what you are arguing for as much as what you are arguing against. In doing so, you will be able to view a critical issue from multiple perspectives and sharpen the clarity of your own specific interpretation(s). Analyze our course works by way of close readings (i.e., analyze aspects of language; quote the text; and examine words, context and literary or cinematic form).