Unearthing early Haitian Creole literature: The literary, linguistic and sociocultural significance of Ti-Jak by Carrié Paultre

Abstract

The name Carrié Paultre and his works are virtually absent from the Haitian Creole literary canon. Nevertheless, his novellas and short stories make up an important component of early Haitian Creole literary production, with his earliest novella published in 1965, a significant ten years before the publication of Dézafi by Frankétienne. In this paper, my intent is not to supplant Dézafi and other early Haitian Creole novels or diminish their importance, but rather to draw attention to a neglected wealth of Haitian Creole literature preceding the publication of formal novels. In doing so, I hope to open up a dialogue that explores the works of Carrié Paultre, their significance to Haitian Creole literature, and their value to the cultural and linguistic patrimony of Haiti. I specifically examine the importance of Ti-Jak by first justifying my categorization of it as a novella, then by discussing the literary contributions of Paultre in general and specifically concerning Ti-Jak, and positioning those works in their linguistic, national, cultural and literary contexts. To encourage the promulgation and study of Ti-Jak, I have produced a second, enhanced edition of the novella geared towards use both in Haitian classrooms and in scholarly research. This edition is found after the body of the thesis.