Project Advisor(s) (Students Only)
Dr. Chadia Chambers-Samadi
Presentation Type (All Applicants)
Oral Presentation
Disciplines (All Applicants)
French and Francophone Literature
Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement
Music is used every day as a way of expression. Dany Laferrière, a Haitian born author, uses music in his works to give the reader an idea of racial stereotypes of the black man and white women. The two books that will be the focus of this paper are Comment faire l’amour avec un Nègre sans se fatiguer (How to Make Love to a Black Man Without Getting Tired) and Vers le Sud (Heading South), which use jazz and classical music, respectively. Jazz music, specifically Duke Ellington, is used to show men’s and women’s sexuality through the lyrics and history of his compositions. On the other hand, Laferrière uses Claude Debussy and his idea of a faun to show the sexual exploitation of Haiti with young men and older women. Laferrière uses music as “une experience sonore” to help the reader understand race and sexuality of his characters.
Augustana Digital Commons Citation
Smith, Kendall. "From Debussy to Duke: A Look at the Role of Music, Race, and Sexuality in the Works of Dany Laferrière" (2016). Celebration of Learning.
https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/celebrationoflearning/2016/presentations/14
From Debussy to Duke: A Look at the Role of Music, Race, and Sexuality in the Works of Dany Laferrière
Music is used every day as a way of expression. Dany Laferrière, a Haitian born author, uses music in his works to give the reader an idea of racial stereotypes of the black man and white women. The two books that will be the focus of this paper are Comment faire l’amour avec un Nègre sans se fatiguer (How to Make Love to a Black Man Without Getting Tired) and Vers le Sud (Heading South), which use jazz and classical music, respectively. Jazz music, specifically Duke Ellington, is used to show men’s and women’s sexuality through the lyrics and history of his compositions. On the other hand, Laferrière uses Claude Debussy and his idea of a faun to show the sexual exploitation of Haiti with young men and older women. Laferrière uses music as “une experience sonore” to help the reader understand race and sexuality of his characters.