The struggle for survival: an historical, political and socioeconomic perspective of St. Lucia - Hardcover

Anderson Reynolds

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0970443226 ISBN 13: 9780970443229

Publisher: Jako Books, 2003

Synopsis

There is no denying that for Dr. Reynolds history is the great teacher that one chooses to be guided by, or ignore at one's peril. You get a sense, by reading the book, however, that history is replete with instances reminding one that there are always certain forces (fate) that are beyond the control of island people, and before which they remain powerless. This the author traces back to the post Columbian era. From then till now, European control of the rules of production and trade, and their superiority over the early inhabitants (Caribs and Arawaks), and the slave and ex-slave population in a later era, all had been testimony. He cites the greed of European settlers and its toll in the underdevelopment of the island in the 19th and 20th centuries. According to Dr. Reynolds, the helplessness (or dependence and despondency) of the island population persists throughout the sugar-cane plantation era, into and beyond emancipation, and it was not until the introduction of bananas that the social and economic and even political status of islanders began to change, when they began to truly experience the meaning of independence and empowerment, all but temporarily as shown by the events of 1993. However, Dr. Reynolds doesn't only dwell on the past. He takes a deep analytical look into the state of the island today and what the age of information and technology expects of St. Lucia in order to make it hereon. He believes that the rate of illiteracy is much too high, and he laments the environmental degradation that banana cultivation has brought on the island. He is equally critical of `the social and cultural destabilizing effects of tourism' and the loss of sovereignty resulting from the construction of each new hotel.

About this title

About the Author

Anderson Reynolds was born and raised in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia. He holds a PhD in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida, and has been a staff writer of The Jako (a general audience art, culture, literature and social issues magazine) since its inception in 2004. Dr. Reynolds was the 2005 winner of the St. Lucia National Arts Award for Creative Journalism and his novel, Death by Fire, was the 2001 winner of the M&C main prize for literature.

From the Back Cover

The Struggle For Survival eloquently retells the story of the tragic 1993 banana strike that culminated in the shooting death of two farmers. However, by going beyond the tragedy and delving into the islands history, politics, economics and culture, farmers struggle against droughts, hurricanes, falling prices, corrupt institutions, and multinational corporations is seen as a microcosm of the struggles of a people against slavery, colonization, imperialism, and natural calamities. As such, The Struggle For Survival is nothing less than a story about the birth of a nation, and by depiction the birth of West Indian Civilization.

Sir John Compton, Prime Minister of St. Lucia
The Struggle For Survival is a throughly researched and well documented economic history of the banana industry ... it is an important road map of St. Lucia in the pre and post independence period."

Modeste Downes, Author of Phases
"...excellent work ... a powerful commentary ... a deep sincere analytical look into the state of things in the island today ... a catalogue of events and circumstances that shaped St. Lucia and its people for over three centuries ... truly a compendium of St. Lucian life from early times to the modern era ... thoroughly enjoyed myself reading the book."

David Vitalis, The Mirror
"Anderson Reynolds sharply analyses the effect of bananas on the nation's way of life ... He relates the account of the violent `banana no-cut strike' of 1993 in a political perspective, offering the reader a wealth of information on how bananas and power are intertwined."

Travis Weekes, Author of Let There Be Jazz
"The Struggle For Survival, although obviously well researched, is an easy-to-read intriguing story of the social and political development of St. Lucia. The book lays the basis for critical examinations of the legacy of European plantocracy and a determination of modern history's perception of the descendant of African slaves in the Caribbean as victor or victims in our political destiny. The Struggle For Survival held my attention from beginning to end."

Jacques Compton, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Chavalier De L'Ordre Des Arts Et Des Lettre
"... an invaluable book, a source of much information. Much scholarly research has gone into the writing of this book ... chronicled in dramatic sequence, those disasters and misfortunes which, periodically, have affected the island from its discovery down to the present day ... Dr. Reynolds displays a great fascination for history ... in a very definite way, establishes the Saint Lucian personality, the Saint Lucian national and cultural identity."

From the Inside Flap

One comes away from a reading of The Struggle For Survival with the feeling that the plight of farmers was nothing less than an allegory of the history of the island, and the deaths an omen of the future of the banana industry in St. Lucia.

However, to the extent that the Caribbean islands share a common heritage, history, and culture, The Struggle For Survival speaks not just of banana farmers or of St. Lucia but of the West Indian Civilization. In fact, the Struggle for Survival is a testament of all enslaved, colonized, dispossessed and marginalized people and their struggle for survival and self realization.

The Struggle For Survival is a must read for all students of St. Lucian and Caribbean history, because in tracing how the banana industry has contributed to the socioeconomic and political development of the country, the book provides a compelling narrative on why and how St. Lucia became the way it is.

The Struggle for Survival is history that reads like a novel. The book is a multilayered and dynamic narrative of the history, politics, culture and economics of St. Lucia. With just one glance through history, the book captures the essence of St. Lucian society.

Edition details

• Publisher: Jako Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0970443226
• ISBN 13: 9780970443229
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 206