Tanti Merle At The Oval Analysis

Tanti Merle at the Oval is a story which encompasses features of Caribbean life with the use of Caribbean dialect, humor and cricket. The tale is based upon the mannerism of the writer’s aunt before and during a visit to a cricket match at the oval. The events that take place draw attention to issues within the Caribbean based on identity, gender and sexual relations.
Identity is what defines an individual; their qualities, beliefs, experiences and overall way of life. Caribbean people are very heterogeneous. They belong to different ethnicities, speak a range of languages and practice a variety of religion. However, these differences within the Caribbean are a result of a common shared history. Stuart Hall stated ‘Cultural identities reflect …show more content…
The ideology that women are inferior to men still exits although there have been drastic changes to gender inequality. Women are now given jobs in conventional male dominated workforces, are independent and caretakers of their homes and families. Additionally, they strong minded and are able to give opinions on matters like never before.A good example of this is displayed through the actions of Tanti Merle. She’s very opinionated, and persistent in getting things done her way. This is shown in her choice of taxi, where she sat in the oval and views she had about the cricketers. The writer also referred to her as the ‘Queen of Sheba’ which suggests a sense of superiority. She has a very outgoing personality and is not afraid of the public eye. In the story Tanti Merle confronts a man to remove his hat because it was blocking her view of the field. In response, the ‘badjon’ curses at he. This in my opinion may not have happened if it were a man asking. This is one example that shows that Caribbean men are still skeptical to this social change and are resistant to give up the dominance which they once had. Another example which is shown in the piece is the issue of age disparity in sexual