The power of discourse and the visual imagination in Caribbean resistance : the intertextuality between Josué “Jay” Fonseca Aponte (Puerto Rico) and Stanley Joseph Greaves (Guyana)

Abstract

--Ecclesiastes 1:9 states “…there is nothing new under the sun.” Thus, public corruption is not a recent phenomenon and neither is the act of denouncing it. The Caribbean has known public corruption for centuries. Similar histories were experienced across Caribbean lands, which have provoked citizens to raise their voices. Some of these voices may seem more salient and effective than others, for they are read or heard on forums like television, radio, newspapers, social media, etc. which allow for greater exposure. This is the case of the Puerto Rican political analyst, Josué “Jay” Fonseca Aponte. Nonetheless, there are prominent voices that are expressed through non-textual media such as the visual arts, as done by Guyanese painter and poet, Stanley Joseph Greaves. Curiously, the works of both Fonseca and Greaves address sociopolitical issues, advocate for change, emphasize the need to redress governmental decisions that have led to poverty, and educate, so that their audiences, who are the people who endure the hardships caused by self-serving politicians, rise and resist. This dissertation explores the power of oral, written and artistic discourse as articulated by two Caribbean public figures who voice their opposition to political criminal activity with the use of satire and religious references. It analyzes the language and symbols they employ and the effects these have had on their audiences and public opinion overall. The main methodology used is the critical discourse studies/critical discourse analysis framework (Ideological Square Model) of Teun A. van Dijk and Stuart Hall’s representation theory, while also taking into account the works of scholars such as Foucault, Saussure, Peirce, and Goffman, among others. In particular, van Dijk’s and Hall’s approaches allow for the study of the intersection between semiotics and discourse.