Biography Etc on roger Mais

# 1 Roger Mais’s Biography
Roger Mais (August 11, 1905 Kingston−June 21, 1955 Kingston) was a Jamaican journalist, novelist, poet, painter, and playwright, born in Kingston, Jamaica. Although he belonged to the well-to-do middle class, Mais had a lively social conscience that inspired lifelong interest in the poorer classes of his black countrymen. Mais launched his career as a journalist and contributor for the weekly newspaper, Public Opinion from 1939 to 1952, which was associated with the People's National Party. He also wrote several plays, reviews, and short stories for the newspaper Focus and the Jamaica Daily Gleaner, focusing his articles on social injustice and inequality. He used this approach to reach his local audience and to primarily push for a national identity and anti-colonialism.
Sharp social criticism in an article he wrote for the People's National Party newspaper Public Opinion in 1944 earned him a six-month jail sentence, where he experienced the appalling conditions in Jamaican prisons during British colonial rule. These conditions are vividly portrayed in his first novel, The Hills Were Joyful Together (1953), which consists of loosely assembled episodes giving a stark portrait of denizens of a slum in Kingston, Jamaica; but this bleakness is relieved by ribald humour and self-mockery. Similar themes are treated in Brother Man (1954), his best-known work. Black Lightning (1955) explores the spiritual failure of a blacksmith carving a lifesize statue of Samson; like Samson, he is destroyed by pride.
“Why I Love and Leave Jamaica,” an article written in 1950 also stirred many emotions. It labeled the bourgeoisie and the “philistines” as shallow and criticized their impacting role on art and culture[3]. In addition, Mais's wrote over thirty stage and radio plays.
Mais left for England in 1952. Mais ventured to Europe-London, Paris, and the south of France-to fulfill himself; he took an alias, Kingsley Croft, and showcased an art exhibition in Paris. His artwork also appeared on the covers of his novels. After he left Jamaica, his novel The Hills Were Joyful Together had been accepted for publishing by Jonathan Cape in London. Soon afterwards, Brother Man was published. Brother Man(1954) was a sympathetic exploration of the emergent Rastafari movement. Black Lightning was then published the year after. While Mais's first two novels had urban settings, his third novel, Black Lightning(1955) centered on an artist living in the countryside. In 1955 Mais was forced to return to Jamaica after falling ill with cancer; he died the same year at age 50.
His short stories were collected in a volume entitled Listen, The Wind, thirty-two years after his death. The strong biblical language and references in Mais's writing suggest that he was as much concerned with spiritual regeneration as with political ideology and patriotism. He also published two collections of stories and completed two unpublished novels. His integral role in the development of political and cultural nationalism is evidenced in his being awarded the high honor of the Order of Jamaica in 1978.

Question # 2
Some critics say that the Mais’ works “success as novels of protest has had a damaging effect on his reputation in the long rub by focusing too much attention on the documentary and polemical element in his work at the expense of his more durable qualities”. While some other critics say that The chorus in Brother Man was the passive, inconsistent community filled with busybodies ready to tear one down as soon as they lifted you up.

Literary terms

Novel- A book length fictional prose narrative.
Novella- A mid length work of fiction, shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. Its usually between 20000 to 35000 words.
Short Story- A brief fictional narrative prose. Just under 20000 words.
Narrative techniques-
Point of View- The relationship of the narrator/ storyteller to the story.
Theme- The main message of a story, poem, novel or play that readers can apply to life.
Plot- The sequence of events in a narrative work.
Style- The author’s choice and arrangements of words and sentences in a literary work.
Setting- The time and place in which the events of a story, novel or play occur.
Characterization- The methods a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character.
Symbol- An object, person, place or experience that means more than what it is.
Imagery- The “word pictures” that writers create to help evoke an emotional response. (senses)
Allusion- A reference in a work of literature to a character, place or situation from history or from another work of literature, music or art.
Satire- Writing that exposes and ridicules the vices or follies of people or societies.
Irony- A contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality or between what is expected and what actually happens.
Stream of Consciousness- A literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur.
Interior Monologue- A passage of writing presenting a characters inner thought and emotions in a direct, sometimes disjointed or fragmentary manner.
Flash back- An account of an event that happened before a story began.
Foreshadowing- The use of clues by the author to prepare readers for events that will happen later in the story.
Time frame- A period during which something takes place or is projected to occur in a play, novel or story.
Motif- A significant word, description, idea or image that is repeated throughout a literary work and is related to its time
Juxtaposition- An act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparision or contrast
Types of Fiction: Scientific, Horror, Realistic, Romance, Thiller, Western, Fantasy, Crime & Action-adventure
Intellectual- The ability to reason and understand or to perceive relationships.
Ethnic- Designating or of a population sub group having a common cultural heritage as distinguished by customs, characterists, language, common history.
Religious- Of, concerned with, or teaching religion.
Social- Of, relating to, or occupied with matters affecting human welfare.
Political- Of, relating to, or dealing with the structure or affairs of government, politics, or the state.
Cultural- of or relating to artistic or social pursuits or events considered to be valuable or enlightened.
Historical- Of or relating to the character of history.
Moral- A practical Lesson about right and wrong conduct.