Sevitha Konda's Sugar Cane Alley Response

Sugar Cane Alley is a coming-of-age story about a young boy named José in Martinique. However, what makes this coming-of-age story unique is its focus on French imperialism in Africa as well as the resulting effects of that imperialism on a society.

One of the main effects of imperialism in the film is the racism against the blacks. The racism makes it extremely difficult for any African to rise in the ranks of society, since imperialists have made that society into one which favors only them. This is very obviously revealed through the different living standards. In the movie, José lives in a very impoverished village. People are working tirelessly in the sugar can fields just to make enough to survive. Later, when he goes to school in a different town, he is surrounded by nice homes and buildings. The people do not struggle for the necessities. They do not live difficult lives. The contrast between the two types of lifestyles is very stark.

The hope for a way out of this kind of society comes in the form of education. In the film, José’s grandmother gives all she has to help José get an education. She encourages him to study and pushes him away from the sugar can field so he will not be trapped in the cycle that many in José’s village are. And for José, this is entirely plausible. He is brighter than many children and stands out. However, even this is not as simple because of the prevalent racism that he still battles with. In one scene, when José writes an excellent essay, he is accused of cheating because his professor does not believe that he is capable of writing something that good. This is a perfect example of how oftentimes, it is sometimes impossible to get the respect that is deserved when society is accustomed to thinking one race is inferior. However, the scene ends with José being apologized to, which shows optimism for the situation.

The aim to break the cycle with education mirrors the plot line in Miguel Street, where the young boy, who’s perspective the stories are told from, leaves Miguel Street to study abroad. His mother sends him away because she has noticed that he has started to take on some of the bad habits that other people stuck on Miguel Street have. She and M'man-Tine, José’s grandmother, have the same idea. In a repressed society, knowledge is power. And if you have enough knowledge you can combat the racist tones in an imperialistic society.