Sugar Cane Alley Response Grace M (sorry it's late!)

One of the most interesting themes I observed in Sugar Cane Alley was the commentary on untraditional families. Jose is raised by his grandmother, Ma-Tine, who is hardworking and world-weary. She holds Jose to a high standard and punishes him for his many pranks, but cares deeply for him, as we see when she saves him from a harsh beating after he sets a shanty on fire. Since Ma-Tine works constantly in order to keep food on the table for her and Jose, she is not there to supervise him 24/7. However, she believes in her grandson and manages to send him to public school and then an upscale high school. The film combats the notion of success depending on a traditional family because although Jose has the talent and smarts to leave Martinique, his grandmother's trust and determination to get him there.

We see this theme furthered in the harsh rebukes of Leopold's father, who discourages his son's fraternization with Jose. History teaches that the classic family form is a harmonious situation, but because the film focuses on Jose, we see that a father with too much control in his son's life ends up being harmful. The director also juxtaposes the deaths of Leopold's father and Ma-Tine. Leopold's father dies while trying to remove Leopold from Jose's company, casting him as foolhardy and pigheaded. On the other hand, Ma-Tine dies from too many years of work, but we see that her death, while sad, is content. She has succeeded in raising a smart, self-sufficient young man, who can now push himself to be better.

An additional facet in the theme of traditional family is Jose's relationship with Medouze, an old man who tells him stories and myths. Medouze cares for Jose and aims to educate him with his stories. At the same time, Jose appreciates the wisdom and entertainment Medouze provides, which keeps him out of even more trouble. Similar to Ma-Tine, Medouze doesn't over-interfere in Jose's life, and allows him to learn from his mistakes; despite this, he has a clear impact on Jose's creativity and intelligence.

Alex Tangalos' Sugar Cane Alley Response

One motif I noticed consistently was the role of superstition and legend in the lives of the black residents. For example, in the beginning, the children give Jose a charm and recite a chant in order to protect him from being beaten by his grandmother. Also, the old man Medouze recounts tales of Africa and of the slaves' journey, so that Jose does not forget his roots. When Medouze dies, even those that didn't particularly like him gather round to chant and sing for him, in order for his soul to travel back "to Africa," as Jose says. For Jose, the legends Medouze tells him have a much more significant impact than the superstition that is prevalent in Black Shack Alley, which may have something to do with his being relatively more educated than the rest in his neighborhood. It's also interesting to note that despite his going to school with white teachers, the superstitions don't disappear--they are just called legitimate religion, Christianity, even though the recitations of the children in church about God and Heaven and Hell have no more spiritual impact for them than the chants they recited at Medouze's funeral. 

These ideas about superstition and legend also play a role in Miguel Street. The narrator tells the stories of his neighbors as if they are all important figures to be remembered, rather than simple anecdotes about his childhood. Black Wordsworth, the Pyrotechnicist, The Mechanical Genius--all are given titles to be remembered by, as if they truly are larger-than-life legendary figures rather than simple poor residents of Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, all of these characters hold something dear to them--whether it be the ritual of systematically dismantling cars in the case of the Mechanical Genius or the all-important completion of the poem for B. Wordsworth. They hold these actions to high esteem, giving their superstitious beliefs almost religious importance, just as the residents of Sugar Cane Alley do their charms and chants and legends.

Razzan Nakhlawi Sugar Cane Alley Response

The prevalent theme in Sugar Cane Alley seems to be the stagnant social mobility on the newly-independent island of Martinique, and the importance of education to escape the cycle of poverty. The plot is centered on the development of José, from favela-terrorizing street urchin, to privately-educated scholar, partially due his innate intelligence and talent. In several scenes we witness José tutoring an older member of the community, Carmen, and his position as his tutor vouches for his intellectual maturity. Yet, the catalyst for tangible growth is from his mother, who refuses to let José work on the cane fields, as she views them as a poverty trap and desires for José to achieve a level of success unseen by Martinique’s working-class. Thus, Ma Tine works backbreaking labor in the cane fields despite her illness to pay for his education.

Jose’s school teacher mentions "Education is the second key to freedom." This idea is reinforced in the film at several points. José is schooled privately and excels in classes, yet the film captures the coexistence of frustration and hope especially well when José is accused of plagiarism. This highlights the unfairness of the situation, and represents the helplessness experienced by the oppressed in every aspect of life. In reality, José’s beautifully-written piece was inspired by Medouze-a wise, elderly figure in the community. Old Medouze provides an informal yet equally important education for young José. He informs José of the arrival of Martinique’s people from Africa through the French involvement with the slave trade, and tells him stories of the more peaceful times in their native land. This enriches José’s education in a cultural sense, giving him cognizance of the imperialistic setting in which they live.

Education

In Sugar Cane Alley, we witness a character arc in the style of the bildungsroman: José starts as a child of the plantation, playing with friends, causing trouble, doing the things young children do. When his friends break his grandmother's vase, the moment doesn't seem particularly out of the ordinary in a story of this type (similar plots might be seen in any family sitcom from Leave it to Beaver to Modern Family). However, what sets this incident apart is the way in which José is held accountable for his deed: his grandmother hits him with a switch. Why is she so upset about the broken vase? Maybe it meant a great deal to her. But more likely, in this interaction we are shown the high standard to which Maman Tine holds her grandson. In another scene, she refuses to let him join in the sugar cane fields when the other children are helping, forcing him to be idle and, therefore, distinct from the other children. All this is to create a new identity for José, one unmarked by his class so that he may move up in society. This move is accomplished in the only way Maman Tine knows: education.

The film explores issues of race and class in impoverished Martinique, but the film shows the only possible escape from this life is through schooling. José learns to read and write (and proudly passes these skills on to his friend), and eventually is able to rise to the top of his class at a private school. Even his tuition is covered by the financial aid he earns from his high marks. By providing her grandson with an education, Mama Tine gives him the opportunity to escape his birthplace and forge his own future. He is not free from the racial discrimination present in society, but he is given a chance to attain knowledge, which has tremendous value to him. Sugar Cane Alley presents the story of a boy's education, first in the informal sense via his grandmother and Monsieur Médouze, and ultimately through the same teachers as the sugar cane plantation owner's son.

Dan Giles Response to Sugar Cane Alley

I find film and literature powerful for their ability to expand the vision of the mind's eye far beyond our own spheres. From now on, whenever someone mentions Martinique, my brain will conjure up thumbnails from "Sugar Cane Alley." I was particularly interested in how Medouze fulfilled the archetype of the wise old mentor. Even in a place as remote as Martinique, narratives still reflect the same storytelling elements evident everywhere from Hercules to Star Wars. That particular archetype reminds me of something Plato touched upon in "The Republic," about how elders provide valuable insight not only because of their life experience, but because they are (for the most part) free from the intoxicating distractions of youth such as lust. So I viewed Medouze as a projection of the fold weaved into our human nature that craves a wise, almost divine adviser to impart us with wisdom beyond our reach. His advice that one cannot change nature already stood out as a harsh perspective, but hits even stronger when we view this perspective as a truth awaiting all humans once set free from the bindings of youth.

Granted, one thing we must remain conscious of is the distortion of reality that comes about given that we are viewing the artist's representation. However, the director is a native Martinique, so as far as distortions go, I feel confident putting more trust in her first-hand artistic representation of the truth of her island. The reading I take from Medouze's inclusion in the film is that while the incredibly young and incredibly bright Jose embodies hope for the future generations of Martinique, timeless wisdom speaks that as per the tenants of nature the legacy of subjugation will continue to wear on the island like a permanent ink stain, at least according to the native director's testimony.

Sugar Cane Alley Response

Although I missed the first part of Sugar Cane Alley, I really felt moved by the story. A young native of 1930s Martinique, Jose strives to break out of the sugar cane field cycle. Starting with colonial slavery, Africans were shipped to the French Carribean to work in the sugar cane fields from sun-up to sun-down. Even several decades after slavery's abolishment, the black people of Martinique earned so little for their work that it could be compared to slavery. Ma Tine knew that Jose had potential beyond this manual labor and promised herself she would help him find a better life. The only way to this better life was through education.

It was up to Jose, however, to accomplish his dream of success. He was in the top of his class at school, and he was able to apply for admission and scholarship into a Fort-de-France high school. He earned a partial scholarship, and then through Ma Tine's hard work and his academic excellence, he was granted a full scholarship and would be able to attend school for free.

Jose was a dreamer, and Ma Tine encouraged his hard work in school. But Jose went through many hardships, and so the movie is not only one of inspiration but also one of suffering. Jose was only one out of many children in the slum-like village of Sugar Cane Alley to work his way to high school. The rest of his friends became bound to the fields as they grew older. Jose lost his parents, his mentor, Medouze, and his loving and determined grandmother Ma Tine. He really had no one to share his success with at the end. It has a melancholic overtone, and it really is bittersweet.

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.