This assignment is a book analysis of Gisele Pineau’s ‘Exile According to Julia.’ We will review various themes, the central being multiculturalism and exile. Gisele Pineau’s life is a perfect example of alienation and exile. She had to endure an identity crisis having been born in Paris but with a Caribbean ancestry. Gisele and her family had to live on the outskirts of the city. Cultural dislocation also meant that they were on the margins of French society and culture. She was too cosmopolitan to fit into Guadeloupian society upon returning to the island for a visit. We will also touch on how the theme of religion and exclusion comes into play in Gisele Pineau’s ‘exile according to Julia.’
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RELIGION AND THE ROLE OF WOMEN
Gisele centered ‘Exile According to Julia’ on trauma, where the role of women, religion, and exclusion played a significant part. However, her grandmother acts as a source of inspiration to provide the Gisele with a sense of belonging that transformed her life. This is especially after her parents silenced their Creole legacy hoping to become better assimilated, resulting to further cultural dislocation. She had no base of traditional knowledge to fall back on for strength or guidance. Julia narrates to Gisele Pineau about her previous life in Guadeloupe, including how she used to receive beatings form her husband, Asdrubal. Her son kidnapped her and brought her to France. She faces multiculturalism and exile since her son wanted to transform her from her previous lifestyle.
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BOOK ANALYSIS: GISÈLE PINEAU, IMMIGRATION AND IDENTITY CRISIS
As Gisele describes, her parents supported the idea of cultural assimilation without considering how multiculturalism and exile would come into play. Her father, Marechal, wants to speak French without an accent. Daisy, on the other hand, is happy with absorbing the values of the local cultures. Having to undergo additional issues of religion and exclusion only increased her trauma. As Julia narrates, the Guadeloupian culture considered women inferior in the workforce as well as in the home life. This served to show the extent of women exclusion. In France, she had to face another form of cultural dislocation, with cases of racism and cultural variations. She strived to know, love, and serve God to meet Him elsewhere with an African Magico-Religion.
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