Beryl McBurnie is a Caribbean figure who has contributed greatly to Caribbean culture and identity. The text, Beryl McBurnie, is written by Judy Raymond, a journalist and senior editor based in Trinidad. She is currently the editor of Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. The book is part of the Caribbean biography series which documents the lives of other cultural activists such as: Marcus Garvey who promoted Pan-Africanism and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association; and Derek Walcott who was a poet and playwright. In five chapters, the book tells the life of Beryl Eugenia McBurnie. Beryl, born November 2, 1914, a few years before World War I, was a Trinidadian dancer. She founded the Little Carib Theatre, used to promote the culture of Trinidad and supported Trinidad's unique culture until her death on March 30, 2000. Judy Raymond commemorated her because she had a great influence on Caribbean culture and his contributions to provoking cultural awakening, establishing popular culture and encouraging the independence movement in Trinidad should be remembered. Judy Raymond provides insight into the history and societal structure of Trinidad during Beryl's life and information about Beryl by exploring various themes, primarily culture, identity, slavery and freedom using narrations and quotes, which also helps to understand the value of the book in understanding Caribbean society today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Before you begin to understand the book, it is necessary to know about Trinidadian society at the time the book is set. It is first important to note that Trinidad was the first crown colony and was not yet independent. When Beryl was born, Indian indentured servants were still entering the island bringing their culture. In 1930, the Great Depression broke out, characterized by high levels of unemployment, poverty, unrest and anti-colonial colonization. She left Trinidad in 1938 to pursue dance studies in New York while calypso developed in Trinidad. Additionally, due to World War II, many American bases were built in Trinidad and the soldiers loved all forms of entertainment. Calypso eventually made Trinidad internationally known, but that faded after a few years and Beryl believed Carifesta could buy her out. In New York, where he studied and performed, a few years before World War II, the American Negro Theater was founded. Finally, in both places, women were expected to be docile and perform domestic work, but successful gender movements took place, one example being women eventually gaining the right to vote. Finally, in 1962, Beryl choreographed dances for the newly independent island. These dances would have been an aspect of Caribbean culture. The theme of culture can be seen throughout Beryl McBurnie's text. Culture can be defined as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morality, law, custom and all other abilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. (Tyler (British anthropologist) 1870: 1; cited by Avruch 1998: 6)” (Spencer-Oatey, Helen 2). It also shows how Trinidadians viewed their culture and origins. Beryl's dances and songs incorporated diverse cultures. For example, on page twelve of the text, it is stated that Beryl combines African and European cultural elements as well as Indian practices. This shows how Trinidad isdiverse since its population is made up of three main ethnic groups. In doing so, she decided not to highlight only the beauty of already accepted and known European dances and songs and instead showed cultural minorities, an act of resistance to cultural assimilation - "the process by which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a dominant group or culture.” assuming the values, behaviors and beliefs of another group (“cultural assimilation”). Beryl also resisted acculturation because, although she adopted and mixed different cultures, she did not adapt the dominant, British culture, but rather used predominantly African aspects despite stereotypes. His goal was to help develop and preserve the culture of indigenous peoples and mix them in order to create "unity in diversity" (Raymond 91), a unique mixture that can make Trinidad independent of colonial influence. The Trinidadians did not embrace their culture and preferred that of the Europeans. An example is seen on page twelve when Molly Ahye, a lead dancer of the Little Carib, said that Beryl had a dance group before Little Carib existed, but kept it out of the public view because her form dance was mainly African. At that time, these dances were unacceptable and considered "slave activities" by intellectuals and "primitive" by the general majority. Semi-literate and illiterate people were not ashamed of their origins and continued the practices of Shouter and Shango from which steel bands emerged. Ironically, steel bands are now the ones Trinidad turns to for its unique cultural identity. Then, on page twenty-eight, a quote from Schwartz and Schwartz said that one of his performances expressed Caribbean history, showing sacrifice, heartbreak, and cultural mixing, including dances of Spanish origin , French, English and African, including voodoo and shango, which were performed in the most rural parts of the country away from the public because it was considered satanic. This is how calypso developed, a perfect blend of all these forms of cultural art. The text continues to enlighten readers, as seen on page seventy-six where readers learn that she opened the "Folk House", her home converted into a training center for the Little Carib which was once her home family. Through this institution, she honored great cultural artists and people who contributed to Little Carib, hoped to train more, and her events featured people and performances from most cultures. Another theme prevalent in the text is identity. Raymond incorporated the theme of personal identity which includes the concept one develops about oneself and which changes throughout one's life. She introduced Beryl's character through the stories of her friends and colleagues, excerpts from Beryl's interviews, and articles about her, primarily in chapters one and three. Through these materials, readers can clearly imagine Beryl and her personality. According to Khan, Beryl's identity was very elusive because she did not freely share her personal information and when she did, it remained vague. What people learned about her was that she was very aware of her African/European identity, as shown in her performances. Additionally, at the age of 7/8, her courtyard concerts consisted of European songs and dances, an aspect of Eurocentrism, but this changed when she began researching the indigenous dances of the Caribbean. Beryl was not only elusive, but also full of ideas andeccentric, as Betty Reef, an American journalist, said. She was also known for her bright and extraordinary outfits that made her stand out from the public. Through the memories of his friends, readers are also aware of his resourceful, influential, assertive, intelligent, humorous, grateful, and humble nature. Beryl was also beautiful and adored by many despite her flaws such as her temperamental nature. Although kind, she could be intimidating when necessary. Beryl sometimes demonstrated a split personality, as seen on page forty-nine, she was said to be "volatile and tempestuous", showing that her mood would change suddenly and that she had conflicting emotions . Her identity was shaped by society as she gained confidence and status through her fair complexion, an important class distinction, and her family's middle-class status. This also allowed her to receive education up to the next level as after completing Tranquility Girl's School, she continued to study dance at Columbia University, New York, under Martha Graham. However, in New York, this proved nothing since the people were either black or white, with no intermediary. From there, however, she met the prodigious black American actor, Paul Robeson, who later made Little Carib permanent. Beryl was aware of her diasporic dual consciousness, in which people leave their home countries and struggle to decide whether to conform to their new place of residence or stay true to themselves, and she chose the latter. This is evident when in New York she represented her roots in dressing and performance and boycotted the chance to become famous to return home and help Trinidad. She was also resistant to colonial rule, as evidenced by her defiance of the banning order by including their practices in her research and choreographies performed internationally and locally and by performing dances for the federal government's nomination of the West Indies Federation whose aim was to help the Caribbean. countries gain independence. Beryl's work also involved her family, for example her sister Freya performed with her on some occasions and her aunt and/or mother cooked and helped with costumes at the Little Carib which started and grew around the house family. Additionally, his nephew became president of the Little Carib Theater. Beryl can also be considered somewhat religious as her family attended the Tranquility Methodist Church which was brought to the Caribbean by whites who sought to help recently freed blacks. So it was not against everything European. Additionally, on page seventy-eight, she stated that out of love, as Jesus said to love one another, she freely gave her Folk House and Little Carib Theater to her country. Finally, readers are also made aware of Beryl's habit of being "out of the norm" through the theme of gender. For example, few respectable middle-class girls would dare to pursue a career in dance and conduct research anywhere in Trinidad (Raymond 16). This is due to the stigma surrounding women pursuing this career, that they were expected to be attractive in their movements and dress, as noted on page thirty-three of the text. However, she has resisted this and placed a different view of women and Caribbean culture in the minds of the people who see her perform. Beryl was rightly honored for her great contributions as she was awarded: the Order of the British Empire in 1959; two national awards.