Roger Mais - Influences

Influences

Raised into a middle-class family with full access to "cultured" traditions, Mais often incorporated a romantic idea into his writings. He drew from his Western education inspirations that lead to his use of "tragic," "visionary," and "poetic" elements within books and plays. His belief in individualism and the writer’s freedom to pursue imagination are reflected in many of his early works. However, Mais later recognized the tension between his colonial heritage and the nationalist movement and changed direction. By adopting a realistic stance, Mais decided to assume a literary style that would be more representative of the Caribbean national consciousness. This particular form allowed Mais to present "unambiguous, direct truths about the people and culture." Many of his later novels thus portray sufferings and despairs undergone by innocent people under British rule. One inspiration that he wove into his writings sprang from the 1938 People’s National Party that was launched by Norman Manley. The movement aimed to grant Jamaica self-government, which sparked concurrent enthusiasm within the literary field. Besides Roger Mais another author, Vic Reid also incorporated into his works Manley's ambitious drive to independence. Reid’s novel New Day is a historical account of Jamaica from 1865 to 1944. Like Mais, Reid finds primary sources particularly useful in modeling political messages into stories.