The Many Identities of Trinidadian Women in Earl Lovelace’s Salt

Abstract: This essay aims to explore the identities of a selection of female characters in Earl Lovelace’s novel Salt. My research questions are the following: How are the selected characters’ hybrid identities constructed? What role do different circumstances play in the formation of the characters’ identities? How do polyphony, mimicry and the carnivalesque affect their identities? Although the examined women are assumed to conform to similar gender norms, I argue that there is no common female role in Salt. This is demonstrated by the characters’ hybrid identities, which combine divergent characteristics. The method used in the analysis is close reading formulated by Greenham. My analysis reveals that the concept of carnivalesque influences the identities of all the examined characters. It results in a performative, creative power that makes the women discover and redefine their selves. However, it occurs in different ways for each character. Moreover, the characters’ identities are highly polyphonic and complex, with contrastive traits completing each other. To a lesser extent, the analysed women’s identities show traits of postcolonial mimicry, which may be seen as a repetitive and imitative attitude.