Carnival and Power: Play and Politics in a Crown Colony

Description

This book shows how Carnival under British colonial rule became a locus of resistance as well as an exercise and affirmation of power. Carnival is both a space of theatricality and a site of politics, where the playful, participatory aspects are appropriated by countervailing forces seeking to influence, control, channel or redirect power. Focusing specifically on the Maltese islands, a tiny European archipelago situated at the heart of the Mediterranean, this work links the contrast between play and power to other Carnival realities across the world. It examines the question of power and identity in relation to different social classes and environments of Carnival play, from streets to ballrooms. It looks at satire and censorship, unbridled gaiety and controlled celebration. It describes the ways Carnival was appropriated as a power channel both by the British and their Maltese subjects, and ultimately how it was manipulated in the struggle for Malta’s independence. Front Matter ....Pages i-xix Perceptions of Colony and Carnival (Vicki Ann Cremona)....Pages 1-13 Power and Its Historical Framework (Vicki Ann Cremona)....Pages 15-44 Social Difference and Street Dynamics (Vicki Ann Cremona)....Pages 45-98 Fancy Dress, Rank and Dignity: Power and Play in Carnival Balls (Vicki Ann Cremona)....Pages 99-142 ‘The Sweet Satires That Prick Where It Is Needed…’: The Caricature of Power (Vicki Ann Cremona)....Pages 143-175 Raising the Levels of Street Carnivals: Competitions and Prizes (Vicki Ann Cremona)....Pages 177-208 Carnival or Carnivals? Political Wrangles Between State, Church and Party (Vicki Ann Cremona)....Pages 209-240 Politics vs. Religion and State: Beyond Carnival and the Carnivalesque (Vicki Ann Cremona)....Pages 241-268 Back Matter ....Pages 269-304