Critical Think Piece on Tanti at de Oval by Paul Keens Douglas

‘Tanti at de Oval’ by Paul Keens Douglas

“Tanti at de Oval” by Paul Keens Douglas, is a short story about the his experience taking Tanti Merle, his sixty-five year old mother-in-law, to a very important cricket match at the Queens Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago. The piece colourfully displays his displeasure of sharing Tanti Merle’s company at the match and the embarrassment he felt she brought upon him with her antics. The piece also highlights aspects of the West Indian life and culture with regards to the excitement of cricket and the dialects of the Caribbean.

Douglas uses vivid language and comedy to chisel Tanti Merle’s character as a woman who likes to be in control and have her own way with things. Though her antics were funny and engaging, her behaviour was not complimenting for a woman her age. She should have acted with more poise and decency, instead of carrying on boisterously and embarrassing herself and her company.

The reader finds though that this piece represents to some extent, a modern Caribbean environment. Five views were identified as suitable for contemporary social commentary on the Caribbean: the importance of local sports in the Caribbean (namely cricket in Trinidad); the pride of the Caribbean people; the love they share for each other; the similar yet diverse relation of the dialects and the religious beliefs associated with the Caribbean.

The first view addresses the popularity of cricket in the Caribbean and its festivities. Cricket is without doubt the official sport of Trinidad. Everyone takes cricket very seriously and as with every sport comes some level of segregation and togetherness. The reader highlights some examples of this theory in the way Tanti Merle behaved towards the match not going in favour of the combined islands. Douglas writes, “She almost caused a riot/She say dey teaf, she say dey eh like de Islands/She say change de rules/She say tie and draw, same ting/ She say she declare war/ She say how...