gift from mistress to slave with an Empire's tag: Language of the law in the post-colonial matrices of Derek Walcott's "Omeros"

The text focuses on the language of the law in Omeros , which is defined as "the representation and expression of social order, principles, morality, conscience, and conduct of a community or nation." The language of the law is inherent in the dynamics of the Caribbean's hybrid, cultural community and is revealed through Walcott's characters. Walcott attempts to resolve how the colonial cultural system has maintained cultural and socio-economic authority in a politically independent West Indies. Walcott's characters view the language of the law and each other according to their cultural matrices. Helen is Walcott's key. Helen is the West Indian people, her yellow dress the language of the law, and the Empire's tag is the colonial cultural system. How Helen, in her yellow dress, is perceived by each character gives insight into that character's cultural system. The sum of these cultural matrices is Helen and defines "Caribbeanness."