(...) The novel belongs to the genre of the Caribbean novels, and, as a historical fiction about the slave trade, provocatively combines historical and imaginative elements. Thus, it can be subsumed under the term “revisionist historical novel”, which, according to Ansgar Nünning, denotes novels that maintain a positive tension between their status as literature and their status as history (cf. Thieme, 1121; Pichler, 6, 11).
Feeding the Ghosts is based on the infamous “Zong Massacre” which took place in 1781. It was an incident in which 133 slaves were thrown overboard an English slave ship, leading to a civil action in the same year by the ship’s owners, who sued their insurers for compensation for the dead slaves. The publicity about the law suit and the concluding verdict, which confirmed the legal status of slaves as cargo, fostered abolitionist support and made them a landmark of the battle against British slave trade in the 18th century. Due to growing public indignation a parliamentary act was finally passed in 1790, which ruled out insurance claims resulting from slave mortality or the jettison of slaves on any account (cf. Low, 106 et seq.; Pichler, 6; Philp, 245; Baucom, 61 et seq., Frias 421, Schatteman, 234; James, 327).
In order to recreate the trauma of the Middle Passage D’ Aguiar’s fictionalised treatment of the Zong Massacre and of the subsequent trial mainly focuses on the reconstruction of the events from a slave girl’s point of view, (cf. Schatteman, 234, Phil, 245; Carr, Pichler, 11).
Since the most prominent feature of D’ Aguiar’s fiction is his poetic style, which is an object of acclaim as well as of critical reprimand (cf. Steward, 68; Figueredo, 211; Frias, 418; James, 327; Bovenschen; Low, 110; Schatteman, 234; Carr), the paper at hand chooses the novel’s imagery as its subject-matter and examines the principal dichotomy of sea and land. By elucidating their meanings the analysis will show that these images are multilayered metaphors which mutually influence each other, and explain other imagery they are connected to. Subsequently, sea and land will analysed in the light of the concept of writing back in Postcolonial Criticism in order to point out that they are part of a distinctive, reconciling approach, which aims at understanding history by personality and at recompense by remembrance
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Theory and Methodology
- Main Part
- The Dichotomy of Sea and Land – Multilayered and Mutually Influencing Metaphors
- The Sea
- Slavery as an Institution
- Slavery's Relation to British Society and Its Judiciary
- The Sea as Enemy, Destroyer and Symbol of Death
- The Land
- Wood
- Grain
- The Imagery of Sea and Land in the Light of the Concept of Writing Back in Postcolonial Literature
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes the imagery of sea and land in Fred D'Aguiar's Feeding the Ghosts. The main objective is to examine how these images function as multilayered metaphors, mutually influencing each other and contributing to the novel's overall meaning. The analysis will also consider the imagery within the framework of postcolonial "writing back," exploring how it contributes to the novel's unique approach to understanding and addressing the historical trauma of slavery.
- The dichotomy of sea and land as central metaphors in the novel.
- The representation of slavery as an institution through the imagery of the sea.
- The exploration of the interconnectedness of various images within the novel.
- The application of postcolonial literary theory to interpret the novel's imagery.
- The novel's unique approach to historical understanding and reconciliation.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Introduction: Introduces Feeding the Ghosts, its author, and its historical context—the Zong Massacre of 1781. The paper's focus on the novel's imagery, particularly the dichotomy of sea and land, is established.
Theory and Methodology: Outlines the analytical approach, combining close reading with the lens of postcolonial criticism, specifically the concept of "writing back." The broad definition of "imagery" used in the analysis is clarified.
Main Part - 3.1 The Dichotomy of Sea and Land: This section establishes the central role of the sea and land imagery as layered metaphors, mutually influencing each other and forming a network of associations within the narrative.
Main Part - 3.2 The Sea - 3.2.1 Slavery as an Institution: Explores how the sea is personified to represent slavery as a powerful, pervasive, and independent institution. The sea's immense influence and the subjugation it implies are discussed.
Main Part - 3.2 The Sea - 3.2.2 Slavery's Relation to British Society: (This section is not fully available in provided text)
Main Part - 3.2 The Sea - 3.2.3 The Sea as Enemy: (This section is not fully available in provided text)
Main Part - 3.3 The Land: (This section is not fully available in provided text)
Main Part - 3.4 The Imagery of Sea and Land in the Light of the Concept of Writing Back: (This section is not fully available in provided text)
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Feeding the Ghosts, Fred D'Aguiar, Zong Massacre, transatlantic slavery, Middle Passage, sea imagery, land imagery, layered metaphors, postcolonial literature, writing back, historical fiction, revisionist historical novel.
- Quote paper
- Dipl.Jurist Marco Sievers (Author), 2007, The Imagery of Sea and Land in Fred D’Aguiar’s Feeding the Ghosts , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/120291
