(...) 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
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theory and Methodology
3. Main Part
3.1. The Dichotomy of Sea and Land – Multilayered and Mutually Influencing Metaphors
3.2. The Sea
3.2.1. Slavery as an Institution
3.2.2. Slavery’s Relation to British Society and Its Judiciary
3.2.3. The Sea as Enemy, Destroyer and Symbol of Death
3.3. The Land
3.3.1. Wood
3.3.2. Grain
3.4. The Imagery of Sea and Land in the Light of the Concept of Writing Back in Postcolonial Literature
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Thematic Focus
This academic paper examines the primary dichotomy of sea and land imagery within Fred D’Aguiar's novel Feeding the Ghosts. It investigates how these multilayered metaphors construct the narrative's poetic structure and how they relate to the concept of "writing back" in postcolonial literature, specifically focusing on the representation of trauma, slavery, and historical memory.
- Analysis of sea and land as fundamental, mutually influencing metaphors.
- Exploration of slavery's institutionalized power, economic reification, and its impact on the individual psyche.
- Examination of land as a symbol for home, cultural identity, and spiritual resilience.
- Investigation of the novel's revisionist approach to history through the prism of personal experience and poetic imagery.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.1. Slavery as an Institution
The sea is personified and depicted as an independent, self-contained entity in order to emphasise slavery’s status as an institution (cf. Frias, 419). The picture of the sea as a “gigantic body of breathing sea water” (D’ Aguiar 1998, 179), which “breathes with a live of its own” (D’ Aguiar 1998, 188), emblemises slavery as a powerful economic institution of far-reaching influence and independence. The immense reach of its influence is alluded to when Mintah concludes that there can be no land left that is “not under rain or sea or flattened by wind” (cf. D’Aguiar 1998, 199). In this respect slavery is also portrayed as a diffuse, unseizable force, whose indirect effects go far beyond the official scope of the institution itself: “The sea was nowhere and everywhere.” (D’ Aguiar 1998, 26)
Slavery’s power over those who participate in it or are subordinated to it is furthermore exemplified by the sea’s impact on the Zong, making it sway, rock and lean (cf. D’ Aguiar 1998, 10, 22, 55, 69, 111, 116 et seq., 173, 196). Since one “must succumb to its swells, tumbles, pushes and pulls” (D’ Aguiar 1998, 3), the sea stands for a system which demands submission, obedience and a capacity for suffering from those who dwell within its domain. The ship’s “tilt” or “list to leeward” (cf. D’ Aguiar 1998, 111, 123, 132) symbolises the massive control that slavery exerts, but simultaneously hints at a general flaw of the system as a whole.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the author's focus on the novel as a "revisionist historical novel" based on the Zong Massacre, establishing the framework for analyzing sea and land imagery.
2. Theory and Methodology: Details the application of New Criticism and Post-Colonial critical theories to interpret the symbolic imagery of the text.
3. Main Part: Provides a comprehensive analysis of the sea/land dichotomy, exploring their specific metaphorical representations of institutions, trauma, culture, and identity.
3.1. The Dichotomy of Sea and Land – Multilayered and Mutually Influencing Metaphors: Establishes that sea and land are the core metaphors that permeate the novel, influencing all other imagery.
3.2. The Sea: Explores the sea as a central metaphor for slavery, economic power, and destruction.
3.2.1. Slavery as an Institution: Examines how the sea personifies slavery as a pervasive, unstoppable economic and institutional force.
3.2.2. Slavery’s Relation to British Society and Its Judiciary: Investigates the connection between maritime trade, British law, and the moral consequences on society.
3.2.3. The Sea as Enemy, Destroyer and Symbol of Death: Discusses the sea's role in the dehumanization and annihilation of the enslaved through the bone and skinning motifs.
3.3. The Land: Analyzes the land as a counter-image to the sea, representing home, cultural identity, and spiritual grounding.
3.3.1. Wood: Delves into wood as a symbol for faith, personality, and the strength required to survive traumatic experiences.
3.3.2. Grain: Focuses on grain as an indicator of individual personality, identity, and the process of self-discovery.
3.4. The Imagery of Sea and Land in the Light of the Concept of Writing Back in Postcolonial Literature: Synthesizes the findings to demonstrate how D'Aguiar uses imagery to provide a reconciling, personalized counter-history to official colonial narratives.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the thesis, reaffirming that sea and land serve as the foundation for the novel's complex metaphorical engagement with the trauma of the Middle Passage.
Keywords
Feeding the Ghosts, Fred D’Aguiar, Zong Massacre, Postcolonial Literature, Slavery, Sea imagery, Land imagery, Trauma, Middle Passage, Writing back, Metaphor, Cultural Identity, Recompense, Memory, Revisionist history
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this paper?
The paper analyzes the symbolic imagery of sea and land in Fred D’Aguiar’s novel Feeding the Ghosts to understand how the author portrays the trauma of slavery and the Middle Passage.
What are the central themes explored in the text?
Key themes include institutionalized slavery, the role of colonial judiciary, cultural identity, personal trauma, and the pursuit of historical justice through literature.
What is the main goal of the research?
The study aims to explain how D’Aguiar uses multilayered metaphors to "write back" against colonial historical narratives and provide a sense of recompense through remembrance.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The author employs a text-oriented approach using New Criticism for close reading alongside Post-Colonial critical theory to analyze the layers of imagery.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main part provides an in-depth exploration of the sea as a symbol of institutionalized slavery and the land as a representation of home and cultural identity, subdivided into specific motifs like wood, grain, and fire.
Which keywords define this work?
Relevant keywords include Feeding the Ghosts, slavery, postcolonial literature, trauma, Middle Passage, metaphor, and cultural identity.
How is the "bone motif" used in the novel?
The bone motif is analyzed as a symbol of dehumanization, where the sea is shown to grind bodies to dust, signifying the obliteration of human personality and memory under slavery.
What is the significance of the "grain" of wood?
The grain represents the individual personality and the inner self of the enslaved, which must be "discovered" to maintain resilience against the dehumanizing forces of the slave trade.
Why is the role of the judiciary examined?
The paper examines the judiciary to show how British law and institutions were complicit in the slave trade, treating humans as cargo rather than people.
- 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
