"Brother Jacob" shows an example of the representation of sugar in a small town in Britain itself, whereas "The Journal of a West Indian Proprietor" rather represents the sugar production and life on the plantations in the colonies. This essay will look at different representations of sugar in the two works and will compare them to each other.
“There is something about sugarcane, he isn’t what he seem---” . At first sight the sweet pleasure of sugar as we know it today and as we use it in our every-day life, might seem nothing but that, an innocent pleasure. But in times of the British colonies, where the history of sugar begins, it was so much more than that. The background of sugar is marked by oppression and violence. George Eliot’s "Brother Jacob" and Matthew Lewis’ "Journal of a West India Proprietor" are just two examples of literature which tell us about the representation of sugar and which make it clear that sugar isn’t what it might seem. Both books have been released in the 19th century, with one difference though.
"Brother Jacob" was written after the Emancipation Act took place whereas Lewis’ "Journal" was written years before. The two stories show different representations of sugar under the light of slavery and colonialism. Since the 17th century sugar plantations in the West Indies were the main source of work and profit. As the West Indies were British colonies, many British businessmen became plantation owners. Their slaves worked under different conditions for their masters, most of them suffering a lot. But when the sugar was imported into Great Britain nothing reminded about the brutal way in which it was produced anymore.
"On July 28, 1833, the Emancipation Act was passed in England, to take effect on August 1, 1834, but it emancipated only children under six, and “apprenticed” domestic and non-field workers to their former masters for a period of four year and plantation workers for six years” . This was a huge step against slavery. But still the slaves had to stay on the sugar plantations and some of them still worked under bad conditions.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Analysis of Brother Jacob
3. Analysis of Journal of a West India Proprietor
4. Comparative Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this study is to analyze and compare the differing representations of sugar within George Eliot’s novella Brother Jacob and Matthew Lewis’s Journal of a West India Proprietor, specifically focusing on how both works navigate the themes of colonial labor, economic profit, and the moral complexities surrounding slavery in the 19th century.
- The symbolic representation of sugar as both an innocent pleasure and a product of colonial violence.
- David Faux’s professional and personal motivations within the context of the British confectionery trade.
- Matthew Lewis’s utopian depiction of plantation life in Jamaica and his deflection of the realities of slavery.
- A comparative evaluation of how both authors utilize the narrative of sugar production to disguise or critique socio-economic structures.
Excerpt from the Book
The most important passage of the journal concerning sugar is the one where Lewis describes the process of sugar making.
I saw the whole process of sugar-making this morning. The ripe canes are brought in bundles to the mill, where the cleanest of the women are appointed, one to put them into the machine for grinding them, and another to draw them out after the juice has been extracted, when she throws them into an opening in the floor close to her; another band of negroes collects them below, when, under the name of trash, they are carried away to serve for fuel. The juice, which is itself at first of a pale ash-colour, gushes out in great streams, quite white with foam (…) where, being mixed with the molasses, or treacle, they are manufactured into rum. (…) The process represents many varieties of sugar. They do not only produce sugar itself but also other products of sugar, like rum. As Lewis fastidiously observes, only the ‘cleanest’ among the female slaves are ‘appointed to the initial task of handling the ‘ripe canes…” Apparently, it is an important job which needs special care. It makes the sugar canes seem delicate and special. For the rest of the process “he discusses the process in terms of what happens to the sugar cane rather than who is responsible for the work involved”.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the historical context of sugar in British colonies and establishes the premise of comparing George Eliot’s fiction with Matthew Lewis’s non-fiction.
2. Analysis of Brother Jacob: This section examines David Faux’s obsession with the confectionery trade and how Eliot frames sugar as a symbol of domestic pleasure that masks the brutal reality of its origin.
3. Analysis of Journal of a West India Proprietor: This chapter investigates Lewis’s attempt to paint an idyllic picture of his Jamaican plantations while ignoring or minimizing the systemic violence of the slave trade.
4. Comparative Conclusion: This final section synthesizes the findings, highlighting that while both authors approach the subject differently, both ultimately reveal the underlying tension between the sweetness of the commodity and the bitterness of its production.
Keywords
Sugar, Slavery, British Colonialism, George Eliot, Matthew Lewis, Brother Jacob, Journal of a West India Proprietor, Plantation life, Confectionery, Economic history, Labor, Utopianism, Social critique, 19th-century literature, West Indies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental subject of this academic paper?
The paper explores the representation of sugar in 19th-century British literature, specifically focusing on the dichotomy between its perceived sweetness as a consumer good and the violent colonial history of its production.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The main themes include colonial slavery, the economic and moral implications of the sugar trade, the role of literature in mirroring imperial desires, and the contrast between domestic consumption and plantation labor.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze and compare how George Eliot and Matthew Lewis interpret and represent sugar, assessing whether their respective works acknowledge or obscure the human cost associated with its production.
Which methodology is utilized in this research?
The work employs a literary and comparative analysis, using historical context and scholarly secondary sources to examine the framing of sugar in both a fictional novella and a personal, non-fictional journal.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers David Faux’s role in the confectionery trade in Brother Jacob, the social implications of this profession, Matthew Lewis’s utopian documentation of his plantations, and the hidden realities of slave labor in both texts.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include sugar, slavery, colonial literature, confectionery, plantation labor, and the works of George Eliot and Matthew Lewis.
How does David Faux’s role as a confectioner serve as a critique?
Faux’s profession functions as a trope for colonial exploitation, where his desire for social mobility and personal wealth is implicitly linked to the exploitation of those producing the raw material in the colonies.
How does Lewis attempt to justify his involvement in slavery?
Lewis employs a strategy of "utopian representation," focusing on the benevolence of his own role, providing medical care to his slaves, and describing the plantation as a harmonious environment to deflect from the systemic violence of the era.
- Quote paper
- Julia Straub (Author), 2018, Representation of sugar in George Eliot's "Brother Jacob" and Matthew Lewis' "Journal of a West India Proprietor", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/464332
