The paper intends to show you the relevance of power and authority in David Mitchell's novel “Cloud Atlas”. To do so this paper investigates the different characters and their identities. Do they all suffer from a kind of oppression and what else do they have in common concerning the question of dominance of stronger people towards weaker?
These questions will be answered in the first chapter of the main body. Here the reader has to expect an overview of the different actions of the narrators rather than a general study of their characters. The several forms of oppression and the dangers the main characters had, have or will have to fear will be outlined. Furthermore, some other aspects and terms will be mentioned and explained there in general, especially the concept of temporality and its meaning inside the novel. After giving you this review I will concentrate on two main protagonists, Adam Ewing and Sonmi~451. Here again, but in a lot more detail, I will highlight the relevance of colonialism, dominance and slavery in the cases of these two characters. Questions that guide these chapters are the following: What have the narrators done or what have they not done to escape from their fate and what is the solution of their problems? In addition to the previous issues and goals I strive to achieve I want to complete this term paper with a conclusion. This conclusion first of all contains a summary of the general aspects dealt with in the main body. Moreover, a thesis will be established that might be controversial and proper to be discussed in subsequent contentions with the same or similar topics and will of course have reference to the overall topic colonialism, dominance and slavery in David Mitchell´s “Cloud Atlas”.
Table of Contents
Introduction
I. Experiences of the Narrators
II. The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing
III. An Orison of Sonmi~451
Conclusion/Summary
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the pervasive themes of colonialism, dominance, and slavery within David Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas, examining how these mechanisms of oppression manifest across different temporal and spatial settings to affect human identity and social structure.
- Analysis of exploitation across diverse narrative arcs.
- The role of temporality in shaping colonial and capitalistic power dynamics.
- Character-based study of oppression and resistance.
- The critique of artificial human hierarchies and social inequality.
- Prospects for a global, cosmopolitical consciousness as a remedy to systemic injustice.
Excerpt from the Book
II. The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing
The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing is the first episode in Cloud Atlas. Ewing´s journal takes place around the year 1850. A fact that is not mentioned in the text by itself, but the Californian Gold Rush, which happened to that time. The story offers lots of examples of exploitation and oppression that will be analysed in the following sections.
The notary Adam Ewing is on his way from New South Wales in Australia back home to San Francisco. He travels on a small ship that is named the Prophetess and whose crew consists of mainly well-situated Western people, who want to benefit from the Gold Rush. After the vessel and its crew have stranded on the Chatham Islands, the notary begins to explore this peace of earth. Here he is informed about the history of the indigenous Moriori and their fate. The Moriori people have lived on isolation for hundreds of years. The only thing they had to cope with was the nature. Firstly, members of the tribe died as foreign settlers arrived and brought diseases the locals were not able to heal. Afterwards the invasion of Maori tribes decided their fortunes. The Maori were armed with weapons and gained support from the British. The peaceable Moriori who were alien to the concept of war have been massacred and enslaved by the “new” ones, who claimed the land for their own.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This section outlines the central research focus on dominance and oppression in Cloud Atlas and introduces the analytical approach towards the novel's characters and themes.
I. Experiences of the Narrators: An overview is provided of the six distinct narrative voices in the novel, highlighting their common experiences of exploitation regardless of their specific time or cultural setting.
II. The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing: This chapter analyzes the mid-nineteenth-century colonial context, specifically focusing on the destruction of the Moriori people and the predatory behavior of the crew on the Prophetess.
III. An Orison of Sonmi~451: The analysis shifts to a dystopian future, examining the artificial hierarchy between "pure-bloods" and "fabricants" and the extreme corporatization of human life.
Conclusion/Summary: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that individual awareness and a new planetary consciousness are essential to challenging systemic oppression.
Keywords
Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell, Colonialism, Dominance, Slavery, Oppression, Exploitation, Temporality, Moriori, Fabricants, Sonmi-451, Adam Ewing, Capitalism, Human Rights, Cosmopolitical Consciousness
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper primarily investigates how the themes of colonialism, dominance, and slavery are represented and critiqued within David Mitchell's novel Cloud Atlas.
Which thematic fields are central to the analysis?
Central themes include the abuse of power, the history of imperialism, the ethics of human labor in dystopian societies, and the cyclical nature of historical violence.
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to determine whether various forms of dominance play a superior role in the novel's structure and to discuss the moral implications of the author's narrative choices.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author uses literary analysis and interpretative methods, supported by secondary academic literature on post-modern fiction, race theory, and colonial discourse.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body focuses on the diaries of Adam Ewing as a representation of nineteenth-century colonialism and the dystopian narrative of Sonmi~451 to illustrate future corporatist exploitation.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include colonialism, exploitation, temporality, corporatism, human identity, and the struggle against systemic oppression.
How does the author define the hierarchy within the Moriori and Maori conflict?
The author views the conflict as a result of Western territorialism and British support for the Maori, which fundamentally disrupted the peaceful existence of the indigenous Moriori.
Why is the concept of "pure-blood" significant in the chapter on Sonmi~451?
The author argues that the term is used to create an artificial, dehumanizing divide that mirrors historical social constructions, serving to justify the enslavement of clones.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the novel's moral?
The author concludes that the novel serves as a call for a change in human thinking and acting, suggesting that a cosmopolitical community is necessary to prevent the predicted extinction caused by selfishness.
- Quote paper
- Philip Sell (Author), 2016, Colonialism, Dominance and Slavery in the Novel "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/994835
