Regarding his third novel, Feeding the Ghosts, the British-Guyanese poet, playwright and novelist Fred D’Aguiar states in an interview for the “Caribbean Studies Journal” that “it was a piece of history that then grew out of an absence of facts about it” (Hyppolite). Apparently the author does not intend to convey a coherent, continuous historical account of the infamous ‘Zong-Massacre’, which took place in 1781, but rather the ruins of history in a manner of an “as-if-testimony” (Bröck 29). Thus, the novel belongs to the genre of historical fiction which combines in a postcolonial context imaginative elements and historical facts with regard to the historiographical document of the death of 131 Africans “at the hands of profit-hungry British slave traders and investors on board the slave ship Zong” (Pichler 7).
Sailing from the west coast of Africa to Jamaica, the slave ship carried 442 slaves, more than it could safely transport and was therefore overloaded and lacked sufficient provisions for its ‘cargo’. Together with malnutrition and disease, this overcrowding led to Captain Luke Collingwood’s decision to throw the sick overboard in order to claim money from the insurers, who covered £39 compensation a head, as long as the action was taken to safeguard the ship’s safety. The resulting court trial caused much attention as the case of the Zong outnumbered the known fashion and consequently lead to abolitionist support as the legal status of slaves as ‘cargo’ was confirmed by the concluding verdict. Finally, in 1790 a preliminary bill was passed which ruled out “insurances claims resulting from slave mortality through natural death or ill treatment, or against loss by throwing overboard of slaves on any account whatsoever” (Walvin 20).
Even though “those deaths [...] cannot be undone” (D’Aguiar 230) D’Aguiar succeeds at creating a “counter-memory to Britain’s official memory” (Pichler 1) by recreating this traumatic incident in the history of the Middle Passage and the subsequent trial from the perspective of his heroine Mintah, a Fetu slave woman.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Revisionist Historical Novel
2.1 Selection Structures and Dominant References Areas
2.2 Narrative Levels
2.3 Time Reference
2.4 Relation between Fictional History and Knowledge of Historiography
2.5 Types of Illusion and Potential Functions of the Revisionist Historical Novel
3. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Thematic Focus
This academic paper examines whether Fred D'Aguiar's novel Feeding the Ghosts functions as a revisionist historical novel by applying the formal criteria defined by the narratologist Ansgar Nünning. The study explores how the text reinterprets historical records of the Zong-Massacre, engages with postcolonial memory, and utilizes specific fictional techniques to challenge traditional historiography.
- Analysis of selection structures and reference areas in revisionist literature.
- Examination of narrative levels and time references in historical fiction.
- Intersection of fictional accounts and historiographical knowledge.
- The function of trauma, memory, and remembrance in postcolonial narratives.
- Evaluation of the novel’s aesthetic effects and its role in re-writing history.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
Regarding his third novel, Feeding the Ghosts, the British-Guyanese poet, playwright and novelist Fred D’Aguiar states in an interview for the “Caribbean Studies Journal” that “it was a piece of history that then grew out of an absence of facts about it” (Hyppolite). Apparently the author does not intend to convey a coherent, continuous historical account of the infamous ‘Zong-Massacre’, which took place in 1781, but rather the ruins of history in a manner of an “as-if-testimony” (Bröck 29). Thus, the novel belongs to the genre of historical fiction which combines in a postcolonial context imaginative elements and historical facts with regard to the historiographical document of the death of 131 Africans “at the hands of profit-hungry British slave traders and investors on board the slave ship Zong” (Pichler 7).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the historical context of the Zong-Massacre and introduces the theoretical framework of the revisionist historical novel according to McHale and Nünning.
2. The Revisionist Historical Novel: Provides a comprehensive theoretical classification of the revisionist historical novel and its specific narratological characteristics.
2.1 Selection Structures and Dominant References Areas: Investigates the balance between heteroreferential and autoreferential references within the novel and how these serve to foreground fictionality.
2.2 Narrative Levels: Analyzes the interplay between diegetic and extradiegetic levels, focusing on Mintah's diary and the role of the narrator.
2.3 Time Reference: Discusses the novel's oscillation between past-oriented events and present-day contemplation, highlighting the perspective of the oppressed.
2.4 Relation between Fictional History and Knowledge of Historiography: Examines how the author fictionalizes recorded history to create an "as-if-testimony," broadening the reader's historical understanding.
2.5 Types of Illusion and Potential Functions of the Revisionist Historical Novel: Explores the aesthetic effects and the didactic or critical functions of the novel, specifically regarding the act of remembrance.
3. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, confirming that the novel meets the formal criteria of a revisionist historical novel and suggests avenues for further research.
Keywords
Feeding the Ghosts, Fred D'Aguiar, Zong-Massacre, Revisionist Historical Novel, Ansgar Nünning, Postcolonial Literature, Historiography, Narratology, Mintah, Memory, Black Atlantic, Slavery, Trauma, Fictionality, Counter-memory
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this analysis?
This work analyzes Fred D'Aguiar's novel Feeding the Ghosts to determine if it qualifies as a revisionist historical novel based on established narratological criteria.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
The core themes include the representation of slavery, the tension between historical fact and fiction, the importance of subaltern voices, and the role of memory in postcolonial writing.
What is the main research question?
The essay pursues the question of whether D'Aguiar’s novel adheres to the formal criteria defined by Ansgar Nünning for the revisionist historical novel.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a text-oriented analysis grounded in the typology of the German narratologist Ansgar Nünning to evaluate the novel against five specific formal criteria.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body systematically examines the novel's selection structures, narrative levels, time references, the relationship between fiction and historiography, and the aesthetic functions of the narrative.
Which keywords best characterize this study?
Key terms include: revisionist historical novel, Zong-Massacre, postcolonial literature, historiography, memory, and narratological analysis.
How does the novel handle the historical silence surrounding the Zong-Massacre?
The novel fills the gaps in historical records by providing a voice to the victims, specifically through the character of Mintah, thereby creating an "as-if-testimony" that counters official, colonial memory.
What is the significance of the character Mintah in the analysis?
Mintah serves as the focal point for exploring individual trauma, resistance, and the act of remembrance, moving from a victim of the Zong to a protagonist who seeks to "feed the ghosts" of the past.
Why is the year 1833 mentioned in the text?
1833 marks the Abolition of Slavery Act in the British Parliament, which the analysis identifies as a reference point that provides an optimistic, transformative view of future history in the Caribbean.
- Quote paper
- Bianca Müller (Author), 2010, "Feeding the Ghosts" as a Revisionist Historical Novel, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/169027
