This MA Thesis discusses the way in which Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing represent the notion of the transmission of the traumas of slavery. Both Beloved and Homegoing represent...Show moreThis MA Thesis discusses the way in which Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing represent the notion of the transmission of the traumas of slavery. Both Beloved and Homegoing represent the notion that traumas need to be narrated, and witnessed by others, or they will continue to have a negative impact on multiple generations, not only the generations of the present, but also those of the future. They do, however, differ significantly in the way in which they portray the notion of transmission of trauma. In Beloved, Denver is mostly traumatized not by being enslaved but by living with a mother who is traumatized by slavery, whilst in Homegoing the recurrent tropes of a black necklace, fire, and fear of water in the stories of the various generations suggest that the collective trauma of slavery is transmitted from one generation to the next. This is a significant difference, because it suggests the novels engage differently with the question central to the scholarly debate on transmission of trauma: can trauma be transmitted or is it the traumatized parent who creates a traumatizing atmosphere for the child?Show less
The focus in Afrofuturist scholarship has always been on the ways in which the black experience, particularly the forcible dislocation of the Middle Passage, has been akin to sensations of...Show moreThe focus in Afrofuturist scholarship has always been on the ways in which the black experience, particularly the forcible dislocation of the Middle Passage, has been akin to sensations of alienation and “Othering” explored in science fiction and speculative fiction. While a range of technologies have been analyzed in the context of Afrofuturism, from sonic, to digital, to even aerospace technologies, I argue in this thesis that there is a gap in scholarship on the medical technologies that undergird the alienation experienced by African Americans. To fill this gap, my research focuses on two works of fiction, Ralph Ellison’s classic novel Invisible Man (1952) and Jordan Peele’s recent movie Get Out (2017), that deal with the oppressive power of medicine. I argue that in both narratives medical experiments are used to take control over black bodies and minds, and I position this political violence into a history of medical experimentation and abuse on African Americans as well as Afrofuturism. As much as the medical mistreatment that the protagonists in these texts suffer seems exclusive to the world of science fiction, it has been, and might continue to be, part of the real experience of black Americans.Show less
In this thesis, Roman slaves' access to water is used as a case study for the study of Roman marginalisation. Roman slaveholders used water to marginalise slaves in two different ways: on a...Show moreIn this thesis, Roman slaves' access to water is used as a case study for the study of Roman marginalisation. Roman slaveholders used water to marginalise slaves in two different ways: on a personal level, the access to water was restricted, and on a professional level, the access to water was increased. Access to water was a power tool consciously employed by Roman slaveholders to marginalise others.Show less
This Thesis offers a close look at abolitionist white women and the activism they practiced despite the limitations they faced because of their gender. It also studies the prejudices and outright...Show moreThis Thesis offers a close look at abolitionist white women and the activism they practiced despite the limitations they faced because of their gender. It also studies the prejudices and outright racism within the texts these women wrote, which was often informed by their own limitations. It offers an insight on both the complications of intersectionality, and of its necessity when abolitionist texts written by women are judged.Show less
This dissertation considers Scotland's response to the 2007 bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, in the context of memory and museum studies. It considers to what degree...Show moreThis dissertation considers Scotland's response to the 2007 bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, in the context of memory and museum studies. It considers to what degree Scotland's response was aligned to an agenda of social justice - and how Scotland is slowly 'waking up' to its slavery past during a time of revived Scottish nationalism.Show less
Papuans, a designation to inhabitants of New Guinea, show up numerous time throughout history as slaves. This lead to the designation of New Guinea as 'victim societies'. But what does that mean?...Show morePapuans, a designation to inhabitants of New Guinea, show up numerous time throughout history as slaves. This lead to the designation of New Guinea as 'victim societies'. But what does that mean? And how did slavery contribute to the experience of living in New Guinea? In this thesis I answer these questions by looking at the historical pattern that enabled Papuan enslavement,looking at the societies with a history of entanglement with slavery and furthermore noting the strategies Papuans developed to deal with the historical pattern affecting them.Show less
This paper offers an in-depth study into slaves using poison as a form of resistance in antebellum Virginia. Although much attention has been given to sensational and bloody slave resistance such...Show moreThis paper offers an in-depth study into slaves using poison as a form of resistance in antebellum Virginia. Although much attention has been given to sensational and bloody slave resistance such as Nat Turner’s Rebellion and more recent scholarship has focused on “everyday resistance,” this paper attempts to bridge the gap between the two as poisoning is simultaneously violent yet hidden. While previous scholars have given some study to eighteenth-century poisoning, the nineteenth century is perhaps of more interest as advances in forensics and the rise of paternalism created an environment vastly different from, and in many ways more conducive to, poisoning than that found in the previous century. To try to gain a more complete understanding of poison practices this paper presents cases that involve slaves of different genders, occupations, and ages. Contrary to some historians, this paper presents poisoning in the context of its practicality and is critical of the view of poison being spiritually tied to Africa; as such, this paper explores the many varieties of poisons slaves utilized. Using newspaper articles and other primary sources, this paper dissects the poisoning practices of slaves as well as the white reactions to it.Show less
This thesis argues that the Wilberforce Museum assumes a similar role as William Wilberforce in the opposition of slavery in the representation of slavery and abolition and the opposition of...Show moreThis thesis argues that the Wilberforce Museum assumes a similar role as William Wilberforce in the opposition of slavery in the representation of slavery and abolition and the opposition of contemporary slavery.Show less