Abstract
Matthew Kneale’s multiple-perspective novel, English passengers, written around the centenary of Queen Victoria’s death, attempts to portray the realities of the underprivileged races in pre—and early Victorian times. In order for the image to be as impartial as possible, both the repressed and the oppressors are given time on the podium and allowed to present their opinions without apparent interference on the side of the author. Yet, not all the speakers are equally credible. The problematic nature of colonization is shown, with negative consequences arising also from seemingly good intentions. The article presents the differences in modes of presentation of the English, Manx and Tasmanian narrators and characters—the differences in perception of the world and language, as well as their dependence on the circumstances. The interweaving of various identities—the colonizers and the colonized and the subjective nature of the ‘other’ are also explored. As a whole, the article explores the impact of the narrative structure on the credibility of the narrators and narratives and the way they are perceived by the reader.
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Notes
- 1.
As Wallhead puts it, “Kneale's objective is to tell the “truth” about the Aborigines' fate, a story that has been silenced or glossed over in the history books” (2003, p. 24).
- 2.
Mrs Catherine Price, Wife of the Storekeeper in the Wybalenna Aboriginal Settlement phrases the goal of dealing with the Aborigines as hoping “with time [to] transform them into something like a happy band of English villagers” (Kneale 2001).
- 3.
Eventually Peevay decides to fight the white man – his rejection of adopting European culture is expressed symbolically in the decision to kill 'Father' – the English convict who raped his mother. (Kneale 2001) The mock name given to him by the English, Cromwell, turns out to be more fitting than intended.
- 4.
One should not forget, however, that the Englishmen's own discourse is also far from homogeneous. Among the forms of expression used by English characters in the novel are diary entries, a newspaper article condemning the theft of an Aborigine corpse, prayers, lists, memoirs, legal documents and an excerpt from a tourist guide.
- 5.
Elsewhere Peevay states with relief that “at least my skin was human colour” (Kneale 2001).
- 6.
A significantly simplified example of varying viewpoints is that of Manx toasts, which as Captain Illiam Quilliam Kewley explains, always referred to herring:
`Bois da dooine as baase da eease,' we called out, which means in English `Life to men and death to fish.' and is about herring, as are all Manx toasts. Then it was `Death to the head that never wore hair,' and `Here's death to our best friend.' Meaning herring, of course. (Kneale 2001, p. 31)
- 7.
On the other hand, the addressee (intended audience) of Captain Kewley's narration is never specified, so one cannot in fact be sure whether he is speaking more overtly or just keeping a secret diary.
- 8.
On the other hand, it is possible that this interpretation is a superstructure imposed by the reader, in this case myself, committing the “cardinal error” Bachtin described as understanding the polyphonic novel as “one word, one voice, one accent” (2009, p. 180, own translation). Nevertheless, it is difficult not to read the novel with a sense of the titular English passengers being the symbolic negative characters (cf. Ross 2006, p. 267) who were rightly punished and see this as the author's intended main message to which all the seemingly disparate voices contributed.
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Sulmicki, M. (2013). Narration and Representation of Race in Matthew Kneale’s English Passengers. In: Fabiszak, J., Urbaniak-Rybicka, E., Wolski, B. (eds) Crossroads in Literature and Culture. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21994-8_19
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