Diplomsko Delo

UNIVERZA V MARIBORU FILOZOFSKA FAKULTETA Oddelek za anglistiko in amerikanistiko DIPLOMSKO DELO Nina Rošer MARIBOR, 2013 UNIVERZA V MARIBORU FILOZOFSKA FAKULTETA Oddelek za anglistiko in amerikanistiko Diplomsko delo POSTMODERNA SUŽENJSKA PRIPOVED Graduation thesis POSTMODERN SLAVE NARRATIVE Mentor: red. prof. Victor Kennedy Kandidatka: Nina Rošer Maribor, 2013 Lektorica za slovenski jezik: Tadeja Pucko, prof. slovenščine ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my mentor, Dr. Victor Kennedy for his help and advice during the process of writing my diploma. I would also like to thank my parents for their love and all the support that they have provided me over the years. FILOZOFSKA FAKULTETA Koroška cesta 160 2000 Maribor, Slovenija www.ff.um.si IZJAVA Podpisana Nina Rošer rojena 10. 6. 1988 študentka Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Mariboru, smer angleški jezik s književnostjo in sociologija, izjavljam, da je diplomsko delo z naslovom Postmodern Slave Narrative pri mentorju red. prof. Victorju Kennedyu, avtorsko delo. V diplomskem delu so uporabljeni viri in literatura korektno navedeni; teksti niso prepisani brez navedbe avtorjev. Kraj, Maribor Datum, 7. 6. 2013 ________________________________ (podpis študenta-ke) ABSTARCT The aim of this diploma is to show the development and characteristics of slave narratives by analysing the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison and Quentin Tarantino’s film Django Unchained. The aim is also to show the impact that African-American history (particularly slavery) has had on African American literature. Slavery is one of the main themes of African American writers, particularly in the 18th century; however, it is also an important subject of modern literature and writers. One of those is Toni Morrison, who is a literary voice of slave literature and whose work seeks to shed a light on the problems of African American people. For this purpose the novel Beloved is discussed. The book is a narration of the traumatic experience of slavery. In the same way, directors try to keep the memory of slavery alive in their films. One of those is Quentin Tarantino, who directed the latest film about slavery Django Unchained. KEY WORDS: Slavery, African American Literature, Slave Narrative, Neo-slave Narrative, Toni Morrison, Beloved, Django Unchained POVZETEK Cilj diplomske naloge je pokazati razvoj in značilnosti suženjskih pripovedi in le- te prikazati na primeru analize knjige avtorice Toni Morrison Ljubljena ter Quentin Tarantinovega filma Django brez okovov. Prav tako je namen prikazati vpliv afroameriške zgodovine (predvsem suženjstva) na afroameriško literaturo. Suženjstvo je ena izmed glavnih tem afroameriških pisateljev predvsem v 18. stoletju, k tej temi pa se vračajo tudi pisatelji moderne književnosti. Ena izmed teh je Toni Morrison, ki velja za literarni glas suženjske literature in skuša v svojih delih osvetliti probleme afroameriškega ljudstva. V ta namen je predstavljen roman pisateljice Morrison Ljubljena, ki je pripoved o travmatičnih izkušnjah suženjstva. Prav tako skušajo spomin na suženjstvo ohraniti režiserji v svojih delih. Eden izmet takih je Quentin Tarantino, ki je režiral najnovejši film o suženjstvu Django brez okovov. KLJUČNE BESEDE: suženjstvo, afroameriška literatura, suženjske pripovedi, neo-suženjske pripovedi, Toni Morrison, Ljubljena, Django brez okovov. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 2 AFRICAN AMERICANS AND SLAVERY............................................... 2 2.1 American Revolution ............................................................................... 4 2.2 Plantation Life .......................................................................................... 5 2.3 Civil War .................................................................................................. 7 2.4 Reconstruction .......................................................................................... 8 3 AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE .................................................. 11 3.1 Slave Narratives ..................................................................................... 15 3.2 Neo-slave Narratives .............................................................................. 20 4 TONI MORRISON AND AFRICAN AMERICAN IDENTITY .............. 21 5 BELOVED ................................................................................................. 23 5.1 Characters ............................................................................................... 27 5.1.1 Beloved ........................................................................................... 27 5.1.2 Sethe Suggs ..................................................................................... 28 5.1.3 Paul D .............................................................................................. 29 5.1.4 Denver Suggs .................................................................................. 30 5.1.5 Baby Suggs ..................................................................................... 31 5.1.6 Schoolteacher .................................................................................. 32 5.2 Themes ................................................................................................... 34 5.2.1 Slavery............................................................................................. 34 5.2.2 Memory ........................................................................................... 37 5.2.3 Identity, Motherhood and Manhood ............................................... 38 5.2.4 Community ...................................................................................... 42 5.2.5 Sexual Exploitation ......................................................................... 43 5.2.6 Love and Relationships ................................................................... 46 5.2.7 Supernatural .................................................................................... 47 5.3 Motifs and imagery ................................................................................ 49 5.3.1 124 Bluestone Road ........................................................................ 49 5.3.2 Water ............................................................................................... 50 5.3.3 Milk ................................................................................................. 51 5.3.4 Allusions to Christianity ................................................................. 52 5.3.5 Colours ............................................................................................ 54 5.3.6 Iron .................................................................................................. 55 5.3.7 Trees ................................................................................................ 56 5.3.8 Animals and Bestiality .................................................................... 57 5.4 Beloved Film .......................................................................................... 59 6 HOLLYWOOD’S DEPICTION OF SLAVERY ...................................... 61 7 DJANGO UNCHAINED ........................................................................... 66 7.1 Plot and Analysis .................................................................................... 68 7.2 Characters ............................................................................................... 75 7.2.1 Django ............................................................................................. 75 7.2.2 King Schultz .................................................................................... 77 7.2.3 Calvin Candie .................................................................................. 79 7.2.4 Stephen ............................................................................................ 81 7.2.5 Broomhilda ...................................................................................... 82 7.3 Music ...................................................................................................... 83 8 DEPICTION OF SLAVERY IN DJANGO UNCHAINED ....................... 85 9 COMPARISON BETWEEN BELOVED AND DJANGO UNCHAINED 88 10 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................... 91 11 WORKS CITED AND CONSULTED ...................................................... 93 1 INTRODUCTION In the USA slavery was abolished in 1865. Despite that, the memories of slavery are still alive in autobiographies, the so called slave narratives written by slaves such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs. Slavery is one of the main themes of African American writers, particularly in the 18th century; however, it is also an important subject of modern literature and writers. One of those is Toni Morrison, who is a literary voice of slave literature and whose work seeks to shed a light on the problems of African American people. However, not just writers but directors too, try to keep the memory of slavery alive in their films. When Quentin Tarantino’s film Django Unchained was realised in 2012 it stirred controversy for many things in the film. One of those things is Tarantino’s depiction of slavery which is bloody and violent. However, according to Professor Lawrence D. Bobo, a scholar at Harvard University:”for too long American cinema has presented -- and American audiences have accepted, digested and largely tacitly embraced

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