Browsing by Author "Milcairns, Susanne Margaret"

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Accidental Explorers, Unsuitable Authors The Textual Strategies of the Pacific Beachcomber 1783-1867
(Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 2004) Milcairns, Susanne Margaret
This thesis examines the written accounts of European sailors who "went native" on various Pacific islands between 1783 and 1867. Historically they were known as Pacific beachcombers and their acceptance into native societies was essential for their immediate survival, and for their long-term return to Europe. The extraordinary extent of their assimilation, and their participation in all aspects of native life, rendered the men suspect in the eyes of their European contemporaries. The act of "going native" was regarded as a repudiation of civilisation and this perception affected the sailors' presentation of themselves as credible authors upon their return to Europe. The narratives of this unique group of men were perceived to be tainted with the stigma of marginality and an examination will be made of the complex system of legitimation, justification and self-authorisation at work in the resultant texts. As uniquely marginal individuals the beachcombers were exclusively placed to explore and examine life on the periphery of the European world. An examination is made of the complex negotiations, personal and textual, required in the act of cross-cultural integration and its presentation in print. The adaptability, resourcefulness and ingenuity associated with a beachcomber's life in island communities are reflected in the reconfiguration of traditional generic conventions that characterise his written account. It is argued that the literary strategies employed by the castaway sailor challenge and subvert the ideology of primitivism and prevailing assumptions regarding the nature of the "savage", the efficacy of the missionary endeavour and the role of western civilisation in the Pacific. The thesis will focus on the distinctive fusion of anthropology, geography, philosophy, and personal adventure that distinguishes the beachcomber narratives, presenting them as unparalleled in the annals of voyage and travel.
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'The ghost in the machine': images of blackness in the fiction of Herman Melville
(Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, 1998) Milcairns, Susanne Margaret
This thesis examines a selection of fictional works by the classic American writer, Herman Melville. Particular emphasis is given to a study of his literary treatment of blacks and "blackness", especially as it relates to the silenced and suppressed black slave population of late ante-bellum America. While Melville's works are notable for both the number and variety of their black characters, the deeper significance of their representation usually remains unexplored in most traditional criticism. Recognising the conventional marginalisation of the black presence, this thesis attempts to reposition "blackness" as central to, and inseparable from, the main concerns of Melville's fiction. Consequently, it is argued that, as a profound moral thinker writing in a society highly aware of racial issues, Melville's artistic encounter with "blackness" is inextricably related to his exploration of the major philosophical and political concerns of his age. A re-evaluation of the selected fiction demonstrates the fundamental role played by blacks and "blackness" in the formation of white American identity - both individually and nationally. It also argues that the implications of the black presence are central to the author's indisputable commitment to the democratic ideals of nineteenth-century America. The psychological component of Melville's literary representation of blacks is also identified and foregrounded. In this respect, it is asserted that the fabrication of a black presence becomes a reflexive act, enabling an artistic meditation on the nature of the conscious and unconscious self - its sexuality, hidden desires, terrors and fears. Accordingly, an analysis is made of both the connotative and denotative aspects of "blackness" and the means by which those symbolic figurations of darkness influence and inform the language, imagery, narrative structure and artistic resolution of the works in question. By re-reading the texts in this way, it can be seen that Melville's treatment of "blackness" destabilises, subverts, informs and enriches the literature in which it plays so integral a part.