Specters of the Atlantic

Ian Baucom
The South Atlantic Quarterly, Volume 100, Number 1, Winter 2001,
pp. 61-82 (Article)
Pubshed by Duke Unversty Press
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Ian Baucom
Specters of the Atlantic
Tho soa is slavoiy. . . . Soa iocoivos a lody as il that
lody has cono to iost on a cushion, ono that givos
way to tho lodys woight and lolds iound it liko an
onvolopo. Ovoi thioo days such lodios, no, z,
aio ung at this soa. Each lands with a sound that
tho soa alsoils and siloncos. . . . Thoso lodios havo
thoii livos wiitton on salt watoi. Tho soa cuiiont tuins
pagos ol nonoiy. Ono hundiod and thiity ono souls
ioan tho Atlantic with countloss othois. Whon tho
wind is hoaid it is thoii lioath, thoii spooch. Tho soa
is thoioloio hono.
Tho Zong is on tho high soas. Mon, wonon and chil-
dion aio thiown ovoiloaid ly tho Captain and his
ciow. Thoio is no loai oi shano in this pioco ol in-
loination. Thoio is only tho lact ol tho Zong and its
unonding voyago and thoso doaths that cannot lo un-
dono. Whoio doath has logun lut ionains unnishod
locauso it iocuis. Whoio thoio is only tho iocoid ol tho
soa. . . . Thoso spiiits lood on tho stoiy ol thonsolvos.
Tho past is laid to iost whon it is told.
Fiod DAguiai, Feeding the Ghosts
So logins and onds tho Guyanoso wiitoi Fiod
DAguiais Feeding the Ghosts, a novolistic ac-
count ol tho ;8 nassacio ly diowning ol z
slavos aloaid tho slavo ship Zong, a nuidoi
Tho South Atlantic Quarterly oo:, Wintoi zoo.
Copyiight _ zoo ly Duko Univoisity Pioss.
62 Ian Baucom
oidoiod ly tho ships captain, Luko Collingwood, whon ho locano awaio
that ho had stooiod his ship o couiso, that his supplios ol watoi and lood
woio iunning out, that his caigo would poiish loloio ho could stooi it to
poit, and that tho only way loi hin to guaiantoo a piot to hinsoll and tho
vossols Livoipool ownois was to ottison all thoso sickly slavos who, ly con-
tinuing to consuno watoi, woio thioatoning tho wollaio ol thoii lollows
and thon to clainconponsation loi thoso ottisonod goods undoi tho sal-
vago clauso ol tho Zongs naiino insuianco policy. Collingwood oidoiod
tho nuidois, and on his iotuin to London, whon tho insuiois would not
pay, ho and tho ships ownois suod. A lizaiio soiios ol couit casos lollowod.
Collingwood diod loloio tho suit could ioach couit, lut tho ownois puisuod
tho caso, whoso succosslul outcono, lion thoii point ol viow, dopondod on
thoii nood to piovo that tho slavos had indood oxistod, that thoii agont had
had thonnuidoiod, and that such a nassacio was not only nocossaiy lut,
undoi tho opoiating laws ol piopoity, had conloiiod on oach ol tho slavos
lodios a noasuiallo and iocovoiallo quantity ol valuothat, indood, tho
only quostion ol ustico poitinont to this caso was tho quostion ol tho insui-
anco conpanys olligation to conponsato tho shipownois loi thoii loss.
1
On which point, lot no pauso loi ust a nonont, loi it is piocisoly with
iogaid to quostions ol ustico and valuo that tho caso ol tho Zong has a loai-
ing upon that contonpoiaiy discouiso ol nonoiy that I want to discuss,
a discouiso in which tho thooiy ol valuo upon which a politics ol diaspoiic
iononlianco lounds itsoll oiiginatos in a iolusal to idontily oithoi valuo
oi ustico with that law ol oxchango which was tho tiuo law govoining tho
outcono ol tho Zong tiials. Foi il it was a connoicial tiiunph ol tho ox-
chango piinciplo that poinittod tho couits to nd, as thoy did, that Colling-
wood had pioducod sonothing ol valuo inoachol thoso nononts inwhicha
slavos lody hit tho suilaco ol tho soa, that oach such niniapocalypso was not
only an apocalypso ol doath lut an apocalypso ol nonoy, an apocalypso in
which, thiough tho notaphoiic inagination ol capital, doath and tho nonoy
loin nano ono anothoi as litoial oquivalonts, thon it was also a concoptu-
alization ol justice as oxchango, tho tiiunph ol a classical thinking ol us-
tico codiod loi Enlightonnont nodoinity in Hogols Philosophy of Right,
that poinittod what woio to locono a soiios ol couit inquiiios into tho
oightoonth-contuiy laws ol naiino insuianco to conin thoso lundanon-
tal and conplonontaiy laws ol capital which dictato that ustico is dono and
valuo pioducod whon ono thing is oxchangod loi anothoi. By such think-
Specters of the Atlantic 63
ing, ustico is littlo noio than a noans ol noasuiing tho lungilility ol all
things, a way, in Hogols toins, ol discovoiing, ovon in casos whoio tho
danago dono anounts to dostiuction and is iiiopaiallo, that danago is, in-
dood, iovoisillo, that sonothing can lo sulstitutod loi tho lost thing, sono-
thing that will tako tho placo ol its spocic qualitativo chaiactoi, sono-
thing, in this caso, callod nonoy.
2
Il such concoptions ol ustico, valuo, and
insuianco onoigo lion tho Zong tiials as capitals contiilution to tho his-
toiy ol nouining, thon tho notions ol ustico and valuo that onoigo lion
a contonpoiaiy politics ol llack Atlantic iononlianco, a politics in which
tho caso ol tho Zong has onco noio locono a contial ovont, aiticulato a
lai noio conplox undoistanding ol what it noans to oxchango ono thing
loi anothoi: an undoistanding that is at onco iocognizally nolancholic and
countoinolancholic, oqually dovotod to tho singulai and to tho notion ol ox-
chango lut dovotod, in that caso, to a ioconcoptualization ol tho piotocols
ol oxchango lundanontally consonant with that inpliod ly a hauntological
iothinking ol ustico.
What I ultinatoly want to suggost ly tiacing such quostions thiough a
soiios ol iocont naiiativos ol tho Zong nassacio is that a contonpoiaiy llack
Atlantic allogoiosis ol tho niddlo passago aninatos its hauntological intoiio-
gation ol a classical discouiso on ustico and oxchango ly iopoatodly posing
tho quostion ol valuo as a piollonol naning and sooing: ol knowing howto
nano what wo soo and howto valuo what wo nano whon wo viowthis ovont
lion a distanco ol two hundiod yoais, oi indood lion whatovoi distanco
sopaiatos tho viowing ol such an atiocity lion this atiocious scono. Indood,
as I hopo to suggost, tho voiy dioionco inplicit in tho docision to soo this
scono as such a scono oi as an undocidallo conplonont ol this and such
sconos, not only guios tho iolationship lotwoon a classical and a poststiuc-
tuial thooiy ol ustico, lut also allogoiizos thoso llack Atlantic nogotiations
ol tho oxchangoallo and tho singulai that aio ny piinaiy oloct ol inquiiy.
But that is tho ond point ol ny aigunont and I an still at tho loginning,
still lack inthoso ;8 couitioons, ono piosidod ovoi ly Loid Mansold and
attondod not only ly tho litigants lut also ly Gianvillo Shaipo, who had loon
inloinod ol tho caso ly Ouladah Equianoh, and who had lundod an appoal
ol tho ist voidict, which had gono in lavoi ol tho shipownois. Tho ownois
won tho appoal also. But Shaipo, who dispatchod a stioan ol lottois on tho
nassacio to tho London papois, tho Adniialty couits, tho piino ninistoi,
and vaiious alolitionist oiganizations, was allo to holp nako that a Pyiihic
64 Ian Baucom
victoiy. Thanks in laigo pait to his ooits, insuianco lawwas changod, and il
histoiios ol alolition aio anything to go ly, tho alolitionist causo itsoll owod
a gooddoal ol its oaily onoigy to outiago occasionodly tho nuidoi. Coitainly
tho caso ol tho Zong acquiiod a good doal ol notoiioty in tho lato oightoonth
and oaily ninotoonth contuiios. Tho nassacio, iocoidod in tho tiial docu-
nonts, tho pagos ol tho Morning Chronicle, and in ono lottoi altoi anothoi in
Gianvillo Shaipos sot ol tiansatlantic coiiospondoncos, was sooniocountod
onco again ly John Nowton, Ottolah Cuguano, and Thonas Claikson.
3
And in 8oo, tho stoiy ol tho nassacio logan to assuno what has loon,
until tho past docado oi so, its canonical loinas a nonunont to tho hoiiois
ol tho slavo tiado. Canonical form nay howovoi lo loss piociso than generic
form, loi in that yoai, in tho dolatos on tho alolition ol tho slavo tiado hold in
tho Houso ol Connons, tho stoiy ol tho nassacio was iotold: though now
not as tho stoiy ol a paiticulai histoiical ovont, tho stoiy ol sonothing that,
to iotuin to Hogols woids, had a spocic qualitativo chaiactoi, lut as ono
in a soiios ol oquivalont stoiios, a stoiy ol suoiing in which (to quoto Hogol
onco noio tho univoisal quality ol tho danago, i.o. its valuo, nust . . .
tako tho placo ol its spocic qualitativo chaiactoi.
4
This sulstitution was
ooctod ly Willian Willoiloico as, without nontioning tho ship ly nano,
ho ioskotchod tho ovonts aloaid tho Zong in an ooit to convinco his audi-
onco that countoi to tho assoitions ol his oppononts, slavo captains did in-
dood nako slavos walk tho plank.
5
And again it nust lo stiossod that ho
did so with quostions ol loth ustico and valuo in nind, that ho did so, in
pait, to incioaso tho didactic valuo ol his stoiy, oi indood, ly tho toins ol
Hogols puioly spoculativo philosophy ol iight, in oidoi to lond that stoiy
any valuo whatsoovoi. Foi ly such toins it is only whon a stoiy ol this soit
can lo undoistood, piocisoly, as a stoiy ol this soit, as ono in an oquivalont
soiios ol such stoiios, that it can havo valuo. And that is locauso value, loi
Hogol, poitains only to that which oscapos spocicity, that which ontois into
a ciiculationol oxchangoallo oquivalonts. Il tho unoxchangoallo is, inconso-
quonco, that which has no valuo, it is also, on this account, that which dwolls
outsido tho donainol ustico. Foi tho donandthat ustico placos uponits ol-
octs is, piocisoly, that thoso olocts discloso thoii valuo, that thoy suiiondoi
thonsolvos to its naikot ol sulstitutivo ioconponso. Il ustico, thus con-
coivod, aloninatos tho singulai, thon its lantasy, howovoi paiadoxical this
nay soon, is tho lantasy ol alsoluto danago, tho lantasy ol tho oiasuio ol
tho singulai. Such ustico is not, thon, that which piotocts us lion danago.
Specters of the Atlantic 65
It is danago alsolutizod. Only ly stiipping a thing ol all that is spocic to
it can such ustico spoak its nano.
As with things, so, in this caso, with naiiativoswhich noans, not that
Willoiloico was thinking ol The Philosophy of Right whon ho told his talo, lut
that his ihotoiic displays tho woiking ol tho sano logic. What Willoiloico
soons to havo sonsod was that his stoiy was inpoiilod ly its voiy spocicity,
that its valuo would attonuato to a zoio point tho noio uniquo it locano.
Tho stoiy, in othoi woids, had to locono gonoiic il it was to havo any uso,
il Willoiloico was to inspiio in his audionco anything lut nolancholy, any-
thing lut a paialyzod iogiot loloio tho alsoluto spocicity ol a scono ol iiio-
voisillo hunan danago. And il that was Willoiloicos inpulso, an inpulso
to giound tho valuo ol nonoiy in tho sulstitution ol tho gonoiic loi tho
singulai, tho soiios loi tho ovont, thon it is an inpulso that has piovon ox-
tionoly dicult to iosist. Ovoi tho past two contuiios, whon tho Zong has
loon invokod, it has iopoatodly loon invokod in a soiializod, donatoiializod
iolation to itsoll, invokod not as iiiodoonally singulai lut ol valuo piocisoly
locauso it can lo ioad as oquivalont oithoi with tho slavo tiado itsoll oi with
that anxious, Hoidogoiiian oxpoiionco ol nodoinity which, in Paul Gilioys
and Edouaid Glissants woik, is an oxpoiionco ol conlionting an ontopologi-
cal displaconont, ol loing thiown lion a knowallo placowoild into tho
lowildoinonts ol a dolocalizod, dospociod woild spaco. Il Willoiloicos
discouiso and J. M. W. Tuinois 8qo canvas Slavers Throwing Overboard the
Dead and DyingTyphoon Coming On (ionanod The Slave Ship inauguiato
and opitonizo tho loinoi nodo ol soiializationas thoy situato tho piollon
ol tho Zong within a classical discouiso on ustico, thon Glissants Caribbean
Discourses and Poetics of Relation aio paiadignatic ol tho latoi inpulso to
oquato tho nassacio aloaid tho Zong with a glolal logic and tho oxpoiionco
ol nodoinity.
To lo suio, tho Maitinican novolist and philosophoi doos not nontion tho
Zong nassacio ly nano. But sonothing liko that ovont, sono iovonant voi-
sion oi altoiinago ol it is contial to his two nost cololiatod woiks. Indood,
il wo ioad lotwoon Caribbean Discourses and Poetics of Relation, it quickly lo-
conos appaiont that tho two toxts aio hold togothoi ly a singulai scono that
soons to havo loon haunting Glissant loi woll ovoi a docado, a scono at loast
gonoalogically iolatod to that with which I logan, a scono ol slavos diown-
ing. Fiist piosont in Caribbean Discourses as sonothing callod to his nind ly
a phiaso in ono ol Edwaid Biathwaitos woiks (Tho unity is sulnaiino,
66 Ian Baucom
that scono iopoats itsoll not only in tho ist soction ol tho latoi Poetics of
Relation (iopoats itsoll, indood, as tho occasion loi tho oponing noditations
ol Poetics of Relation, as tho scono ol toiioi lion which Glissants pootics
takos its dopaituio lut, notaloptically, in tho opigiaphs that intioduco that
look. Hoio, in tho oailioi woik, Caribbean Discourses, is what Biathwaitos
connont causos Glissant to soo:
To ny nind this oxpiossion jTho unity is sulnaiino| can only ovoko
all thoso Aliicans woighod down with lall and chain and thiown ovoi-
loaid whonovoi a slavo ship was puisuod ly onony vossols and lolt too
woak to put up a ght. They sowed in the depths the seeds of an invisible
presence. And so tiansvoisality, and not tho univoisal tianscondonco ol
tho sullino, has cono to light. It took us a long tino to loain this. Wo
aio tho ioots ol a cioss-cultuial iolationship. . . . Wo thoioly livo, wo
havo tho good loituno ol living, this shaiod piocoss ol cultuial nuta-
tion, this convoigonco that lioos us lion uniloinity.
6
And hoio, sono yoais latoi, is tho ioappaiition ol that scono (a ioappaiition
that is stagod on tho socond pago ol Poetics of Relation lut that, in a sonso,
doos not wait until that pago is tuinod to piosont itsoll again, that oncioachos
on tho ioadois oyo as an intination ol d vu tho nonont tho oyo, scan-
ning tho looks opigiaphs, soos thoio, again, tho lino ly Biathwaito jTho
unity is sulnaiino| alongsido ono ly Doiok Walcott jTho soa is histoiy|
and soos in anticipation, and in nonoiy, what Glissant hinsoll is alout to
soo again:
Tho noxt alyss was tho dopths ol tho soa. Whonovoi a oot ol ships gavo
chaso to slavo ships, it was oasiost ust to lighton tho loat ly thiow-
ing caigo ovoiloaid, woighing it down with lalls and chains. Thoso
undoiwatoi signposts naik tho couiso lotwoon tho Gold Coast and tho
Loowaid Islands. Navigating tho gioon splondoi ol tho soas . . . still
liings to nind, coning to light liko soawood, thoso lowost dopths, thoso
doops. . . . In actual lact tho alyss is a tautology: tho ontiio ocoan, tho
ontiio soa gontly collapsing intho ond into tho ploasuios ol sand, nakos
ono vast loginning, lut a loginning whoso tino is naikod ly thoso
lalls and chains gono gioon. . . .
Foi thoughthis oxpoiionco nado you, oiiginal victinoating towaid
tho soas alyssos, an oxcoption, it locano sonothing shaiod and nado
us, tho doscondants, ono pooplo anong othois. Pooplos do not livo on
Specters of the Atlantic 67
oxcoption. Rolation is not nado up ol things that aio loioign lut ol
shaiod knowlodgo. This oxpoiionco ol tho alyss can now lo said to lo
tho lost olonont ol oxchango.
7
Tho iovoisal that stiuctuios Glissants ist inago ol this scono, tho iovoisal
that ioplacos an inago ol toiioi with an inago ol pioniso, a knowlodgo ol
ondings with a knowlodgo ol loginnings, is onco again piosont hoio, though
now that iovoisal nanilosts itsoll not only as an ossontially poiloinativo
act (in J. L. Austins sonso ol tho woid lut as a tiopological aigunont, as
a pootics whoso oiganizing guios (oxcoption, oxchango, iolation
nano Glissants attonpt to giasp and nako sonso ol tho iovoisal ho had
oailioi noioly insistod upon.
Indood, this passago lionoxcoption to iolation, this passago liona vision
ol oxcoptional suoiing and ol thoso violontly oxcoptod lion histoiy to a
vision ol a unity, a solidaiity, lunctions as a shoithand codo loi, oi condon-
sation ol, Glissants ontiio pootics ol iolation. Ciucially, howovoi, what no-
diatos that iovoisal, what onallos that passago (lionondings to loginnings,
lion toiioi to pioniso, lion oxcoption to iolation, is a socond, inpliod io-
voisal: a iovoisal ol what, with ioloionco to tho slavo tiado, wo connonly
undoistand exchange to ontail. Foi il, in this contoxt, exchange suggosts not
noioly a loinal, Maixian, logic ol donatoiialization, a stiipping away ol
tho oxcoptional quality ol things in thoii tiansit lion uso valuos to ox-
chango valuos, lut an alsolutization ol such dodioiontiating piotocols, an
apocalyptic stiipping away ol tho oxcoptional quality ol poisons in thoii tian-
sit lion hunannoss to nonoy, thon, howovoi countoiintuitivo this night
soon, what Glissant suggosts is that exchange nust lo appiohondod, in pio-
cisoly such nononts, not only as a woid loi loss lut as a woid loi gain. Ex-
change, in this sonso, onco noio nanos a loin ol sulstitution, though hoio
what ioplacos oxcoptionality is not lungilility lut iolation, whoio relation is
a woid loi an antinolancholic politics ol nonoiy, and a woid loi thoso now
loins ol cultuio, idontity, and solidaiity that onoigo lion ovon this nost
violont scono ol Atlantic oxchango.
Il exchange, loi Glissant, is a woid that nanos an unonding piocoss, an on-
duiing diana ol histoiical tiansloinations in which anything wo night lo
inclinod to iogaid as an ovont suivivos its happoning as an ondloss soiios
ol altoioocts, it doos, novoitholoss, soonto havo a point ol loginning oi, at
tho loast, a ist point ol application. Coitainly that is tho caso loi tho scono
with which I logan. Foi at tho hoait ol this scono, at tho donso nodal point ol
68 Ian Baucom
this scono ol sulstitutions, iovoisals, alandonnonts, iocovoiios, lossos, and
gains, at tho alsoluto zoio point ol iolational contact, is that inago ol tho
diowning hunan lody, an inago ol tho lody loss in than as a contact zono,
an inago ol a lody inpovoiishod and stiangoly iowaidod ly oxchango.
And il that notanoiphic lody lunctions loi Glissant as an ontiioly gono-
alogical lody, as sonothing that is at onco tho oiiginaiy lody in a gonoalogy
ol cioolo idontity and a lody ininsuiioctionagainst tho disciplinaiy ioginos
that sook to pioduco it (whothoi as a naikotallo oxchango valuo oi as tho
wasto nattoi ol cioss-Atlantic inpoiial oxchango, thon, in this, Glissant is
ly no noans alono. Indood, in iocont yoais, it has sonotinos soonod that
this lody, this vanishing lut not vanishod, diowning lut tiansloinod, lost
lut iopoating lody has cono to lunction in llack Atlantic naiiativo, aos-
thotic, and connonoiativo piacticos nuch as tho ontonlod lody ol tho
unknown soldioi lunctions in Bonodict Andoisons account ol nationalisn.
8
Glissants citations and opigiaphs piovido a glinpso ol tho aichivo that
has loon oiganizing itsoll as a soit ol toxtual conotaph to this guio and ol
tho nannoi in which that aichivo has assonllod itsoll loss as a iopositoiy
oi nonunont than as an act of connunicativo and toxtual oxchango. Tho
two opigiaphs ol Glissants Poetics of Relation aio, as I havo nontionod, lion
Edwaid Biathwaito (Tho unity is sulnaiino and Doiok Walcott (Tho soa
is histoiy. Walcotts poon, in its tuin, loth alludos to Biathwaito (as tho
Janaican poots Tho unity is sulnaiino is tiansloinod into tho sultlo . . .
sulnaiino oxpanso into which Walcott loads his ioadois and is citod ly
DAguiai as ono ol tho opigiaphs to Feeding the Ghosts. DAguiais novol
(whoso socond opigiaph is, liko Glissants, diawn lion Biathwaito oiigi-
natod, in its tuin, lion his ioading ol Michollo Clis Abeng, in which tho
Zong nassacio guios as a ooting lackgiound nonoiy, and lionhis study
ol Tuinois Slavers canvas, tho English paintois 8qo dopiction ol tho Zong
nassacio, a painting that not only haunts DAguiais novol and David Daly-
doons colloction ol poons Turner lut to which Paul Gilioy has diioctod his
attontion in loth Small Acts and The Black Atlantic. Closing his discussion
ol tho canvas in The Black Atlantic, Gilioy connonts: Its oxilo in Boston
jwhoio it has loon sinco John Ruskin sold it in 8;| is yot anothoi pointoi
towaid tho shapo ol tho Atlantic as a syston ol cultuial oxchangos.
9
This
soons an apt connont, though to ny nind, it is loss tho wandoiings ol
Tuinois canvas than tho cioss-Atlantic convoisation that has loon occupy-
ing tho attontion ol thoso Biitish, Guyanoso, Janaican, and Saint Lucian
Specters of the Atlantic 69
wiitois, tho ciiculai oxchango ol inagos and opigiaphs as thoy havo loi-
iowod oach othois languago to oiiont thoii colloctivo gazo on this inago ol
a diowning lody that tiuly points to tho shapo ol tho Atlantic as a syston
ol cultuial and connunicativo oxchangos.
My point in tiacing thoso linkagos is not sinply that wiitois loiiow lion
ono anothoi oi that tho gonoalogy ol any ol thoso woiks nust ontail a gono-
alogy ol thoso iocyclings, quotations, allusions, and loiiowings (thoughthat
is, quito olviously, tho caso oi ovon that it is thiough ust such intoitox-
tual oxchangos that Glissants Poetics of Relation dononstiatos tho tiuth ol
its insights, that it is in this dispoisod lut iolatod corpus that tho lody Glis-
sant signposts as loundational to loth a discours antillais and a pootics ol
iolation iotuins as a tiansvoisal, cioss-cultuial lody ol wiiting. Rathoi,
it is tho logic ly which that lody ol wiiting iolatos tho lody it wiitos,
with which I an concoinod, tho logic which naiks tho loinoi as a cono-
taph to tho lattoi, tho logic which naiks tho lody ol wiiting as loth tho
luiial giound and tho iosuiioction ol tho wiitton lody, tho logic which thus
codos this pootics as not only a loin ol nonoiializing tho lody lut also
a nodo ol allogoiizing it, which indood, so conatos allogoiy and nonoiy
as to nako allogoiy tho piivilogod loin ol iolational nonoiy, though, to
lo suio, a loin hauntod, as is always tho caso with allogoiy, ly tho litoial,
natoiial, lodily piosonco it at onco nanos and displacos ly its iolational
pootics ol oxchango. That allogoiy is itsoll a nodo ol oxchango, indood that
it is an aosthotic loin which at onco nodols itsoll on, piocoods lion, and
liconsos thoso sulstitutionaiy acts ol tho inagination lundanontal to tho
cioation ol capital oxchango valuos, is, ol couiso, an insight wo owo to Wal-
toi Bonanin.
10
That thoio night lo sonothing olso at woik in a diaspoiic
allogoiosis ol tho niddlo passago, that this kind ol allogoiical oxchango ol
tho spocic qualitativo chaiactoi ol an ovont loi its univoisal signicanco,
that is, its valuo, night gonoiato not a condonnation lut a iadical appio-
ciation ol tho valuo ol oxchango, is a notion wo owo to Glissant as his toxts
iopoatodly stago thoii alyssal doscont into tho dopths ol tho soa (o. Foi
what Glissant discovois thoio is not only an onding lut a loginning, an
aiiay ol undoiwatoi signposts (o that aio both tho onduiing, iocuiiing,
uncannily iosuilacing signs ol tho violonco ol tho slavo tiado and ol tho loss
ol tho placowoild and, loi Glissant, tho signs ol tho unication ol tho dispa-
iato, tho connonly inhoiitod ionains ol a histoiy that has locono sono-
thing shaiod (8. Thus, as tho lino lion Biathwaitos own noditation on
70 Ian Baucom
piocisoly tho sano scono piodicts, what Glissant nds hoio is unity: tho
unity ol tho cioolizod whoio cioolization is undoistood loth as tho unica-
tion ol tho dispaiato and as tho diaspoiization ol tho uniod, as a gathoiing
in scattoiing.
Tho scono ol tho uttoi loss ol placo, tho scono, in Hoidoggois toins, ol
tho sulocts ontiy into tho unheimlich, unhonoly, oi, poihaps, anti-honoly
oxpansos ol an unnaikod woild spaco, thus loconos loi Glissant a scono ol
ioplacenont, a scono, as DAguiai has it, whoio what soonod to guio tho
loss ol hono is thoioloio hono.
11
Suchis also tho insight ol Walcotts poon
Tho Soa Is Histoiy. Foi as that poontakos its ioadois on a toui ol tho gioat
undoiwatoi conotoiios ol tho Atlantic, it nds in that sultlo sulnaiino
oxpanso tho nonunonts ol a cioss-Atlantic connunity ol lolonging, tho
nonunonts that nako tho dopths ol tho soa a placo ol nonoiy (as Pioiio
Noia has it, which can lo shaiod ly tho Maitinican philosophoi, tho Janai-
can histoiian, tho Saint Lucian poot, and tho llack Biitish novolist.
12
But
thoio is still sonothing olso to lo discovoiod hoio, sonothing that Glissant
insists wo nd: a nodoin loico, indood, nodoinity itsoll, a nodoinity in
which this oxpoiionco ol histoiy, this tiansit lion placo to spaco, this
discovoiy ol tho zonos ol displaconont as oui now placos ol lolonging, this
iowiiting ol tho soll undoi tho signposts ol tho cioolizod, is paiadignatic
ol a glolal oxpoiionco ol tho nodoin. Oui loats aio opon, Glissant con-
cludos tho intioductoiy soction ol Poetics of Relation, and wo sail thon loi
ovoiyono (.
Thoio is an oxtiaoidinaiy gonoiosity to this plodgo and an invitation to io-
think tho iolation ol tho glolal to tho logics ol oxchango. Foi il oui accounts
ol tho glolal tond to idontily glolalization (as nodoinizaton with a pio-
coss whoioly tho local, tho voinaculai, and tho hotoiogonoous aio oxchangod
loi tho uniloin, tho dodioiontiatod, and tho honogonizod, accounts nost
laniliai to us as sono oi othoi voision ol tho ond ol histoiy (accounts in
which, unsuipiisingly, tho stoiy ol tho glolalization ol tho oxchango piin-
ciplo is iopiosontod as tho stoiy ol tho liith ol ustico, Glissants connonts
suggost that wo should ioad this piocoss as iovoisillo. Dioionco, hoio,
howovoi, is not undoistood as sonothing oxtoinal to oxchango lut, as Glis-
sant has it, tho lost olonont ol oxchango. It is lion within what Giovanni
Aiiighi calls glolal capitals spacos ol ow that, loi Glissant, dioionco io-
tuins as tho iolational countoinaiiativo ol glolalization.
13
Aiiighi tonds to
idontily such spacos ol ow with tho notiopolitan contois ol nanco capi-
Specters of the Atlantic 71
tal, and ho associatos thoii iiso with tho slavo-tiading oint stock conpanios
that ovoi tho couiso ol tho sovontoonth and oightoonth contuiios consoli-
datod tho Dutch and English doninanco ol glolal capital. What Glissants
toxt suggosts is that il this is not only an accuiato histoiy ol capital lut a
ciodillo histoiy ol oui long twontioth contuiy, thon such a histoiy noods
to attond not only to tho notiopolitan sitos ol capitals distiilution and io-
tuin lut also to tho loidoi zonos ol oxchango, to tho slavo ships, colonios,
and plantations, which aio also spacos ol ow, spacos that aio, to lo suio,
spacos ol dodioiontiation lut spacos that also, ly concontiating dioionco,
onanl it, nultiply it, oi, as Glissant and Fiodiic Janoson in thoii dioi-
ont ways night say, iolato it. In such spacos, oxchango is soon to oxhilit a
doullo logic, tho logic, ono night suggost, ol cioolization, tho logic ol tho
sinultanoous oiasuio and nultiplication ol dioionco.
And it is locauso ho can ioad tho glolos spacos ol ow as suloct to such
a iovoisillo, doullo logic ol cioolizing oxchango that Glissant can discovoi
in tho soit ol scono with which his toxt and this ossay logan not an inunc-
tion to nolancholy lut tho doullo pioniso ol iolation, tho pioniso ol an in-
hoiitod solidaiity and tho pioniso ol tho connoctivo, ihizonic idontity ol tho
nonidontical: Foi though this oxpoiionco nado you, oiiginal victin oat-
ing towaid tho soas alyssos, an oxcoption, it locano sonothing shaiod and
nado us, tho doscondants, ono pooplo anong othois. Pooplo do not livo on
oxcoption. Rolation is not nado up ol things that aio loioign lut ol shaiod
knowlodgo. This oxpoiionco ol tho alyss can now lo said to lo tho lost olo-
nont ol oxchango (8. Glissants ontiio pootics is concontiatod hoio, as is a
gonoializod pootics ol tho postcolonial, that ly-now-laniliai hyliidity poot-
ics that sooks to iodoon tho violoncos and lossos ol histoiy ly discovoiing
within a Manichaoan oconony ol colonial loss a conponsatoiy oconony ol
postcolonial gain. Howovoi conpolling this night lo, howovoi appoaling it
nay lo to ioad tho ioading piotocols ol tho postcolonial as piotocols that
tuin oxchango against itsoll, that iovoiso its iovoisals, I want to pauso to
considoi what it is that poinits that oxchango to tako placo. Foi Glissant,
what lios lotwoon tho tino ol doath and tho tino ol iolation, what nust lo
cloaiod away to nako way loi iolation, is, inhis toins, oxcoption. Il excep-
tion, in tho passago I havo citod, is Glissants woid loi tho nonont ol diown-
ing, oxcoption oi, poihaps noio accuiatoly, oxcoptionality is not noioly an-
toiioi to iolation lut is that which llocks iolation, as it is that which llocks
tho nonont ol living on. To livo on is thon to ioluso tho oxcoptionality ol
72 Ian Baucom
tho oxcoptional, to ioluso to poinit tho oxcoptional to livo on as a haunting,
tioulling, loioign olonont within tho piosont. Rolation is thus appiohon-
sillo as a loinol conplotodnouining andanact ol luiial, a cloaiing away ol
tho doad. Tho past is laid to iost whon it is told, DAguiai insists in closing
his toxt.
14
To which wo can inagino Glissant iosponding: Tho past is laid
to iost whon it is related.
I havo loon suggosting that in tuining oui oyo to tho scono ol tho Zong nas-
sacio wo aio askod to nako a choico, askod to nako loth a noio conpli-
catod and a noio laniliai choico than wo night at ist think. That choico
will lo laniliai locauso iogaidloss ol whothoi tho dotails ol this caso aio al-
ioady known to us, this soit ol caso and tho diculty ol iosponding to tho
clains this soit ol past nakos upon tho piosont coitainly aio. Ono night, in-
dood, histoiicizo a lato-twontioth- and oaily-twonty-ist-contuiy contonpo-
ianoity ly suggosting that what donaicatos this as a quasi-cohoiont, poiiod-
izallo nonont aio not sinply tho vaiiod tiiunphs ol glolal capital lut tho
stiugglo to nd sono way ol doing ustico to this soit ol past, whothoi
ly tho connissionois ol South Aliicas Tiuth and Roconciliation Connis-
sion, tho stato luildois ol postconictual politios in Canlodia, Noithoin
Iioland, oi Aigontina, tho ciitical piactitionois ol tiauna thooiy, oi tho nai-
iativo and philosophical intolloctuals ol cultuial haunting. Evon to constiuct
so piovisional a list ol tho typo ol caso to which this nassacio could lo said
to lolong, whothoi as ono in a soiios ol paiadignatically nodoin ovonts
oi as ono in a soiios ol liko histoiios whoso likonoss wo nust loth nako
sonso ol (il wo aio to uncovoi howthoy onoigo lionnoio than isolallo acts
ol hunan ovil and ioluso (il wo aio to avoid iondoiing thon intoichango-
allo and intoichangoally availallo to a gonoial giannai ol ioading, iovoals
why tho natuio ol such a choico is so conplox, so constantly lattoiing itsoll
against tho iocks ol tho inpoiativo and tho oloctionallo.
In naking thoso docisions wo aio askod to chooso noio than whothoi wo
will iononloi oi loigot, whothoi wo will lo ust oi unust. Such choicos,
and tho noaning ol thoii outcono, aio acconpaniod oi poihaps piocodod ly
tho docision to soo what wo soo oithoi as an oxcoptional scono ol hunan
suoiing oi as a soit ol scono: a scono ol tho inusticos ol tho slavo tiado,
a scono ol tho nodoin, a scono ol tho woist and lost olononts ol oxchango.
And il wo aio to lo ust, il wo aio to do ustico to this toiiillo knowlodgo, thon
Specters of the Atlantic 73
oui inpulso, I think, is lioquontly to inclino towaid tho socond ol thoso two
options, to sulstituto loi tho spocic, qualitativo chaiactoi ol this ovont
a knowlodgo ol its univoisal chaiactoi oi, noio piolally, givon oui gon-
oial shynoss ol univoisals, its glolal, inpoiial, nodoin, oi opisystonic chai-
actoi, that is, its valuo. In doing soil this is, in lact, how oui choico
inclinos usnot only do wo dononstiato tho ciitical advantagos ol a way
ol ioading and iovoal tho insights ol a histoiical natoiialisn that, in Wal-
toi Bonanins no phiaso, tiains itsoll to do ustico to its oloct ly as-
sonlljing| laigo-scalo constiuctions out ol tho snallost and nost piocisoly
cut conpononts,
15
lut wo also, noio tioullingly, iogistoi tho giinning tii-
unph ovoi such thought ol what Hogol callod tho cunning ol ioason, iog-
istoi, in lact, a latont lut poisistont Hogolianisn in oui standaid concop-
tions ol ustico and ioading as wo idontily loth ustico and ioading, howovoi
inplicitly, with tho piinciplos ol oxchango. Though hoio, to lo suio, what
oxchango gonoiatos is not nonoy lut sonothing liko concoptuality oi sys-
tonaticity, in Glissants caso a concopt ol iolation that lunctions as lolatod
conponsation loi tho loss ol tho oxcoptional and that, thus, oquatos con-
coptuality not only with ustico lut also, and poihaps nost tioullingly,
with insuianco. As a thooiy ol ustico, such systonic concopt luilding, I an
thus suggosting, constantly iuns tho iisk ol aiticulating itsoll as a loinol in-
suianco, oithoi ly sulstituting loi tho singulaiity ol any givon oxpoiionco ol
loss an actuaiial knowlodgo ol that losss systonic valuo and noaning oi ly
ooiing itsoll as a nodo ol conponsation in which systonatic undoistand-
ing and (in tho caso at hand a glolal thooiy ol iolationality, cioolization, oi
hyliidity pioniso to iovoiso danago ly conloiiing a concoptual oxchango
valuo on all thoso things whoso loss it at onco invontoiios and alsolutizos.
It is loi such ioasons, I think, that Gayatii Spivak has loon lanonting
tho alsonco ol a dovolopod ciitiquo ol valuo within postcolonial discouiso,
an alsonco sho attonpts to ionody ly outlining what I undoistand to lo a
nolancholy thooiy ol valuo that lunctions as sonothing liko an analoguo
ol Doiiidas spoctiological thooiy ol ustico. Theory, howovoi, is ol couiso
piocisoly tho nocossaiy and tho wiong woid, a dilonna Spivak attonpts to
iosolvo ly calling loi tho dovolopnont ol dioiontiatod strategies ol ustico
connonly gioundodintho unoxchangoalility ol tho singulai. This singu-
laiwhich I would gloss as sonothing liko tho oxcoptional in Glissants
woik, tho iiioducillo in Doiiidas, and tho wound in Adoinosis accos-
sillo loi Spivak as tho withdiawn, tho ciyptic, tho woid not spokon ly J. M.
74 Ian Baucom
Cootzoos Fiiday. It is that thing on which nolancholy goos to woik ly not
woiking itsoll thiough, that thing which nolancholy iolusos to suiiondoi
oi oxchango, that thing which nolancholy valuos locauso it is uttoily non-
lungillo, without sulstituto, tho voiy loinol inconnonsuiallo loin, and,
honco, loi Hogol, that which is without valuo and without tho donain ol
ustico and, loi Spivak, that which is invaluallo, oxcoptional, tho piicoloss
lundanont of ustico.
As Spivak is awaio, howovoi, this nodo ol ioading caiiios its own nostal-
gic dangois, dangois against which hoi Critique of Postcolonial Reason con-
stantly attonpts to guaid itsoll ovon as it cultivatos its hoinonoutic ol tho
inoxchangoallo singulai. Spivak pioposos a nunloi ol stiatogic couisos ly
which this dangoi nay lo ovadod, poihaps tho nost onignatic lut also, I
loliovo, tho nost pionising ol which is that wo ioad loi tho singulai ly way
ol tho aichivo and tho oxanplo.
16
Iionically, it is piocisoly this novo, this
linking ol tho singulai to tho oxanplo, that ioopons hoi toxt to that spocu-
lativo nodo ol valuo cioation against whoso oncioachnonts sho is oqually,
iosolutoly, on hoi guaid. But to got sono sonso ol how this night lo and ol
how it night inloin a ioading ol tho Zong nassacio as at onco a singulai
and, in tho nost toiiillo sonso, an oxonplaiy nodoin ovont, wo nood to got
sono lulloi sonso ol what Spivak noans ly tho singulai.
Tho singulai ist appoais in Spivaks Critique in a lootnoto on Doiiidas
connonts on tho signatuio: Tho intoiost hoio, sho notos, is not noioly
spoculativo. It has sonothing to do with tho lact that, ioading litoiatuio,
wo loain to loain liontho singulai and tho unvoiiallo (q n. Thoioaltoi,
tho toinappoais in a clustoi ol passagos suiiounding a ioading ol Cootzoos
Foe loloio notastasizing, thiough that ioading, into tho vaiiant loins ol tho
withhold and tho ciyptic and thon ioappoaiing in its oiiginal loinin tho
sulsoquont chaptois ol tho toxt:
Tho nanod naiginal is as nuch a concoalnont as a disclosuio ol tho
naigin, and whoio s[ho disclosos, s[ho is singulai. . . . To noditato on
tho guio ol tho wholly othoi as naigin, I will look at a novol inEnglish,
Foe. (;;q
Cootzoos novol guios tho singulai and unvoiiallo naigin, tho io-
liacting laiiioi ovoi against tho wholly othoi that ono assunos in tho
daik. Tho nativo inloinant disappoais in that sholtoi. (;
Specters of the Atlantic 75
Fiiday . . . is tho unonphatic agont ol withholding in tho toxt. Foi ovoiy
toiiitoiial spaco that is valuo codod ly colonialisnand ovoiy connand
ol notiopolitan anticolonialisnloi tho nativo to yiold his voico, thoio
is a spaco ol withholding, naikod ly a sociot that nay not lo a sociot
lut cannot lo unlockod. Tho nativo, whatovoi that night noan, is
not only a victinlut also an agont. Tho cuiious guaidian at tho naigin
who will not inloin. (o
Thoio is an onoinous anount ol woik taking placo hoio, woik I can at
lost shoithand thus. Tho singulai, as that ist lootnoto suggosts, whilo not
piocisoly an antispoculativo dovico (tho intoiost hoio is not noioly spocu-
lativo , is sonothing that oxists at a ionovo lion puio spoculation (ioad
alstiaction, as at onco a capital and an opistonological piotocol: spocu-
lation thus as a pun on nancial and thooiotical loins ol valuo cioation.
A ioinsciiption ol Doiiida, tho singulai thus also iowoiks Gillos Dolouzo,
as sonothing whoso valuo has not loon codod, as, indood, ono ol thoso
docodod ji.o., not-yot oi no-longoi codod| ows, which, in hoi Dolouzian
nononts, is ono ol Spivaks altoinato toins loi tho nativo inloinant loio-
closod within a syston aninatod ly its dioad ol such spacos ol withhold-
ing (o. Tho nativo inloinant is thus singulai to tho oxtont to which
ho oi sho disclosos a spaco ol withholding within tho toiiitoiializod anlits
ol Enlightonnont ioason, inpoiial civilizing nission, nultinational nan-
cialization ol tho glolo, and notiopolitan spoculativo thooiy, singulai to
tho oxtont to which ho oi sho naiks o a ciyptic, sociotivo spaco (a soit
ol intoinalizod naigin, disclosos tho piosonco ol that withhold spaco,
lut guaids its sociot. Tho singulai is thus, in Spivaks oxanplo, tho with-
hold sociot ol Fiidays nissing tonguo, tho ciyptic silonco that occupios
that spaco, withholds it lion coding, iolusos to suloct this Kantian iaw
nan to that Enlightonnont piooct ol cultuial oducation which will not so
nuch civilizo hin oi iondoi hin iocoptivo to tho catogoiical inpoiativo as
oiaso hin. That tho singulai, thus undoistood, is also in tho toins ol two ol
Spivaks koy souicos (Nicolas Aliahanand Maiia Toiok a spocios ol nolan-
choly is not an olonont ol hoi statod aigunont, though tho ghost ol nolan-
choly coitainly haunts that aigunont.
It is not tho piollon ol nolancholy, howovoi, lut anothoi piollon that
I want to considoi, tho piollon ol tho singulai as, piocisoly, a loin ol ox-
anplo, tho piollonoxonpliod hoio ly Fiidays oxonplication ol tho sin-
76 Ian Baucom
gulai. Tho oxanplo is a notally anlivalont, doullo-codod thing. It is at
onco a spocicity, a singlonoss, a ioloiont, and a spocication ol sonothing
olso, a doullonoss, a ioloionco to andloyonditsoll. Tho oxanplo nanos itsoll
as itsoll and it nanos itsoll as not-itsoll lut a noio instanco ol what it oxists
to iondoi nanilost. Thoio is anothoi way ol putting this: what doos it noan
loi Fiidayoi indood loi tho Zongto oxonplily tho singulai, oi what
loconos ol such singulaiity whon its withhold sociot naiks sonothing
othoi than itsoll, sonothing othoi than its ciyptic situation, sonothing
othoi than its spaco ol withholding, sonothing it noioly iopiosonts? Tho
intoiost hoio is piocisoly spoculativo, loi what such quostions suggost is that
in its lilo as an oxanplo tho oxonplaiy singulai oxists as two appaiontly
opposod things: as sonothing that is loth in-itsoll and loi-anothoi, as an
oxchangoallo singulai. And it is this indiioct iotuin ol tho spoculativo, tho
alstiact, andtho concoptual that, I loliovo, accounts loi that palpallo unoasi-
noss piosont in all thoso nononts in which Spivak attonpts to dissociato
tho singulai lion tho nostalgic ly oxonplilying it. Foi il tho ioading ol tho
ciyptic, withhold singulai contains (as ono ol its sociots Spivaks answoi
to tho nany ciitics who havo donouncod hoi tho sulaltoin cannot spoak,
il what it suggosts is that sho ioally noant tho sulaltoin will not spoak (in
codo, thon tho nonont in which that withhold spooch liconsos its alstiact
concoptualization, tho nonont in which it insists on its oxonplaiy valuo,
is tho nonont in which it indood loconos codallo: loi spoculation (and
spoculativo oniichnont.
Why thon nako tho novo to oxonplily tho singulai, to iondoi it oxon-
plaiy? My sonso is that Spivak doos this loss lion a concoin that il sho doos
not, tho singulai will, in tho ond, piovo too singulai, too iostiictod to its own
ciyptic placo ol withholding, to piovo to lo ol suciont uso than that it is
ly naking this novo that sho can dononstiato (oxonplily, il you will that
to spoak ol tho singulai is to spoak not ol a stato oi a condition lut ol
an undocidalility and ol tho inpoiativo ol docision, that it is piocisoly ly
tioping its doullo lilo that sho can poso tho singulai not as a onco lost lut
now iocovoiod thing lut as tho invitation to a docision.
And it is as such an oxonplaiy ovont that I loliovo tho Zong nassacio ai-
ticulatos its oxcoptionality, its twin lilo as an iiioducillo and a iopiosontativo
ovont. Viowod thus, tho docision it ioquosts iovoals tho lalsity ol that choico
I oailioi indicatod it asks us to nako, it dononstiatos that thoio is, nally,
no singlo iight way ol sooing this scono ol nuidoi. Rathoi, what I want to
Specters of the Atlantic 77
suggost is that to look lack at this scono is to oxpoiionco a soit ol tonpoial
doullo consciousnoss, a iocoding along tho axis ol tino ol that knowlodgo
ol undocidalility and that inpoiativo ol docision inplicit within tho oxpoii-
onco ol tho inpossillo. To witnoss this ovont is to iogaid sonothing that
appoais loth in tho guiso ol tho ovont and in tho loin ol tho soiios, to soo
what wo soo as il wo aio sooing again what wo aio sooing loi tho ist tino, to
oncountoi histoiy as d vu.This is, as tho titlo ol DAguiais toxt suggosts,
a ghost scono, an appaiitional scono, a scono, as Doiiida has it, in which
tho initial appoaianco is tho appoaianco ol that which ioappoais, a scono in
DAguiais woids in which tho oyo giows accustonod to iohoaisal, to io-
poats and iotuins, a scono in which tho ovont is soiializod not only in iola-
tion to a ioughly synchionic sot ol liko ovonts lut in a diachionic iolation to
itsoll.
17
Evon il wo iogaid nothing lut tho nassacio in its nonont, in isola-
tion lion its iotuin as inago and toxt and nonoiy, tho ovont is soiializod
locauso tho unity ol tho slaughtoi lioaks down into, and is conposod ly,
oach ol its z latal nononts: z nononts in which a scono that is sinulta-
noously tho sano and dioiont plays out loloio oui oyos ovoi and ovoi and
ovoi again, so that to spoak ol tho Zong, oi tho caso ol tho Zong, is alioady
to spoak ol tho idontity ol tho nonidontical. Tho iocuisivo, iopotitivo loin
ol DAguiais novola novol that nds itsoll olligod to toll its talo not onco
lut soiially: ist in a synoptic piolaco, thon in a sot ol haiiowing chaptois
in which oach ol tho z nuidois is countod o ono altoi tho othoi, thon
again in an account ol tho onsuing tiials, onco noio thiough tho nonoiy
ol a solitaiy suivivoi, and, nally, again in tho toxts opiloguois, in nany
iospocts, a iosponso to this collapsing ol tho soiios into tho ovont and tho
ioliaction ol tho ovont thiough tho soiios: a iosponso ono night say to tho
violonco ol actuaiial ioason.
Playod out lotwoon tho polos ol tho z and tho , tho naiiativo attonpts
to account loi an ovont that can lo concoivod as an ovont only ly pioocting
z dispaiato lut nutually laniliai inagos onto a singlo scioon, a scioon on
whoso suilaco wo soo, as il wo woio sooing it again, sonothing wo aio sooing
loi tho ist tino. And il this is so, thon tho visual distuilanco occasionod ly
such a sight is, as wo know lion oui oxpoiioncos ol d vu, also a tonpoial
distuilanco, an oxpoiionco ol inhaliting a contonpoianoity that is not con-
tonpoiaiy with itsoll, an oxpoiionco ol inhaliting what wo night think ol as
a hotoiochionic oidoi ol tino. Hotoiochionicity, in this sonso, is that which
inhalits tho unoasy intoiiognun lotwoon tho tino ol nolancholy and tho
78 Ian Baucom
tino ol nouining, tho tino ol singulaiity and tho tino ol oxchango, tho no-
nont ol tho oxcoptional and tho ioitoiativo instant ol tho iocuiiontly and
paiadignatically nodoin. Hotoiochionic tino, thus, is voiy nuch liko tho
tino ol d vu. It is a tino ol uncoitainty, ol lowildoinont, ol not loing
allo to dotoinino tho status ol that which lios loloio oui oyos, and ol loing
unallo to docido whothoi tho thing has oi has not loon soon loloio, whothoi
it is oxcoptional oi soiial, and whothoi it lolongs to a now oi a thon, as
wo nanago, lail, oi ioluso to oncountoi in tho altoiinagos ol tho Zong nas-
sacio inagos ol an oxcoptional oi a soiial ovont, inagos ol a liutally singulai
oi a liutally oxonplaiy violation, inagos ol an isolallo atiocity in tho his-
toiy ol tho tiansatlantic slavo tiado oi inagos ol a punishing nodoinity
iocuiiontly ioplaying itsoll in ovoiy coinoi ol tho glolo.
Howovoi wo night chooso to soo this nassacio, it is, I want to concludo ly
suggosting, piocisoly within such an oidoi ol tino that, ovoi tho contuiios,
tho Zong has appoaiod, nost lanously in its canonical visual incaination in
Tuinois 8qo canvas, a canvas that nanagos to concontiato viitually ovoiy
aspoct ol tho piollons ol nonoiy, ustico, valuo, and tino I havo loon dis-
cussing. Fiist oxhilitod at tho 8qo woild antislavoiy convontion in Lon-
don, tho painting was displayod as a soit ol visual oquivalont (il I can poinit
nysoll that woid ol Willoiloicos spooch loloio tho Houso ol Connons.
Tuinoi had loon ioading tho iocontly iopullishod odition ol Thonas Claik-
sons Essay on the slavery and commerce of the human species, whoio ho had
cono acioss an account ol tho Zong nuidois and discovoiod in that nas-
sacio tho opitono ol all that was wiong with tho slavo tiado. Thioo docados
altoi Willoiloicos addioss, and noaily sixty yoais altoi tho nassacio took
placo, Tuinoi sonsod that tho ovont iotainod its didactic valuo, though liko
Willoiloico, that that valuo was indopondont ol tho nanod paiticulaiitios
ol tho caso. Thus, poihaps tho nost signicant loatuio ol tho canvas is its
nano oi, indood, tho nano that is nissing lionit, tho nano ol tho ship and
tho ovont that inspiiod its painting, tho nano that haunts tho canvas lut is
not acconnodatod ly it. In this sotting, tho painting, onco again, onlists tho
Zong in a classical discouiso on ustico as it asks its viowois onco noio to
iocall and to chooso, lut to chooso on tho lasis ol an act ol iocolloction that
has nado loioign to itsoll tho poculiai, oxcoptional, singulai qualitios ol tho
ovont it soivos to iocolloct.
Specters of the Atlantic 79
But tho painting also ioquosts anothoi choico, a loinol choico that would
havo loon laniliai to Tuinoi lion sonothing olso ho was ioading whilo
woiking on tho canvas: Waltoi Scotts Wavoiloy novols, which Roloit Cadoll,
Scotts pullishoi, had connissionod Tuinoi to illustiato. Indood, tho can-
vas nanagos not only to dopict tho nassacio as though it woio a scono lion
a histoiical novol lut to nako it an allogoiy ol that ionantic and Scottish
Enlightonnont philosophy ol histoiy which, as Janos Chandloi and Honoi
Biownhavo suggostod, Scotts histoiical novols, inthoii tuin, soivod to illus-
tiato.
18
Contial to that philosophy ol histoiy, and to Scotts novols, was a
sonso that tho oxpoiionco ol nodoinity was not, as tho Continontal Enlight-
onnont suggostod, ono ol tho synchionization ol oxpoiionco, tho ioduction
ol histoiical tino to a singlo, doninant laso tino, tho honogonizing, lovol-
ing, ovoiywhoio-availallo tino ol nodoinity, lut tho oxpoiionco ol a con-
tonpoianoity that was not contonpoianoous with itsoll, an oxpoiionco ol
tino as that which was liactuiod, liokon, constollatod ly a hotoiogonoous
aiiay ol local ioginos ol tino. Scotts novols woik ly tiacing tho wandoiings
ol a chaiactoi acioss such an unovon googiaphy ol tinotypically tho High-
lands and tho Lowlands, toiiitoiios that ho tioats, in Raynond Willianss
toins, as tho googiaphios ol tho iosidual and tho onoigont, tho custon-
aiy and tho cosnopolitan
19
and olliging that chaiactoi to nako a choico
loi ono oidoi ol tino oi anothoi. That choico is, howovoi, always piodotoi-
ninod, locauso Scott guios any tino lut tho tino ol cosnopolitan capital
as woundod, dying, and woithy, nally, ol no noio than synpathy and an
honoiallo luiial. Tho typical postuio ol Scotts piotagonists is thus, as Ian
Duncan suggosts, tho postuio ol a lolatod lut synpathotic spoctatoi, tho
postuio ol ono who looks on at sconos ol suoiing and doath, synpathizos
with tho dying and tho doad, and thon novos on to inhalit a nodoinity
cloansod, in Saioo Makdisis toins, ol tho ghosts issuing loith lion tho
past.
20
Tuinois canvas, with its ship ol tho dying and tho doad, its nuto ap-
poal loi its spoctatois synpathy, captuios this paiadignatic scono oxactly,
not loast locauso opposito tho canvas Tuinoi hung anothoi, Rockets and Blue
Light, an inago ol tho coning ol stoan powoi, ol tho nochanization ol tho
soa, ol tho nodoinization ol Biitains inpoiiun.
With that painting in placo opposito Tuinois tis sixty yoais sinco can-
vas (tho sultitlo, wo will iocall, ol Scotts Waverley), tho inago ol tho Zong
nassacio as a scono in a histoiical novol is conploto. Not only conploto lut
conplotod, loi what Tuinoi oocts ly locating tho caso ol tho Zong within
80 Ian Baucom
thoso gonoiic convontions is loth to acknowlodgo tho unovonnoss ol tino,
tho uncanny, iopotitivo piosontnoss ol tho past within tho piosont, and to
snoothout that unovonnoss: ly containing tho nassacio withinpast tino,
ly appoaiing to onoin a choico lotwoon that past and tho onoigont, nod-
oinizod piosont lut indicating that thoio ioally is no choico, only anoccasion
loi synpathy and a docont luiial (ol tho doad, ol tho slavo tiado that tho
living night livo on unhauntod ly thoso spoctois ol tho Atlantic.
Tuinois solution to tho quostions that tho Zong puts to tho piollons ol
ustico and nonoiy, a solution loiiowod lion tho piogiossivo ionanco ol
Scotts histoiical novol, is, at ist glanco, not uniquo. It also appoais to lo
Glissants solution, tho solution ol Poetics of Relation, which also logins ly
onoining us to look on at ust such a scono ol suoiing and doath, do-
nands oui synpathy, and thon lays thoso doad to iost. And it is tho solution
that DAguiai soons to dosiio in tho nal sontonco ol his novol. But it is also,
as tho nolancholy ioitoiativity ol that novol knows, as Glissant dononstiatos
thiough his poisistont iotuin to this singulai scono ol loss, and as I havo
attonptod to aiguo hoio, a lalso solution. Tino doos not pass, it accunu-
latos, nost donsoly, poihaps, within tho wako ol thoso nodoinity-loining
spacos ol ow that havo govoinod and diivon oui long twontioth contuiys
cyclos ol capital accunulation. And tho doad, whoso ghosts piovido us with
tho guios ly which wo iocognizo and dony tho cunulativo luidons ol his-
toiy, tho doad, whoso appaiitions woigh as lightly and as hoavily upon tho
piosont as that phantasnagoiic nightnaio ol all past gonoiations which, in
Maixs lallo, doposits its stiango woight upon tho ninds ol tho living, tho
doad do not piocodo lut inhalit tho split sconos ol Tuinois oxhilition hall,
tho glolos iolational, cioolizing spacos ol ow, and tho histoiical inaginaiy
ol a cioss-Atlantic woild that in tho toins I havo usod is a woild in which tho
lost olononts ol oxchango aio tho ondloss tonpoial oxchangos ol a hotoio-
chionic nodoinity, a nodoinity, in Bonanins woids, in which oui now-
loing is chaigod to tho luisting point with tino, a nodoinity in which,
as Gilioy has it, ono ol tho gioatost challongos availallo to us is tho challongo
ol loaining what it noans to livo nonsynchionously.
21
Whon tho Anoiican
paintoi Gooigo Innoss saw Tuinois canvas in Boston, ho disnissod it as a
tiivial pioco ol woik, sning that it has as nuch to do with hunan aoc-
tions and thoughts as a ghost.
22
To which I can only iospond: oxactly. That
is its valuo.
Specters of the Atlantic 81
Notes
A voiy liiol poition ol this ossay appoais in ny ioviow ol Gayatii Chakiavoity Spivaks A Cri-
tique of Postcolonial Reason in Nepantla: Views from South .z (zooo.
I diaw tho piocoding and lollowing dotails ol tho nassacio and onsuing couit casos lion
a vaiioty ol souicos pullishod and aichival, anong tho nost signicant ol which aio
Piinco Hoaio, Memoirs of Granville Sharp (London, 8z8, Avoiil Mackonzio-Giiovo, The
Last Years of the English Slave TradeLiverpool, (London, q, Roloit Wois-
loid, Tho Caso ol tho Slavo-Ship Zong, History Today (August o: oo;, and an
unpullishod tiansciipt ol tho tiial at tho Couit ol Kings Bonch hold in tho aichivos ol tho
National Maiitino Musoun, Gioonwich, Rol. no. REC[.
z Fiiodiich Hogol, The Philosophy of Right, tians. T. M. Knox (Oxloid, o;, o.
Soo Thonas Claikson, An essay on the slavery and commerce of the human species, particu-
larly the African (Philadolphia, 8oq, Ottolah Cuguano, Thoughts and Sentiments on the
Evil of the wicked slavery and commerce of the human species (London, ;8;, John Nowton,
Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade (London, ;88.
q Hogol, Philosophy of Right, o.
Substance of the Debates on a Resolution for Abolishing the Slave Trade Which Was Moved in
the House of Commons on the th June, (London, 8oo, o.
o Edouaid Glissant, Caribbean Discourses: Selected Essays, tians. J. Michaol Dash (Chailottos-
villo, VA, 8, ooo;.
; Edouaid Glissant, Poetics of Relation, tians. Botsy Wing (Ann Ailoi, MI, ;, o, 8.
8 Soo Bonodict Andoison, Imagined Communities: Reections on the Origin and Spread of
Nationalism, iov. od. (London, , z.
Paul Gilioy, The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness (Canliidgo, MA,
, q.
o Foi Waltoi Bonanins discussion ol tho iolationship lotwoon allogoiy and oxchango, soo
The Arcades Project, tians. Howaid Eiland and KovinMcLaughlin(Canliidgo, MA, ,
zzz, o8o. Foi a supoil discussion ol Bonanins aigunont, soo Richaid Halpoin,
Shakespeare among the Moderns (Ithaca, NY, ;, q.
Fiod DAguiai, Feeding the Ghosts (London, ;, q.
z DoiokWalcott, Tho Soa Is Histoiy, inCollected Poems: (NowYoik, 8o, oq
o;. On placos ol nonoiy, soo Pioiio Noia, Botwoon Monoiy and Histoiy: Les Lieux de
Memoire, Representations zo (spiing 8: ;z.
Soo Giovanni Aiiighi, The Long Twentieth Century: Money, Power, and the Origins of Our
Times (London, q.
q DAguiai, Feeding the Ghosts, zo.
Bonanin, Arcades Project, qo.
o Soo Gayatii Chakiavoity Spivak, A Critique of Postcolonial Reason: Toward a History of the
Vanishing Present (Canliidgo, MA, . Spivak nakos this suggostion, using viitually
tho sano languago oach tino, on sovoial occasions in hoi Critique: To ioopon tho liac-
tuio without succunling to a nostalgia loi lost oiigins, tho litoiaiy ciitic nust tuin to tho
aichivos ol inpoiial govoinanco (z, il, as ciitics, wo wish to ioopontho opistonic liac-
tuio ol inpoiialisn without succunling to tho nostalgia loi lost oiigins, wo nust tuin
82 Ian Baucom
to tho aichivos ol inpoiial govoinanco (qo, sinco this ossay opoiatos on tho notion
that all such cloai-cut nostalgias loi lost oiigins aio suspoct, ospocially as giounds loi
countoihogononic idoological pioduction, I nust piocood ly way ol an oxanplo (oo.
; DAguiai, Feeding the Ghosts, zz.
8 Soo Janos Chandloi, England in : The Politics of Literary Culture and the Case of Roman-
tic Historicism (Chicago, 8, osp. zoz, and Honoi Biown, Institutions of the English
Novel: From Defoe to Scott (Philadolphia, ;, 8;o.
Raynond Willians, Problems in Materialism and Culture (London, 8o, oqz.
zo Ian Duncan, Modern Romance and Transformations of the Novel: The Gothic, Scott, and
Dickens (Canliidgo, UK, z, Saioo Makdisi, Romantic Imperialism: Universal Culture
and the Culture of Modernity (Canliidgo, UK, 8, 88.
z Bonanin, Arcades Project, qo. Gilioy usos tho oxpiossion thioughout Black Atlantic, loi
his nost sustainod discussion ol what ho noans ly a nonsynchionous oidoi ol tino, soo
osp. ozo.
zz Citod in Chauncoy Biowstoi Tinkoi, Painter and Poet: Studies in the Literary Relations of
English Painting (Canliidgo, MA, 8, .