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Perception and Misperception

"The Antilles: Fragments of Epic Memory" by Derek Walcott is the noble price lecture

that revolves around post-colonialism and the emergence of an authentic culture. The lecture

took place in Felicity, where the dominant population is comprised of East Indians. Additionally,

Derek ruminates the preconceptions and judgments imposed and how the authentic culture is

under threat and at the risk of being erased. The purpose of the essay is to discuss the perception

and misperception in Redburn, joe and turner's Come and Gone and in the Antilles fragments of

epic memory, explain how the characters read and misread each other, the reasons for such

reading and misreading, the possible consequences and explain how the lessons on perception

and misperception in the texts relate to my sea year experience.

There is perception presented in "The Antilles: Fragments of Epic Memory" in various

ways. As one reads the book deeply, they start getting affected by Walcott's words. The author's

sense of awareness of the American perception of the Caribbean is dead, and he goes further to

expose what they are. Walcott addresses his work concerning what he often sees around him.

Additionally, talking about post-colonialism and the emergence of an authentic culture leads to
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an understanding of the central themes of Walcott's point of view. It shows the need to preserve

one's culture. Additionally, Walcott's work presented the idealization of reality. However, there

are misconceptions present from "The Antilles: Fragments of Epic Memory." this is presented

when Walcott excludes himself from the culture because the east Indians predominate it.

In the second text entitled "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," the demonstration of the

African American movement to freedom is presented. The play clearly examines the African

attempts to search for and preserve their cultural identity due to the repression of slavery. The

use of the phrase “the road” and images of travel leads to various transitions for each character.

Additionally, the play clearly states how the physical migration took place from the south to the

north to look for a new start. Further, it is expressed that the black’s migration was due to

discrimination faced in the south and their key expectation was to realize financial success and

freedom from slavery.

However, there were instances where the characters read and misread one another. For

example, some characters migrated to Pittsburg to escape slavery while others did not escape

slavery; hence they allowed themselves to forgo the past and find their identity(Sandra, 98).

Additionally, the main characters are presented to have troubled the so-called "Joe Turner Come

and Gone" identity song. This text provides an important example of establishing the African

American culture and how the self-identity concerns influenced their culture and the importance

of preserving one's culture. The reasons for such misreading among the characters were lack of

clarity on the objective of migration and ignorance. The reading and misreading posed a great

impact on the central goal presented in the play. For instance, unity among the character would

help attain their cultural identity easily and get free from slavery hence realize freedom while
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misreading led to division among the minorities making it difficult to achieve freedom and free

themselves from slavery.

In the third text called Redburn by the American writer Herman Melville, the recounts on

the adventures of a distinguished youth among coarse and ruthless sailors are presented. The key

theme of Redburn his first voyage is addressing the issues to do with avoiding brutality towards

innocent souls. In this text, two perceptions would be making Melville an artist who is hovered

on the verge of fusion through the father’s betrayal and corruption. These two treatments

absolutely made the book's author perceived as a legend (Melville, 1). As far as Redburn is

concerned, what happened to the little boy is less than what occurred upon the wretchedness and

depravity. The main character Redburn emerges with jocular and puzzled ruefulness; he is

actually a passive spectator rather than a ludicrous reformer since what he does merely add up to

a scabrous impression that starts with deceitful pawnshop keeper (Melville, 2).

The three texts present essential information; hence there is value in considering the three

texts along with each other. Achievement of freedom is a shared theme in the three texts. Many

people are presented to have been facing discrimination due to their race, ethnicity, and financial

status. Upon reading the three texts, one gains substantial information on how minorities are

discriminated by the majorities hence the importance of joining hands to fight against such

problems. As presented in "Joe Turner’s Come and Gone," people fail to understand the direction

or objective of taking part in certain activities; hence, they end up disuniting, and eventually, the

proposed project fails. Post-colonialism and perseverance of culture are crucial aspects presented

by the three texts. This shows that one’s cultural identity is very important and must be

protected. For instance, in the last paragraph, Walcott condemns how tourism has diminished
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people's experience as far as Caribbean culture is concerned; he actually fears that the culture

could disappear quickly due to modernization and westernization (Derek, 47).

Conclusively, the three texts present substantial information on the individual’s

wellbeing. The need to remain united is expressed in the three texts as unity can help achieve a

common goal. In the three texts, perception is created as the need to have individuals’ culture is

well presented and its importance to people’s lives explained. The lessons on perception and

misperception in the three texts relate to my sea year experience where there were people from

different origins in the coastal regions. The local culture seemed to have been ignored by the

residents, and they started practicing other western cultures making them be seen as minorities.

Lack of understanding led to discrimination in the sea hotels as the minorities were poorly served

and the majority prioritized.

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Work cited

Melville, Herman. "Redburn: His First Voyage. 1849." Ed. Harrison Hayford, Hershel Parker,

and G. Thomas Tanselle. Evanston, IL: Northwestern UP (1969): 1-2.

Richards, Sandra L. "Yoruba Gods on the American Stage: August Wilson's" Joe Turner's Come

and Gone." Research in African Literatures 30.4 (1999): 92-105.

Walcott, Derek. The Antilles: Fragments of epic memory. Evanston, IL: Program of African

Studies, Northwestern University, 1993. 1-224