Book Review, — Barracoon, Zora Neale Hurston
Barracoon is an enclosure where Black slaves were held for a period until they were transported to the New World.
Barracoon derives from a Spanish word, Barraca/Barracoon which is the same as the word Barracks in English.
In my review of Barracoon, one theme that kept resurfacing is the complete or gradual loss of the African identity in the New World. I further consider the role of water in this partial or total death to the African identity and the rebirth of a new creature that is never quite ‘there’. A creature that is not entirely African or American, in tastes, in manner, in thinking, for example; a creature that is neither considered fully African or American, a creature that believes itself one thing and is perceived as something else, a creature that never fully fits here nor there, that creature that constantly cradles memories from both places, and that creature that has strong relationships and bonds formed in both places; — a creature trapped in the third space.
I considered the Barracoon, a cavern that holds/held people that would eventually go over the water. By extension, the Barracoon or any cavern or space that holds people who are destined to go over the water ( overseas ), including planes and ships, permits the association of the Barracoon with the idea of death and rebirth. A place of temporal hibernation/wait leading to a rebirth and death that happen simultaneously as a result of going over the water
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Water as a symbol of Rebirth, Death and a Change in Identity
It is a common thing in Southern Ghana for a dead person to be sent off to the other world with a gift or two such as a handkerchief or fragrance. In addition to referring to the world of the dead as a place across the water, in Ghanaian culture, crossing this water is something we believe each person would do in order to get to the other side, the world of the ancestors and the dead. Water in this sense bears certain connotations to death. Similarly, the baptism of a person which is a literal total or partial immersion of the individual into water is a physical and spiritual representation of a change or a death to one part of them ( the carnal parts ) and a rebirth of a new person in Christ. In the same manner, there has been many a story of Lepers who have been asked to take a dip in water to receive a complete turnaround in their situations. Death to the sickness and a rebirth of a life free of the plague of leprosy.
Kossola, the protagonist, and narrator of this biographical account written by Hurston has been torn abruptly out of modern-day Nigeria. Before he is forced onto the boat ( the Clotilde ) that is about to transport him and the other captives to the New World, he is stripped of his old clothes and asked to mount the boat in the nude. The stripping away of clothes is symbolic of a loss. Boarding the boat, which will travel across the water to the other world, is equally symbolic. The water becomes a vehicle that facilitates a breaking away of that which is familiar and known and cherished and a movement toward that which is uncertain and deeply puzzling. The captives’ loss of their clothes is a larger representation of a loss of identity. The slaves are informed that their destination has a lot more clothes and therefore this dumping of their old clothes is a necessary move. The Clotilde journeys for about seventy days and upon arrival, the slaves are given new clothes which go to support the claim of a loss/death and gain/rebirth of different parts of the individuals all with the help of the water and a boat. This thought seamlessly rejoins the claim that water is a larger connotation of a death, in this case, of Kossola and the other slaves’ identities and an attempt to immerse/ adapt/ be reborn in a totally unfamiliar terrain.
The Conflict of Duality, New Names, and the African Identity
‘In de Afficky we gottee one name, but in dis place dey tell us we needee two names.’ (so they give their children two names so that ) ‘one name because we not furgit our home; den another name for de Americky soil so it won’t be too crooked to call’ (the other name for the American soil so that people in America will not have a hard time pronouncing the name).
Kossola’s need to satisfy the African and American demands of a suitable enough name that sort of takes both geographical locations into account is a larger representation of the constant fluidity of identity that is shaped by presence, be it spiritual, mental, or psychological in these two geographical places. This desire to be here and there or have a life comprising of elements from here and there is the ensemble of the identity of a person dwelling in this third space. Kossola is in America yet gets transported many times over to Africa as he tells Zora his story. Kossola’s sons who are born in America have African and American names, Kossola himself comes to be known as Cudjo Lewis because the Americans are unable to adequately pronounce the name/his name Kossola. Listen to this episode of Jesus and Jollof podcast for a better understanding of New names and the third space.
In addition, Kossola regards his family with love and pride, yet the society he finds himself in views him and his family as ‘ig’nant’ savages. Kossola and some Black Americans constantly deal with the plague of being doubly conscious; that is, the belief in the worthiness of oneself and conversely living under the imposed and sometimes invisible obligation to perpetually prove this worth or deny all the perceived and imposed negatives of who you are.
‘All de time de chillun growin’ de American folks dey picks at dem and tell de Afficky people dey kill folks and eatee de meat. Dey callee my chillun ig’nant savage and make out dey kin to monkey.
Derefo’, you unnerstand me, my boys dey fight. Dey got to fight all de time.’
Different Spaces and the Difference in Values, Beliefs, and Practices
Marriage
‘Derefo’, you unnerstand me, after me and my wife ‘gree ‘tween ourselves, we seekee religion and got converted. Den in de church dey tell us dat ain’ right. We got to marry by license. In de Afficky soil, you unnerstand me, we ain’t got no license. De man and de woman dey ‘gree ‘tween deyselves, den dey married and live together’
Kossola gets married after he gains his freedom from slavery. He lives with his wife for a bit and then converts to Christianity and is told in church that living with a woman without a license or without having gone to church to make the marriage ‘legitimate’ is wrong. Ghanaian marriages, once traditionally done are considered legitimate yet it is interesting that over time, church weddings or white weddings, aka western influenced weddings have become more popular than or more positively viewed than traditional marriages.
Hierarchy and Age
When Zora visits Kossola, she presses for information and is in a great hurry to hear all the details surrounding Kossola’s transition from the Bight of Benin to Alabama. She attempts to rush him through his narration concerning his past life and takes his story about his family lightly. When Zora tries again to rush him through the story of his fathers and to the juicy details surrounding Kossola’s own life as the last slave to have journeyed from Africa to America, he tells her that in Africa, we have a regard for older people and are unable to speak of ourselves without acknowledging our elders.
‘Where is de house where de mouse is de leader? In de Affica soil, I cain tellee you ‘bout de son before I tellee you ‘bout de father ; and derefore, you unnerstand me, I cain talk about de man who is father till I tellee you bout de man who he father to him, now, dass right ain’it?
Religion
‘Yeah in Afficky we always know dere was a God; // we doan know God got a son. We ain’t ig’nant — we jes doan know. Nobody doan tell us ‘bout Adam eatee de apple, we didn’t know de seven seals was sealee ‘gainst us.’
Kossola’s mention of these lines is powerful and a constant reminder of the differences in perception of many things including the ever-delicate topic of religion.
Sense of Community
At many points in the narration, Kossola’s words illustrate the communal nature and the mentality of concern and brotherliness of the African. On two occassions, he mentions that the community comes together and builds a house for individuals. Also, the community converges and builds a school and church for its use.
Conclusion
Though I loved this book for the power of its addition of a detailed and human account to the whirlwind of blurry abstract and impersonal historical information there is, a few statements caught my attention that opened up questions for consideration.
- Why does Zora state that people who live outside the influence of machinery are primitive?
2. why is Christianity equal to civilization and paganism directly implied, also as primitive?
Credits for word definitions, Google.
