Black Subjects: Identity Formation in the Contemporary Narrative of Slavery

Abstract

Arlene R. Keizer, in Black Subjects, joins a number of recent critics in examining what Ashraf Rushdy has referred to as neo–slave narratives. These are contemporary works of fiction, usually in the form of historical novels, that tell stories of slavery. What distinguishes Keizer's analysis is her interest in both Caribbean and African American writers and her particular approach to narrative and theory. On the latter point, she is not so much interested in using a theory to read the literature as in identifying the theories implicit in the writings. Given the concern of each work, she considers its view of identity as it is shaped by the historical experience of slavery; the theories are those focusing on subjectivity. Keizer selects works that she believes are centrally concerned with identity and consciously engaged with theoretical questions. She then frames her literary analysis with discussion of specific theories that are in what might be considered a conversation with the works. The first pairing links Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) to Louis Althusser's concept of interpellation. Keizer argues that, while ideological work is clearly being done by evil characters in the novel to strengthen the forces of oppression, the sites Althusser identifies for that work are not the ones operative under slavery. Morrison constructs possibilities for resisting interpellation even as she acknowledges its force. The limits of Keizer's approach are evident here, as she notes that Althusser distinguishes capitalist from slave and feudal societies, but she does not explain why she chooses the model of capitalism rather than slavery from his theory. In the book generally, she curtails presentation of theory in favor of close readings of texts, with a strong emphasis on gender issues.