Discussion Topic
Birthplaces of the Old Man and the Mastiff in "The Old Man Slave and the Mastiff"
Summary:
The Old Man was born in Africa, while the Mastiff was born in Cuba. The Old Man's birthplace signifies his origin before being enslaved, highlighting the historical context of the transatlantic slave trade. In contrast, the Mastiff's birthplace in Cuba indicates its role in the New World, where it was trained for violence, reflecting the brutal environment of slavery.
Where was the old man born in "The Old Man Slave and the Mastiff"?
To a considerable extent, the old man slave of Chamoiseau's story is a mysterious figure. One might argue that this is intentional on the author's part, as the old man is meant to stand as a symbol for slaves in general and their experiences of enforced labor and captivity.
That being the case, the old man, like so many slaves, has been separated from his past, cut off from the wellsprings of an ancient civilization. And yet, despite his enslavement, the old man still retains what the author describes as "illiterate traces" of the gods of the Before-land, the land of his ancestors, the continent of Africa. His slave masters may be able to control his body, but they can't control a mind and spirit still suffused with fragments of a distant past.
Whenever the old man sees a new slave ship come into harbor, he is profoundly affected by...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
what he sees. He no longer knows if he was born on the plantation or perhaps in the hold of a slave ship, but what he does know is that each swaying ship that comes into harbor stirs up a "primordial rocking within him."
The old man's mind is peopled with the “[c]rackings and snappings” and “muddy shadows” of the slave ships; befuddled with “slimy algae,” the old man's mind is steeped in the sea and the ships who sail upon it. This would appear to indicate that the old man was born at sea rather than on the plantation.
The very fact that he doesn't know for sure is a further indication of just how much control the slave masters exert over his identity. Though, as we've seen, they cannot completely control his mind and spirit, they can still keep him in ignorance of his past.
Where was the mastiff born in The Old Man Slave and the Mastiff?
To determine where the mastiff was born, look at part 2 in Patrick Chamoiseau’s novel The Old Man Slave and the Mastiff (sometimes the title is translated as The Old Slave and the Mastiff or Slave Old Man). In this section, the narrator delves into the origins of the demonic dog. After the narrator describes the dog’s monstrous traits and its haunting voyage to the Martinique plantation, the narrator addresses where it came from.
In Linda Coverdale’s translation of the novel, the dog “came from who-knew-what Gehenna in Europe.” Gehenna is not in Europe (at least not literally). Gehenna, in the context of the New Testament and Judaism, means hell. When the narrator says that the mastiff came from some “Gehenna in Europe,” it’s reasonable to claim that the narrator is saying that the mastiff was born in a European hellhole.
The notion that the dog was born somewhere in Europe is reinforced in the following paragraph when it's stated that the Master had purchased the dog without “haggling.” According to the narrator, the Master was probably the one who brought the dog “straight from Europe.”
Of course, coming directly from Europe is not the same as being born in Europe. However, it’s sensible to conclude that, since the dog came from Europe, it was likely born in Europe. If one wanted to retain the “Gehenna” element of the dog’s origin, one could be specific and say that dog was born in a hellish part of Europe.