The essay re-interprets the role of the Chola Widow, the heroine of Melville's "The Encantadas" (1854), in the transatlantic context of Romantic historiography. If “oppressed” Hunilla may be said to stand as the epitome of the conquered peoples in the New World at large, then her "little history" of loss and suffering may be read as an un-canonical example of the history of the vanquished, as it is clear from a parallel between Melville's story and a heretofore unacknowledged source from Tocqueville's "Democracy in America". This example in fact turns into a critique of the conquerors’ view of history and history-writing, and, in particular, of the historiographical concept of "democracy" in antebellum American culture.
Democracy in America: Melville, "The Encantadas," and the History of the Vanquished
NORI, Giuseppe
2014-01-01
Abstract
The essay re-interprets the role of the Chola Widow, the heroine of Melville's "The Encantadas" (1854), in the transatlantic context of Romantic historiography. If “oppressed” Hunilla may be said to stand as the epitome of the conquered peoples in the New World at large, then her "little history" of loss and suffering may be read as an un-canonical example of the history of the vanquished, as it is clear from a parallel between Melville's story and a heretofore unacknowledged source from Tocqueville's "Democracy in America". This example in fact turns into a critique of the conquerors’ view of history and history-writing, and, in particular, of the historiographical concept of "democracy" in antebellum American culture.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
