Question Details

Derek Alton Walcott in the poem ‘The sea is history’ makes a parallel between

Options

A

Evolution of mankind and nature

B

Evolution of human history and religion

C

Evolution of paganism and Christianity

D

Evolution of Christianity and slavery of the blacks

Correct Answer :

Evolution of Christianity and slavery of the blacks

Solution :

The correct option is: Evolution of Christianity and slavery of the blacks

Derek Walcott's monumental poem "The Sea Is History" explores the history of the Caribbean, which has been systematically erased, ignored, or deemed non-existent by dominant Western colonial narratives. In this poem, Walcott uses the sea as a vast, living archive that holds the memory of the Middle Passage and the history of enslaved African peoples.

To give structure and voice to this history, Walcott creates a powerful parallel between the historical journey of black slaves—from their capture, the horrors of the slave ships, to their eventual emancipation—and the biblical narrative of the evolution of Christianity (specifically using stages and books of the Old and New Testaments). For example, the drowning of Africans in the sea during the Middle Passage is equated to the Genesis flood, and the search for freedom and survival is framed through Exodus, Ark of the Covenant, and the Lamentations, moving ultimately towards redemption and new beginnings.

By aligning the brutal realities of the slave trade and its aftermath with the progression of biblical history, Walcott reframes the traumatic experience of Caribbean history. He imbues the struggle of the enslaved with monumental, mythic, and spiritual significance, showing how the evolution of Christian scripture parallels the tragic yet resilient history of black enslavement in the New World.

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