Farheen's Post: Antigua as a Trope of the “Imperialist Mission”

The cryptic use of Antigua in Mansfield Park needs to be decoded with reference to the political, economic and social conditions of 19^th Century Imperial Britain.

The novel engages in the social conversation of that time when it makes allusions to slavery, common in the colonies especially the West Indies. The judgment passed in Somerset v. Stewart by Lord Mansfield making slavery unlawful on English soil heavily influences the name of the novel. The mention of the slave trade by Fanny on Sir Thomas’ return from Antigua is met by silence which signifies the apathy of engaging with the concerns of the indigenous people. Their existence was almost entirely ignored. Edward Said makes the argument that English literature in the 19^th Century alluded to colonies only acknowledging their existence in the periphery of their conscience but ignoring their independent cultural identity. By doing so, the British government controlled the domestic attitude about the colonies as merely extensions of the mainland where the English culture and rule was intact and in full force.

Mansfield Park joins the tradition of similar narratives by following the story of an English domestic establishment that sustains its particular lifestyle in England by engaging in trade with plantations in the colonies. Antigua instead of India being such a source of trading wealth suggests that the Bertrams were part of the emerging middle class of British society. This might have been to facilitate a low-born cousin to rise to the position of mistress of the manor, however it may have been so since India (East Indies) was perceived by Europeans as a place with an independent cultural and economic identity. Antigua however did not enjoy such a reputation of independent heritage so its mention in MP is vital for reinforcing the righteousness of the Imperialist project to maintain control over the Empire.

Britain’s imperialist mission encompassed spreading “civilization, commerce, and Christianity” is furthered with reference to Antigua rather than Canada since a West Indian colony in which natives referred to as Creoles outnumbered white settlers. Creoles were seen as uncivilized, ignorant, and in need of spiritual enlightenment — desperately in need of guidance from the superior white man. Thus, the specific use of Antigua in Mansfield Park succinctly conveys the domestic attitudes towards and as a result of the Imperialist mission.