Ethical Predicament And Ethical Selection In Carvl Phillips’s Crossing The River

Caryl Phillips,a Caribbean-British writer.presents a polyphonic narrative in Crossing the River(199 3),which follows the trajectories of three Africans in diaspora and a white slave trader across a 250-year expanse of history,from the 18th century to the post-WWII era.Adopting an approach of ethical literary criticism,this thesis investigates the causes of ethical predicaments in parent-child,marital,and racial relationships,and discusses the corresponding ethical choices.Through this analysis,it argues for the pervasive and enduring influence of colonial ethics,and explores the tragic nature of ethical choices in the context of colonial ethics.Ethical predicaments faced by the characters in Crossing the River in parent-child,marital and racial relationships are rooted in the complex interplay of colonial ethics,slavery,patriarchy,and Christianity.This ethical order imposes multiple ethical prohibitions on both the colonizers and the colonized,especially the diasporic ones,who experience a painful sense of powerlessness and rootlessness in diverse ethical contexts.In terms of parent-child relationships,slavery creates a forced and helpless separation of parents and children for the diaspora.However,it is the permanent expectation for those in diaspora to long for a home and family reunion.The appearance of the mixed race boy suggests the possibility of a new model of non-racial family.Concerning marital relationships,the patriarchal ethical order that privileges men and heterosexuality,in conjunction with colonial ethics,inhibits women’s rights to freedom and happiness,and stifles the possibility of interracial marriage and homosexual intimacy.Regarding racial relationships,the pursuit of white supremacy through colonial ethics is legitimized through missionary work,resulting in an identity predicament for the colonized,who are stripped of their culture and history.Meanwhile,the colonizers face a racial predicament as they navigate their position within the con fines of dominant ethical values.Through its portrayal of complex ethical relationships and the tragic nature of ethical choices,Crossing the River prompts a critical reflection on the legacy of colonialism.It critiques the hypocritical nature and adverse consequences of colonial ethics,while also suggesting that its influence persists beyond the end of colonial politics.Notably,the ethical choices made by the characters in the novel convey a positive message of resistance against the colonial ethical order,which is a commendable aspect of the work.