PANTOMIME by Derek Walcott

             

Pantomime by Derek Walcott

                                       

               Pantomime takes place in West India and fictional time is a post-colonial period which means once-colonized countries gained their independents.  In the play, we have two different characters named Harry Trewe and Jackson.

       Jackson is a black and servant but not because he is black or he is from Oriental countries, he is a servant because he doesn’t have money, so he needs a job. But even if fictional time is about the post-colonial period, they still in their consciousness both Harry and Jackson have the binary oppositions and the colonial ideas in their minds. Because they internalized the colonialism and they cannot just get rid of their internalized ideas in a day. 

   >>>  in-depth analysis of Orientalism   <<<

     Harry  Threw left his country, England,  to start a new life like an intruder, he does not belong to West India. In West India, he runs a hotel and has some insomnia problems, except insomnia problems he has some problems with his family, as well.

In some parts of the play, he explains that his wife killed his their son accidentally. Then he lefts   England and comes to West India to run a hotel. Because he does not belong to West India he feels lonely and only has Jackson.

Trewe is an Englishman who came to Tobago to run a hotel where this play is set. He is working on a dance routine, which he hopes will entertain his guests when the hotel opens. However, he struggles with the task and is dissatisfied with his performance and as a result of this he wants to acts Robinson Crusoe with his servant.

   Because Harry is the master he should be the Robinson Crusoe and black servant Jackson play the Friday, with their consciousness that’s the normal part.

We see the effects of the post-colonial term. From the beginning, we see Jackson somehow attends to dominate Harry. For instance, he says:

                    

“put back on your pants, I can not serve you while you are naked” and Harry adds: “shirt, too?”.

 He dominates Harry somehow.

        After a while, Jackson wants to change the roles. Then Friday acted by Harry and Robinson Crusoe acted by Jackson.

We see that they both questioning their role. In colonial times roles were simple. If you are black and from the oriental countries and if you are white you are the master.  But with the post-colonial term, people began to questioning, reconstructing the idea of white and black, master and servant. They tried to challenge against what was given to them about colonialism.

   But on the other hand, they internalized these ideas, because of Harry always has a superiority complex and Jackson has an inferiority complex.

 Jackson has an identity crisis, he cannot decide whether he is black and because of this he is a servant or he is equal to Harry as a human being.

          Parrot in Pantomime;  

In general parrots almost repeats imitates just like a mimic man.

In the play Parrot always repeats “Heinegger”. He is the name of the German owner of the hotel and parrot repeats what was taught to him by its German owner.

 Jackson doesn’t like Parrot, he wants to get rid of it because parrot symbolizes the colonial period. Before the post-colonial term, the hotel was run by a German owner and parrot was left from that term and that’s why Jackson doesn’t like the Parrot.  

                  >>>    in-depth analysis of Parrot      <<<

                At the end of the play we can see a new kind of relationship between black and white, but not  as a black and white, it’s based on employee and employer.

Now they can get rid of the binary oppositions. Jackson can get rid of the inferiority complex. At the end of the play. That’s why he can ask the raise.

That’s why ending is hopeful.

Playwright shows us their collaboration can be seen as a hopeful sign that it’s possible to cooperate and achieve unity between England and India, white and black, oxidant and orient.