Desire and Belonging in Caryl Phillips' "Crossing the River"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the issues raised in Caryl Phillips' novel "Crossing the River," i.e. the common desires of love, acceptance and belonging which the black people of the African Diaspora still face, even though they are no longer slaves. The themes are looked at generally and in relation to the novel.

From the Paper:

"In the novel's prologue, Phillips presents the reader with the problems of the African diaspora through the voice of a universal father to the book's characters. In desperation this father sells his children, representing two hundred and fifty years of blacks torn from Africa. He explains to his children that now, "there is no return." You are beyond. Broken-off, like limbs from a tree. But not lost, for you carry within your bodies the seeds of new trees. Sinking your hopeful roots into difficult soil? (2). Phillips' metaphor between black people torn from Africa and broken-off branches of trees is important because it serves to clearly explain the father's beliefs about the role of his sold children. These children can never reattach themselves to their homeland; once a branch has been severed, it cannot be put back on."

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