Bewilderment and conviction: the portrayal of madness in Ondaatje's Coming Through Slaughter
2011; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 17; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1192/apt.bp.110.008540
ISSN1472-1481
Autores Tópico(s)South African History and Culture
ResumoSummary The scraps of historical data that exist about Buddy Bolden – a cornet player from New Orleans who influenced early jazz – have evoked curiosity in a wide range of writers, including psychiatrists. The latter are interested because Bolden ‘went berserk in a parade’ at the age of 29 and spent the rest of his life in an asylum. This article is about the novel Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje, which is based on Bolden's life. I discuss how the form of the text – including its refusal to comment on where sense is lost – conveys to readers the bewilderment and conviction of Bolden's experience and allows them to share something of this.
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