Pan-Africanism and 'The Atlantic Sound' by Caryl Phillips

Seminar paper from the year 2022 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0, University of Münster, language: English, abstract: This paper helps the reader to understand Pan-Africanism and how Caryl Phillips deals with topics regarding this theory in 'The Atlantic Sound'. The theoretical background on Pan-Africanism and the diaspora is added upfront. I highlight how the diaspora shaped the concept of Pan-Africanism. To connect the given theory with the book, I describe the structure of the book and introduce the author and his background. I primarily focus on the chapter 'Homeward Bound'. I explain the significance of the sea in The Atlantic Sound and how it is connected to the idea of (returning) home and diasporan identities. Then, I take a closer look at the two characters, Dr. Abdallah and Dr. Lee. They arouse the readers' interest through their diverse opinions on topics related to Pan-Africanism. I explain how the history of slavery shaped the ideas of identity and belonging to a certain geographical place. Further, I give an insight into the discussion on the responsibility of slave forts. In the end, I summarize the main findings and give an outlook on further possibilities of thematic discussion.