The Old Man Slave and the Mastiff by Patrick Chamoiseau
"The Old Man Slave and the Mastiff" by Patrick Chamoiseau is a poignant narrative that explores themes of power, oppression, and resistance within the context of slavery on a sugarcane plantation in Martinique. The characters remain unnamed, referred to simply as the Master, the mastiff, and the old man slave. The story begins with the Master importing a fearsome mastiff to intimidate the slaves and quell any thoughts of rebellion. The old man slave, having endured a lifetime of servitude, moves through life like an automaton, embodying the oppressive conditions of his existence.
As the mastiff regains strength and instills fear among both slaves and dogs, a dynamic begins to form between the old man slave and the dog. The narrative builds tension as the old man slave, despite appearing passive, harbors a deep reservoir of mental energy and self-control. This energy is sensed by both the other slaves and the mastiff. Ultimately, the story culminates in the old man slave's escape, signified by the mastiff's powerful howl—a moment that embodies the struggle for freedom and the complex relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed. Chamoiseau's work invites reflection on the enduring spirit of those who resist subjugation, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
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The Old Man Slave and the Mastiff by Patrick Chamoiseau
First published: "L'Esclave vieil homme et le molosse," 1997 (English translation, 1998)
Type of plot: Impressionistic
Time of work: The early nineteenth century
Locale: Martinique, West Indies
Principal Characters:
The Master , the owner of a plantation on MartiniqueThe old man slave , a longtime slaveThe mastiff , a huge dog
The Story
The characters in this story do not have names but are referred to as the Master, the mastiff, and the old man slave. The story begins when the Master imports the huge mastiff from overseas to quell the slaves on his sugarcane plantation. The emaciated mastiff arrives in port with a shipload of slaves, having endured the middle passage with them. The old man slave, as he always does, accompanies the Master to pick up the large, powerful dog. The old man slave has been a slave for so long that he moves like an automaton, without personality. He is an invisible man whose presence is taken for granted.
As the Master and old man slave arrive back at the Martinique plantation, six or seven Creole dogs begin to howl but suddenly grow deathly quiet at the sight of the mastiff. The mastiff's effect on the slaves is much the same. The large dog instills instant fear in both the other dogs and the slaves. Slave children approach the mastiff out of curiosity but soon run, afraid the mastiff will "mark" their scent.
They have reason to fear. After a few weeks on a diet of raw, bloody meat, fed to it by the Master, the mastiff regains its strength and is ready for action. The mastiff never growls, barks, or howls but simply eyes the slaves with a malignant look. However, the mastiff demonstrates its might when the next slave, a young man, gets the "surge" (an urge to escape or attack the commanders), snaps, and bolts into the woods. The Master and the mastiff soon run him down and drag him back, so torn apart that from then on the slave walked like an old man. This scene is repeated several times with other runaways, until finally at the story's end the old man slave runs away. Under his zombielike surface, the old man slave is a master of self-control: He has bottled up the "surge" in himself every day of his life, becoming a cauldron of energy like the island's seething volcano, Mount Pelée. The other slaves feel this pent-up energy in the old man and psychologically respond to it as does the mastiff. The old man slave silently cultivates the mastiff's response to him, and at the story's end, the mastiff lets out a tremendous howl as the old man slave escapes one early dawn.