Derek Walcott

In Defense of Derek Walcott’s Language

By Ted Gentle

            As a student at Rhodes College, I studied the play Dream On Monkey Mountain in a number of Post-Colonial classes taught by Rob Canfield.  His main argument against Derek Walcott was that the language was simplistic and racist, a stereotypical depiction of the tribes that he depicted.  He also mentioned Walcott’s relationship with the opposite sex, a negative attitude which he used to exploit certain female critics.  I would argue that the play, Dream On Monkey Mountain, is good, and describes a tribal altercation and the law enforcement response to it in very intense and creative way.

            More than the typical 100 to 150 page play, the play is rather lengthy at about 300 plus pages.  The language itself, which is the main source of the controversy, reads like the language of critical theory versus clear, descriptive language.  The characters are relatable, and are not overly aggressive and stereotypical characters.  The ending allows them to enjoy liberty, as they escape the hands of the Sheriff and go to a different city.

            With the controversy surrounding Walcott’s personality, the play is very much in peril.  It is rare to find such a direct depiction of race, gender, and slavery and the overarching class problems that they involve than in that text.  The characters seem realistic, but they also symbolize the oppression that would have existed in those minority, impoverished countries.  It is a more commonly referenced example of Post-Colonial Literature and its approach than others.

            With Walcott’s passing, should Dream On Monkey Mountain be able to shake its reputation as a bad, canonical text?  As a former student looks back on his career, it is hard to find another highly memorable example of a Post-Colonial work that really exemplifies that movement.  For the movement to have worth, all relevant texts need to be considered, and at the same time an attempt needs to be made to differentiate the works from specific political goals and allow the states of being they depict to function as symbols.  Dream On Monkey Mountain, in many ways, is a successful work, one whose formal strengths outweigh the controversy surrounding it and its author.