Precarious Worlds: Danish Colonialism and World Literature

TY - JOUR

T1 - Precarious Worlds

T2 - Danish Colonialism and World Literature

AU - Baggesgaard, Mads Anders

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - The role played by Denmark in the triangular slave trade and colonial chattel slavery is rarely part of the tale told about Danish literature. This article investigates the reflections of this history in Denmark and discusses how this particular colonial history and its relationship to literature can be understood on the basis of readings of three texts from Denmark and its former colony St. Thomas. The central thesis is that exactly because of the peripheral and precarious nature of the Danish colonial endeavour in relation to larger colonial systems, it may actually be possible to reflect on sides of the colonial history that is often left out of sight.

AB - The role played by Denmark in the triangular slave trade and colonial chattel slavery is rarely part of the tale told about Danish literature. This article investigates the reflections of this history in Denmark and discusses how this particular colonial history and its relationship to literature can be understood on the basis of readings of three texts from Denmark and its former colony St. Thomas. The central thesis is that exactly because of the peripheral and precarious nature of the Danish colonial endeavour in relation to larger colonial systems, it may actually be possible to reflect on sides of the colonial history that is often left out of sight.

KW - colonial literature, slavery, Danish literature, world literature

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85079631483&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1163/24056480-00104009

DO - 10.1163/24056480-00104009

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2405-6472

VL - 1

SP - 466

EP - 483

JO - Journal of World Literature

JF - Journal of World Literature

IS - 4

ER -