Multisensory experience of the middle passage in Alex Haleys "Roots"

For a long time, the experience of the Middle Passage was referred to as “resistant to storytelling” – too traumatic to write about it, unsuited for the narrative form and easier to express in poetry (Harding 2005). Over the last 30 years, a shift in this attitude can be observed, particularly among black writers, who have consciously tried to supplement those gaps in history. The chapter proposes a study of one of the most powerful fictionalised Middle Passage narratives – presented in Alex Haley's novel Roots (1976) – which will serve as a departure point to speak about the difficult heritage of slavery and the forced migration of Africans. The analysis is conducted from the perspective of literary studies, recognising that heritage is also a form of discourse constituting part of culture (Smith 2006, 4) and is mediated in various forms; thus, examining literature that represents heritage is both meaningful and justified. The literary text analysed in this chapter has profoundly influenced American perceptions of the transatlantic slave trade. The chapter seeks to comprehensively analyse the depiction of the Middle Passage within these seminal works through a multisensory mobility lens. Emphasising the sensory disorientation and adaptation that the enslaved endured, the chapter aims to elucidate the visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile elements embedded in this literary narrative. The ensuing discussion will offer a nuanced understanding of the sociocultural and psychological ramifications of slavery and its enduring legacy. Central to this examination is a concept of multisensory mobility, exploring the intricate interplay of multiple senses and their relationship with the movement depicted within that narrative.