"Giuseppe"
by Roderick Ford explores the theme of ostracization during times of war and
strife. It explores the dire consequences of discrimination for both the victim
and its perpetrators. Ford uses the metaphor of a mermaid washed up on the
beach to represent the dehumanisation of migrants. Ford explores xenophobia
through his use of imagery that evokes historical examples: "that in
Sicily in World War Two". The reference to the Second World War
foregrounds the theme of ostracization and migration. Ford's use of 'She'
instead of any actual name may show their systematic dehumanisation of her. The
speaker is disgusted by his Uncle Giuseppe's actions, but the ending is
optimistic, "and he could not look me in the eye".
The reference
to plants like "Bourgainvella" which typically grows in places
foreign to Sicily, reflects how communities react positively to migration when
it benefits them.
Rodrick uses the example of WWII with the Nazi slaughtering
of many Jews to bring in a sense of realism, helping the reader to understand
the dreadful aspects being presented in the poem. Moreover, Giuseppe has a
negative tone due to the seriousness of the
poem with words such as ‘captive’ , ‘dry’, ‘cut’, ‘burial ’and ‘starvation’ all having negative connotation
linking to being trapped. The collective use of these words discloses the loss
of humanity in a moment of war, also, the line ‘starvation forgives men many
things’ reflects how instinct are altered when desperation is high and the
outcomes of brutality it produces. Furthermore, the constant contradiction for
example ‘a fish can’t speak’, ‘but she screamed like a woman’, is used
throughout the poem to juxtapose the disgusting actions towards the mermaid with
the approach of the people, to reveal the common theme of human trying to
dehumanize people as a way to justified their killings. Also the smile ‘screamed
like a woman’ further emphasise the contradiction by the mermaid being compared
to a woman. This personifies the mermaid allowing the reader to level with
mermaid and feel sympathetic.
The split in generation highlighted in the Giuseppe shows
how even the actions which occur years ago can leave a long lasting guilt to
linger throughout generation. This link to the atmosphere in post-war Germany,
this consisted of the baby boomers hostility towards ex-Nazi and their mocking
of the ones who were trying to justify or ignore their contributions to such
activates in WWII. This theme is mirrored in Giuseppe ‘couldn’t look me in the
eye’ shows the uncle cannot rationalise his misdoing even with the constant dehumanizing
of the mermaid, for instance, the reference to her never learning to speak,
being simple and just being a fish. In addition, the repetition of the mermaid
not being able to ‘speak’ is significant showing yet again the copying
mechanism of ignoring ones human characteristic is used by human. Additionally,
this reveals how groups or people are made to feel inferior and voiceless so
those apart who are superior don’t identify themselves similar to them by
denying them any humanity, allowing them to become emotionally unattached.
Giuseppe is dominated with free verse for example, in stanza
two ‘me’, ‘two’, aquarium’ and ‘well’ being are an example of the pattern
throughout. This reinforces and strengthens the serious and uncertainty of the
poem, due to the fact it doesn’t follow a more playful rhyme allowing there to
be an impactful message. Moreover, the mermaid being the protagonist of the
poem is symbolic, as she is used to represent those who are treated unfairly
and marginalized. Identity is also made significant because the confusion on
how to address the mermaid is made explicit ‘she, it’, ‘she was only a fish’,
‘like a woman’ and ‘was proof she was just a fish’. Almost reflects to the
reader the uncles uncomfortable tone when sharing the story with the persona,
also, by the poem being in a first person narrative it makes it more believable
and imitate. Making the reader feel like the experience and feeling being told
by the persona directly to them, thus the reader can sympathise with the
message of the poem.
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