Thornton, Trouillot, Hollywood, and Morality? (A Rambling)

The Kongolese Saint Anthony: Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita and the Antonian Movement, 1684-1706 by John Thornton touches on many varying historical themes that has made it hard for me to focus this post on one thing in particular. As a result, this post may be a bit more of a ramble than I intend, however that’s because I find a lot can be said. In my opinion, his purpose was to render an interesting read while at the same time enlightening the reader as to the ‘other side’ of the slave trade. What were the conditions that led to the mass enslavement by Europeans and who were these people? Judging by Thornton’s introduction and conclusion, it would appear that slavery is central to the books narrative, however after reading it the theme seems to take a backseat. It’s also not really even about Dona Beatriz, for her life is only a small fraction of the topics covered. I suppose then we must ask ourselves, as we have with the other works, what is the purpose and importance of the work?

Perhaps this is where microhistories shine. Many, if not all, of the ones we have read focus on the ‘outliers’. Those who cannot speak for themselves and thus must be given voice through other means. Those, as Michel Trouillot would put it, have been silenced.  The peasants, women, Africans, unorthodox, Blacks, poor, and “inconsequential” shine through the microhistories we have read. These authors have draped a thematic vale over their work so thin that in some cases it’s easy to miss. Applying ‘larger’ historical questions to their minute narratives yet ever so slightly nudging the reader in that direction rather than leading them up to the alter. This has made me wonder, are microhistories simply the historically professionalization of Hollywood methodology? Beyond the simple narrative structure, Hollywood has a history of attempting to apply large themes to small stories, yet many times crossing over into ‘Great Man History’ or biography. The story of Dona Beatriz reminded me heavily of the 2009 film Agora with Rachel Weisz. Both tell this story of great transition, an outspoken women, the confrontation of Old World Paganism and rise of Christianity, class, and civil war. The main difference being the professional scholarly integrity of the works we have read, which is big enough of a difference in my opinion to warrant them differently, yet the methodology of conveying the ‘thesis’ is still very similar.

Thornton’s work heavily reminded me of Michel Trouillot and his work Silencing the Past: The Power and Production of History. Both are American historians who write about the silenced in history. Whereas Thornton’s specialization is in African History, Trouillot is Haitian. Both write for an American audience in trying to influence popular conception of their respective historical specialties. They are trying to instill a connection in the (Presumably American or European) reader so they have a better understanding of a specific time and place in history. Thornton’s assumed supplementary reading for the reader appears to me to be a general textbook understanding of Kongonese, and slave trade, history. He attempts to create a connection between the reader and the Kongonese common folk, including but not limited to Dona Beatriz. This is most palpable in his utilization of Christianity as sort of a ‘free play’ card. In the introduction he even states how surprised the reader may be that the Kongonese people were heavily Christian. In some ways it feels initially like low-hanging fruit in creating such a relationship, however as the story progresses its importance becomes immediately relevant. Religion was a huge factor in these events and further illustrates the spring of his sources. Again, the silenced speak to us through those who haven’t been, in this case the Europeans and Italian Capuchin.

  
With the religious overtones comes an interesting aspect of Thornton’s work that I haven’t really noticed in the other works we read. There seemed to be a sort of para-religious moral overtone to it. The themes of greed, corruption, humanism, and altruism seep deep into the work in ways our other authors have not. (Thornton, 53-54, 138) Part of this must come from the conclusions of Thornton’s religious sources. But if this is the case, he seems to lack or consciously ignore the historical filter perhaps in an attempt to tailor towards general audience’s interests. I feel as if it goes beyond this, I feel that if Thornton’s sources did introduce such moral overtones, he ultimately made them his own. At times, in regards to the moral overtones, it seemed as if I was reading a piece written by an ancient Greek historians rather than one of the 21^st century. Thornton’s personal standpoint is anything but opaque. Perhaps this is simply an instance of a ‘historian loving too much’? In any case, if we are to believe that microhistories attempt to provide a more intimate narrative of history, one that conveys the minute and the large simultaneously, Thornton’s work is a huge success. Coming from somebody who has next to no knowledge of Kongonese history or the opposite end of the triangle slave trade, Thornton helped immensely.