Fantasies of the Common Sailor; or, Enjoying the Knowing Jack Tar
Fantasies of the Common Sailor; or, Enjoying the Knowing Jack Tar
This chapter discusses the links between antebellum maritime narratives and maritime labor. It argues that the authenticity of the narratives is an indication of fantasies about different classes and the maritime labor experience. It studies Richard Henry Dana Jr.’s Two Years before the Mast and James Fenimore Cooper’s Ned Myers; or, A Life before the Mast to explain the Lacanian notion of fantasy. It investigates the apparent anxiety-ridden impasse between maritime narratives and the experiences of common sailors they seek to depict.
Keywords: antebellum maritime, surplus enjoyment, Lacanian notion of fantasy, Two Years before the Mast, Ned Myers, a Life before the Mast
Minnesota Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
