Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Karen Fleur Adcock’s “Mrs Fraser’s Frenzy: 2.” offers a poignant and unsettling counter-narrative to the first part of “Mrs Fraser’s Frenzy,” shifting perspective from Eliza Fraser’s voice to that of her Indigenous captors. Through this imaginative reconstruction, Adcock challenges the singularity of colonial narratives, revealing the cultural dissonance and mutual incomprehension between Fraser and the people who took her in after the shipwreck. The poem critiques colonialism’s reduction of other cultures to simplistic tropes while exploring themes of identity, survival, and humanity.

The poem opens with the Indigenous perspective, describing Fraser and her companions as "ghosts" emerging from the sea. This framing immediately subverts Fraser’s account of her captors as “savages” by presenting the Europeans as unfamiliar and uncanny figures. The repetition of the term “white ghost” underscores the Indigenous community’s perception of Fraser as otherworldly, perhaps even threatening. The whiteness of her skin is likened to ancestral spirits or dead bodies, linking Fraser’s physicality to their cultural understanding of the afterlife. This metaphor conveys not only a sense of estrangement but also the Indigenous group’s attempt to situate Fraser within their own worldview, which they interpret through ancestral and spiritual frameworks.

Adcock portrays the Indigenous group’s efforts to integrate Fraser into their community with a mix of frustration and confusion. They strip her of her clothing and attempt to “make her look like a person,” a phrase that underscores their perception of her difference. The act of removing her “woven skins” and plucking her body hair signifies an attempt to assimilate her into their cultural norms, which are deeply rooted in their understanding of personhood. However, their repeated refrain that she “was stupid” and “wouldn’t learn” reflects their growing exasperation. This inability to bridge the cultural divide highlights the profound mutual incomprehension between Fraser and her captors.

The poem’s treatment of language further underscores this divide. The Indigenous speakers describe Fraser’s speech as a “babble like the babble of birds,” emphasizing their perception of her communication as nonsensical and alien. Fraser, who sees herself as an Englishwoman defined by her language and identity, is rendered voiceless and incomprehensible in this context. This mirrors Fraser’s earlier claim in Part 1 that her captors taunted her, suggesting that both sides view the other’s language as impenetrable, reinforcing the chasm between them.

Adcock’s depiction of Fraser’s role within the group reveals a reversal of power dynamics that contrasts sharply with the colonial narrative of superiority. Fraser is described as dependent and inadequate, failing to perform the basic tasks of gathering food or contributing to the community. The repeated assertion that she can “only suckle a baby” reduces her to a single, utilitarian function. This depiction of Fraser as helpless and dependent subverts colonial tropes of Indigenous people as primitive or incapable. Instead, it is Fraser who is portrayed as ineffectual and childlike, unable to adapt to the realities of her new environment.

The Indigenous perspective also reflects a degree of humanity and pragmatism. Despite their frustration with Fraser, they attempt to teach her and provide her with food to prevent her from starving. Their actions suggest a reluctant acceptance of her presence, even as they struggle to make sense of her role in their lives. This portrayal complicates the binary of savagery and civilization often found in colonial narratives, presenting the Indigenous group as resourceful and adaptive, albeit bewildered by Fraser’s apparent incompetence.

Structurally, the poem mirrors the rhythmic and declarative style of Part 1, employing repetition and simple, direct language to reflect the Indigenous speakers’ voice. Phrases such as “that ghost from the sea, that white she-ghost” and “she wouldn’t learn” emphasize their bewilderment and frustration, creating a rhythm that reinforces their attempts to articulate their experiences. The lack of punctuation in some sentences adds to the oral quality of the narrative, suggesting that this is a spoken account meant to convey collective memory or oral tradition.

Adcock’s choice to present the Indigenous perspective challenges the reader to reconsider the narrative of Eliza Fraser’s captivity. By giving voice to the “other side,” the poem complicates the simplistic dichotomies of victim and oppressor, civilized and savage, human and inhuman. It invites readers to reflect on the ways in which cultural misunderstandings and colonial biases have shaped historical accounts, often erasing the perspectives of Indigenous peoples.

In “Mrs Fraser’s Frenzy: 2.,” Adcock critiques the ethnocentric lens through which history has traditionally been written. By presenting the Indigenous perspective, she emphasizes the importance of examining multiple viewpoints and recognizing the humanity of all parties involved in such encounters. The poem serves as both a counter-narrative and a meditation on the complexities of cultural identity, survival, and mutual recognition in the face of profound difference. Through its empathetic and imaginative reconstruction, the poem deepens our understanding of the historical and cultural dynamics at play in Eliza Fraser’s story, offering a nuanced critique of colonialism’s legacy.

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