XXXIII |
I. Walcott in New
England reflects on the imperial past of the U.S. |
| Il. Back in
Brookline, a suburb of Boston, Walcott struggles with his recent divorce and the resulting
loneliness. |
| Ill. The curse on
the house |
| XXXIV |
I. Walcott in a
plane over the Dakota sees a Crow horsemen and reflects on Manifest Destiny and its
impact. |
| Il. He compares
his divorce to the loss on land the Native Americans underwent after the introduction of
the railroad. |
| Ill. The scene
switches to Catherine Weldon, a teacher and missionary among the Sioux in the Dakotas, who sings an
elegy on Indian summer for the muses : |
| XXXV |
I. Walcott visits
The Trail of Tears and reflects on the
connections between Greek slavery, Southern slavery, and the treatment of the Native
Americans. |
| Il. Catherine
Weldon recalls her return from the Plains to New York. (There is no historical
evidence, by the way, that Weldon ever knew Wild Bill Cody.) |
| Ill. Weldon in
her final letter decries the betrayal of treaties. Walcott is reading a book (about
her?) and sees in Weldon the potential for a character. He hears in her the question
of whether Christianity is for the Indians. |
| XXXVI |
I. Walcott at a
Boston museum finds Achille in Winslow Homer's The Gulf Stream
and reflects on the imperialism of Melville in Moby Dick. Walcott finds
he can't flag a cab after dark in Boston due to his skin color. |
| Il. He reflects
on the fear of race in Boston. |
| Ill. Walcott on a
cold beach meets his father's ghost again, who tells Walcott that he must travel to the
great cities of Europe before he returns to cherish St. Lucia's simplicity. |