Island Beneath the Sea

Content Warning: This section mentions sexual assault.

Throughout the novel, Allende draws attention to the hierarchies and other social structures that perpetuate power imbalances, as well as the violence that typically results from such imbalances.

Most significantly, Allende depicts the system of slavery as practiced in Saint-Domingue as a major imbalance of power that directly inspires the self-emancipated forces to rebel. As Dr. Parmentier comments to Valmorain on one occasion, “There is nothing as dangerous as impunity” (169), meaning exemption from punishment for wrongdoing. The system of slavery in Saint-Domingue effectively elevated the planters to such a high status that they felt they could do anything they wanted on their plantations without consequences. On reflection, Valmorain realizes that the worst part of living at Saint-Lazare was “the absolute power he held over other lives, with its burden of temptations and degradation” (241). As the revolution gains momentum, Dr. Parmentier astutely observes that the rebels’ actions are a perfectly logical and fitting response to the wrongs committed by the French. Even those, like Cambray, who fall on the middle rungs of the ladder of power are likely to use what power they have to struggle for more power, creating endless loops of conflict.

In addition to the systemic racism that sustains slavery, Allende draws attention to patriarchal conventions that enable and excuse sexual violence. Most notably, Tété is the victim of repeated rapes by Valmorain that span decades and lead to the birth of several children. The children, in turn, are subjected to Valmorain’s whims in determining their welfare and social standing. On a broader level, Valmorain’s actions are presented as typical; if anything, he is less indulgent than most of the neighboring planters. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Hortense and her family are prepared to turn a blind eye to Valmorain’s indiscretions since those actions were perpetrated against a woman of color. In short, race and gender intersect to inform social judgments. Notably, Valmorain attempts to pass on his patriarchal ideologies to Maurice. Referring to Rosette, Valmorain instructs his son to “[b]ed your girl once and for all, and then forget her. […] What else can you do with a Negress?” (414). Maurice, of course, finds the suggestion repulsive.

Although Allende offers no obvious solution to these social ills, she highlights a lack of empathy as a recurring factor in such cases. When Tété cries during her second pregnancy, we learn that Valmorain “had never thought about Tété’s sentiments; he assumed they were very limited” (118). Similarly, when Gambo sees white people for the first time, he “thought they were demons; later he learned they were people, but he never believed that they were humans like us” (120). Without empathy, people tend to fall into us-versus-them patterns of thinking, which increases the risk of violence. Although the details have changed over time, Allende’s novel invites readers to consider which social conventions and power structures, be they racial, patriarchal, or otherwise, may be fueling contention today.

Throughout the novel, several scenarios arise that require characters to choose between committing to abstract ideals and making pragmatic compromises.

One example concerns the Haitian Revolution itself. Unlike some of the other, more idealistic revolutionary leaders, Toussaint is a pragmatist. He warns Gambo, “At times it will seem that we are retreating, making pacts, losing sight of the principles of the revolution” (301). In response, Gambo recalls a time when leaders offered to send their soldiers back to slavery in exchange for their own freedom, suggesting that the soldiers went too far. Instead of simply agreeing, Toussaint posits that in “the strategy of war very few things are clear, we move among shadows” (301). Inconclusive as this conversation is, it aptly suggests the nature of dilemmas in which commitment to an ideal conflicts with the nuts and bolts of day-to-day strategies and negotiations.

Tété faces a similar dilemma when Violette proposes that she prepare Rosette to pursue plaçage, the informal union between a wealthy white man and a free woman of color. Doing so would require Rosette to give up on a higher ideal, that of marriage, but it might also yield a more realistic and favorable outcome. As Violette argues, actively organizing and preparing for such unions would allow the women to pressure the white participants to fulfill their side of the bargain. That is, this effort could secure steady financial support in exchange for complete fidelity from the girl in question without the need for a legal contract. In the end, Tété chooses pragmatism over ideals, reasoning, “I didn’t want that for my daughter, but what else could I offer her?” (369). In the end, Tété’s decision turns out to be a moot point, as Rosette elopes with Maurice. Yet even here, Tété accepts a less-than-ideal situation and seeks to help her children find a pragmatic solution.

A third example centers on the issue of slavery. During his time in Saint-Domingue, Valmorain laments the fact that he must seemingly abandon his once-cherished ideals in order to run the plantation. As he confides to Dr. Parmentier, “Now I must doubt the speculations of the humanists. Life on this island has hardened me, or let’s say that it has made me more realistic” (163). To assuage this internal conflict, Valmorain attempts to reconcile his ideals with his actions as an enslaver; in the end, he tries to convince himself that some races are superior in the natural order, despite immediate evidence to the contrary, such as with Tété’s competitiveness in strategy games. That failing, Valmorain simply shifts the blame for any violent excesses to Cambray. Maurice, however, arrives on the scene as something of a pure idealist. Maurice is deeply concerned with questions of justice and fairness. As the conflict between father and son reaches its head with Maurice’s betrothal to Rosette, Valmorain is forced to vocalize his hypocritical thoughts and feelings. Valmorain thus reveals just how far he has fallen from the ideals he claims to support.

As these and other examples of the tension between idealism and pragmatism suggest, this is a murky issue with no easy answers. However, it does seem clear in most cases that pure idealism is not an option. Instead, the nuanced work of compromise and, where appropriate, strategy have important roles to play in the process of gradually approaching the ideals we cherish.