Palace of the Peacock - Wilson Harris - Critical Summary

Introduction:

The structure of the Palace of the Peacock depends largely on the awe-inspiring and the spiritual experiences of Donne, the cruel task master of the natives of the Savannahs. The first book of the novel, “Horsemen, Pass By” deals with the awful conditions created by Donne for the inhabitants of the Savannahs with his desire to “rule the land”.

The Dream of Donne’s Brother:

Paradoxically, this Donne is shot dead in the dream of his brother, by Mariella, the mistress of Donne, ambushing him as he rides on horseback to the Mission in the Savannahs.

Donne’s Response to the Dream:

But when the dreamer opens his eyes, he sees the living Donne before him. He tells Donne about the terrible dream with the intention to make him see reason. But Donne pays little attention to the ‘obsession’ of the dreamer. He makes his stand very clear and tells his brother in the following words: “Life here is tough. One has to be a devil to survive. I’m the last landlord. I tell you, I fight everything in nature – flood, drought, chicken hawk, rat, beast, and woman”. He is remorseless and ruthless.

Mariella: the Victim of Donne’s Cruelty:

Mariella is the victim of Donne. She bears the brunt of his cruelty time and again. She shows the ugly marks of his whipping on her legs. The first book highlights the dangers in the rivers of Savannahs. It also records the sufferings of the crew to meet Mariella. Of course, Donne has a set of seasoned crew to back him in his adventure. Among them are Carroll, da Silva Vigilance, Cameron, Jenning and Wishrop. Strangely the names of the crew match with the names of the crew who died in the rapids. All of a sudden, the river becomes wild and turbulent. Donne plans to link up with the river, avoiding the perils ahead. All of them cut  a path for the boat through the dense forest. With the help of logs, they succeed in launching the boat again on the river within three days, and reach Mariella without further difficulty.

The Arrival of Donne with the Crew and Its Reaction:

The title of the third book “The Second Death” is both mystifying and mysterious. The arrival of Donne...

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