Essay Questions

What does Gilroy mean by the term "rootedness?"

In this text, Gilroy introduces his idea of "rootedness." Essentially, in this argument, he states that black culture is generally too concerned with discovering "roots," and cultural integrity. He argues that there was originally a need for black culture to "locate cultural or ethnic roots" in order to make sense of their experiences.

Why does the novel contain ship and ocean imagery often?

The novel contains a lot of nautical imagery, including the motif of the ship. This is appropriate given the subject-matter of the text, as historically black slaves were transported across the sea with ships, enduring terrible conditions. Gilroy uses the imagery of the ship in order to express the black diaspora as being diverse and dynamic.

What does Gilroy say about black music?

Gilroy's third chapter is largely about black music, and its history. In this chapter, Gilroy states that music is a true expression of modernity, culture, and suffering. For black people, Gilroy argues that music expresses certain emotions that are "unspeakable."