". . . providing it is a cheerful lie."

The love potion-drug that Antoinette gives to Rochester symbolizes the larger incompatibility of West Indies and colonialist British cultures. First, Antoinette tries to use obeah magic on Rochester, a British man. This attempted crossover between the two cultures ultimately fails. Rochester even describes it as "poison". This failure happens because they are fundamentally incompatible: Rochester is the colonist, and the obeah magic comes from those who were colonized. As Christophine puts it, "it's too strong for beke". This failure also occurs, though, because Antoinette does not belong to either culture. As Christophine says to Rochester, Antoinette is "not beke like you, but . . . beke, and not like us either". Thus, when she tries to use obeah magic, she fails, because she is not truly Jamaican; when she tries to connect to Rochester, she fails, because she is not truly English. Additionally, Antoinette and Rochester's main relationship is...

. . . the presiding judge told me in bizarre language that I was to have my head cut off in a public square in the name of the French people. This line really struck for a multitude of reasons. The tone was brutal and old-fashioned, reminding me of the French Revolution. It made me wonder if it was meant to critique misplaced patriotism, or maybe the power of a mob. But a mob is not the driving force of this scene. The judge announcing this verdict is. Maybe this line is instead a criticism of the justice system. Meursault's usual flat, impersonal tone seems to convey more in this scene: for once, there is an iceberg. He is shocked, but there is also a sardonic nature in his words. The 'bizzare language' in particular suggests a larger criticism of the artificiality, the inaccessibility of the justice system. Meursault has been pretty bewildered throughout his trial. Previous scenes have shown a sort of brutality in the court's manner towards various witnesses - ...