when-did-this-become-difficult:
I see the lack of slavery discourse in Black Sails fandom and I’m surprised. Mr Scott and the Maroon Queen are massive secondary characters and Madi is a major character in a relationship with one of the mains; however, their circumstances, the politics around it; its impact on interpersonal relationships – there is either really not much discussion on those lines (or I’m probably not looking properly.) Framed in that context, the second last frame of the show with Flint and Thomas as indentured labourers in a sugarcane plantation is disturbing, disquieting and frankly, disgusting.
Why is the fandom so quick to absolve Silver and console themselves with “Silver knew James will escape?” I wouldn’t mind Silver’s act quite so much if the fandom had not rushed quickly to frame it as an act of “love” and had instead called out Silver’s act as that of a desperately scared man because that offers some space for justification. Characters are allowed to be flawed; not offered blanket forgiveness for cruelty.
And much of fandom (and I suspect, even the creators) doesn’t understand why T.Ham fans show such open hostility to Silver. See, Silver can want to have Flint moved away from the centrepiece of war but Silver (Silver!) cannot claim redemption when he leaves Thomas in the plantation; when he doesn’t tell Flint about finding Thomas. Silver knows who Thomas is; there was that golden moment at the end of S3; so why leave this man to continue his morally and legally unlawful exile from civilization?
You know what’s also disturbing, disquieting, and frankly, disgusting?
All these white men participate in slavery. Vane & Rackham are shown EXPLICITLY OWNING SLAVES AND MAKING THEM WORK. So Vane’s speech about how slavery was not kind to him? I have a lot of feelings about it–but not good ones.
Flint, when they get to the island of the Maroon Queen, explains that they will most likely be killed because they have gotten slaves from ships and sold them before. In fact, this is common practice for the pirates, to the extent that their pirate island is partially funded by the sale of stolen slaves, to the point where Mr. Scott finds it necessary to free the slaves surreptitiously if he can (see season 4 for more details).
Hilariously enough, Silver, WHO I STILL DON’T LOVE (not a fave) is the only one who hasn’t taken part in the slave trade till the very end. However, I cannot emphasize enough that taking a white man to go hang out with his boyfriend in a prison that /explicitly/ is well-run and for *good people* aka upper class assholes who have been convicted for crimes–a white man who’s literally committed so many legal crimes and moral crimes I don’t bother to count them–IS NOT THE SAME as an innocent black man being sold against his will, shipped across an ocean to a foreign land where he doesn’t speak the language, and worked to death with much abuse.
I’m all in for slavery discourse, but if we’re gonna have this conversation, then let’s have this conversation.
…if someone is forced to work for no wages without hope of release for the rest of the life, then they are a slave. just because they aren’t treated as badly as other slaves does not mean that they aren’t also enslaved.
and oh, “upper class assholes who have been convicted for crimes” – i sure as hell hope that you aren’t referring to people like Thomas Hamilton, who literally did nothing wrong and was imprisoned for 1) trying to reform the empire, and 2) BEING GAY.
TOO DAMN RIGHT
also: “That is the single most dangerous weapon they possess, the one they tempt. “Give us your submission, and we will give you the comfort you need.” No, I can think of no measure of comfort worth that price.”
“What’s to be done with the unwanted ones? The men who do not fit, whom civilisation must prune from the vine to protect its sense of itself. Every culture since earliest antiquity survived this way – defining itself by the things it excludes. So long as there is progress, there will always be human debris in its wake, on the outside looking in.”
“they will most likely be killed because they have gotten slaves from ships and sold them before” yes, they. as in, the Walrus crew. as in, John Silver most likely did too
“a prison that /explicitly/ is well-run” where the guards all carry cudgels . and it’s not just a prison, it’s a sugar plantation
no, of course what silver did is not the same as the atlantic slave trade, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t slavery. and he enslaved his friend, then refused to apologise for it when his girlfriend, a former slave, condemned what he had done
Not to mention – yes, they did these things. No, it’s not ok, but you know what? Flint and Vane turned around and started a war the explicit purpose of which was to end slavery. They tried to fix what they did, and Silver, instead of helping them, ended that war by – that’s right – ENGAGING IN MORE SLAVERY. So yes, I’m extra special angry at him for his participation in slavery.
Meg's Mumbles 