Short Fiction · Chapter
The 'Gees explained
The narrator provides a detailed ethnographic account of the 'Gees, a mixed-race people from the island of Fogo in the Cape Verde archipelago, explaining their origins as descendants of Portuguese convicts and native Africans, their physica
What happens
The narrator provides a detailed ethnographic account of the 'Gees, a mixed-race people from the island of Fogo in the Cape Verde archipelago, explaining their origins as descendants of Portuguese convicts and native Africans, their physical and cultural characteristics, their treatment by American whaling captains who exploit their cheap labor and docility, and the practical considerations for selecting and handling them as sailors.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Alienation
The 'Gees are portrayed as a marginalized, isolated people—a 'residuum' left behind after the 'likelier sort' were drafted off, and they are treated with contempt by seamen.
Authority and Rebellion
The power dynamic between captains and 'Gees is explored: captains exploit 'Gees for cheap labor, but also fear 'ripe' or 'knowing' 'Gees who might resist, preferring docile 'green' ones.
Justice and Injustice
The 'Gees are subjected to harsh treatment—cuffs, buffets, and punches—without fair wages, and some argue they 'never gets his due,' highlighting systemic injustice.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator (The Gees)
The narrator recounts his familiarity with 'Gees from his sea voyages and writes this account at a friend's suggestion to explain who they are.
Key passages
“The word 'Gee ( g hard) is an abbreviation, by seamen, of Portugee , the corrupt form of Portuguese . As the name is a curtailment, so the race is a residuum.”
Sailors shortened 'Portugee' to ''Gee,' and just as the name is shortened, the people themselves are a leftover remnant.
Explains the derogatory origin of the term and the marginalized status of the 'Gees.
“An unsophisticated 'Gee coming on board a foreign ship never asks for wages. He comes for biscuit. He does not know what wages mean, unless cuffs and buffets be wages, of which sort he receives a liberal allowance, paid with great punctuality, besides perquisites of punches thrown in now and then.”
A naive 'Gee will work for food alone, not understanding the concept of pay, and instead receives beatings as his regular compensation.
Highlights the exploitation and abuse of 'Gee laborers by ship captains.
“Discreet captains won't have such a 'Gee. 'Away with that ripe 'Gee!' they cry; 'that smart 'Gee; that knowing 'Gee! Green 'Gees for me!'”
Wise captains reject experienced or clever 'Gees, preferring only the inexperienced and easily controlled ones.
Illustrates the preference for docility over competence in the treatment of 'Gee sailors.