54 Materiality and the Modern Cosmopolitan Novel
This is a vision more easily achieved in the case of the “Othello”
narrative than in the case of the Eva Stern thread. This is largely due
to the more lucid and articulate register in which “Othello” speaks,
which, in spite of expressing similar emotional sentiments of alien-
ation and social awkwardness, is conspicuously easier to read. Unlike
the confused paroxysms of despair that feature in Stern’s discourse,
the African general’s laments of social isolation are eloquent, even
ornate, and therefore (Phillips appears eager to demonstrate) more
likely to engender the reader’s sympathy. In one scene that conveys the
character’s stoic sense of understatement, he informs us that his dark
skin precludes his being fully accepted by the city’s inhabitants: “My
complexion was a feature that was unlikely to aid me in my attempts
to attract admiration” (p. 144). Once again, a form of what Gilroy
labeled “double consciousness” appears to be at play in the protago-
nist’s mind, presenting an image of a character that is not only self-
aware and confident, but also socially insecure and paranoid. Such
characteristics present parallels with Stern’s more traumatized and
psychologically damaged account, particularly her haunting admis-
sion that she tries “to avoid those who stare [... because] their eyes
pollute my confidence” (p. 189). Indeed, while the two cases are
very different in terms of severity and context (the discrimination
Stern suffers at the hands of the Nazis is, of course, far more extreme
than the lack of hospitality experienced by the African general), they
nonetheless present significant degrees of similarity. Both experi-
ences of alienation are ultimately caused by ethnic discrimination in
one form or another and have their underlying causes in xenophobia
and reactionary social attitudes. However, in spite of these thematic
similarities, the two narratives are rendered in highly dissimilar reg-
isters, with the general’s utterance clearly conveying the character’s
sense of masculine resilience and dignity. One salient effect of this
is to draw the reader’s attention to the ways in which their empathy
and sympathy can be manipulated by the presentation of a given
historical account, particularly as regards its linguistic and episte-
mological clarity, accessibility, and aesthetic appeal.
Phillips also makes “Othello” more sympathetic by using methods
of characterization that, while being deliberately heavy handed and
clich é d, are designed to inspire our admiration. Like Shakespeare,