Journal of Literary Writing and Evaluation

JLWE, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2025, pp.211-224.

Print ISSN: 3078-8129; Online ISSN: 3104-5073

Journal homepage: https://www.lwejournal.com

DOI: Https://doi.org/10.64058/JLWE.25.2.04

From Crusoe, to Shabine, and to Achille: The Evolution of Walcott’s Drifting Mission

Lei Yanni, Wang Zhiwei

Abstract: Derek Walcott stands as a preeminent literary figure of the Caribbean region. Throughout his lifetime, he endeavored to recreate the Caribbean through diverse artistic mediums -- poetry, drama, and painting, while awakening self-awareness and identity among his people. This study centers on the poet’s verse, excavating the pervasive theme of “drifting” from the perspective of its distinctive maritime and insular aesthetics. From Robinson Crusoe’s archetype through the original creation of Shabine to the mythologically charged Achille, the concept of drifting persistently threads through most of Walcott’s oeuvre and interconnects with his literary journey. Through the analysis of the representative drifting paradigms across different phases, this essay examines the evolving significations of drifting within the Caribbean context. The concept of Drifting is manifested as colonial mimicry through Crusoe-like survival narratives. The revolutionary Shabine persona transforms drifting into a vessel for spiritual redemption and self’s retrieval. Through the long poem “Omeros”, drifting achieves mythopoetic transcendence; Achille’s spiritual odyssey simultaneously reconstructs ancestral memory and reconfigures the Caribbean consciousness, ultimately forging an authentic Caribbean recognition. This progression mirrors Walcott’s artistic evolution from postcolonial ambivalence to identity reconstruction.

Keywords: Derek Walcott; Drifting; Crusoe; Shabine; Achille

Author Biography: Lei Yanni (Corresponding Author) is Associate Professor at Department of English, School of Foreign Languages, Sun Yat-sen University. She is also supervisor of PhD candidates and cooperative supervisor of post-doctoral scholars. Her research interests include English poetry and poetics, the study on novel, and the study on literary and cultural theories. Email：leiyanni@mail.sysu.edu.com。Wang Zhiwei is a Grade 2022 postgraduate for MA degree in School of Foreign Languages, Sun Yat-sen University. Email: 1753738066@qq.com。

题目：从克鲁索到莎宾，再到阿咯琉斯：论沃尔科特诗歌中漂流使命的嬗变

摘要：德里克·沃尔科特处在加勒比地区最杰出的文学王座上，他终其一生，致力于通过诗歌、戏剧、绘画等多元艺术形式再创加勒比，同时唤醒这片土地上人民的自我意识与身份认同。本研究以诗人诗歌创作为核心，从其独特的海洋岛国美学中发掘出贯穿始终的“漂流”主题。从鲁滨逊·克鲁索的原型，到独创的沙班形象，再到背负神话使命的阿喀琉斯，漂流这一意识始终串联着沃尔科特的创作，并与诗人的文学生涯相互关联。本研究通过分析不同时期具有代表性的漂流范式，探索这一意象在加勒比语境下的内涵嬗变：漂流借克鲁索式的生存叙事呈现殖民摹仿的表征；具有革命性的沙班形象将漂流转化为精神救赎与自我寻回的载体；通过长篇史诗《奥麦罗斯》，漂流最终实现神话诗学意义上的超越 -- 阿喀琉斯的精神漫游在重构祖先记忆的同时重塑了加勒比意识，最终铸就真正的加勒比认同。这种演变轨迹映射出沃尔科特从后殖民矛盾心理到文化身份重构的艺术升华。

关键词：德里克·沃尔科特；漂流；克鲁索；莎宾；阿喀琉斯

作者简介：雷艳妮（通讯作者），博士，中山大学外国语学院副教授、博士生导师，博士后合作导师，研究方向：英语文学，英诗与诗论。电邮：leiyanni@mail.sysu.edu.cn。电邮：leiyanni@mail.sysu.edu.com。王志伟，中山大学外国语学院 2022 级硕士研究生。电邮：1753738066@qq.com。

   Received: 6 Apr 2025 / Revised: 15 Apr 2025 / Accepted: 2 Nov 2025 / Published online: 30 Nov 2025 / Print published: 30 Dec 2025.