Litterær brownfacing

Posted bykro 868 kommentarer til Litterær brownfacing

Weekendavisen den 7. februar 2020

https://www.weekendavisen.dk/2020-6/boeger/litteraer-brownfacing

Kommentar. Skal forfattere afkræves en særlig indfødsret til at skrive om specifikke religioner, kulturer eller nationer? Nej, nej, nej!

Da John Steinbeck skrev mesterværket Vredens druer, havde han været på en omfattende researchrejse for at lære at forstå livsvilkårene for de fattige migranter, der var kravlet til sunny Californien for at plukke appelsiner for rige plantageejere efter at støvstormene havde ædt deres egne afgrøder i midtvesten. Forfatteren var ikke selv en fattig migrant, men han forestillede sig, hvordan deres liv var.

Da Kristian Husted skrev dokumentarfortællingen Vahid havde han været på en lang researchrejse i den europæiske flygtningestrøm, fra et overfyldt græsk modtagecenter på Lesbos, via fastlandet op gennem Eruopa til Danmark, hvor han søgte asyl, forklædt som flygtning. Forfatteren var ikke selv flygtning, men han forestillede sig, hvordan deres liv var.

Disse to eksempler – det første fra 1939, det andet fra 2018 – på litterære fremstillinger af amerikanske fattigdomsmigranter, mellemøstlige krigsflygtninge og andet menneskeligt kontrabande – er naturligvis alt andet end enestående. Verdenslitteraturen er rig på skildringer af exodus og eksil, hvor forfatteren har skrevet på en blanding af indignation, indlevelse og research. Men i disse år spreder der sig en stemning imod den metode. Kun de må skrive om specifikke gruppers forhold, som tilhører gruppen selv. Ellers er der tale om appropriation. John Steinbeck var ikke migrant fra midtvesten, men han var dog amerikaner. Værre med Kristian Husted, der nok er mørkhåret af natur, men ikke fra Mellemøsten.

Helt aktuelt handler en amerikansk debat om Jeanine Cummins’ roman American Dirt, som skildrer en mexicanske mor og hendes søn, der er på flugt fra et narkokartel. Men, oh skræk, den formastelige forfatter er selv hverken mexicaner eller på flugt. Hun er en hvid amerikaner med en enkelt brunlig bedstemor fra Puerto Rico i ascendenten. Derfor er Jeanine Cummins blevet beskyldt for at snylte på mexicanske skæbner. Og det kommer hende ikke til undsætning, at hun har brugt flere år på sin research, ganske som John Steinbeck. Hun har nemlig overskredet en grænse på farveskalaen. Hun har gjort sig skyldig i litterær brownfacing.

Jeanine Cummins kritikere har et problematisk litteratursyn. Mexicanere har ikke monopol på at fortælle historier om mexicanere, og flygtninge har ikke monopol på at fortælle historier om flygtninge. Skal man som forfatter afkræves en særlig indfødsret til at skrive om en specifik religion, kultur eller nation? Nej, nej, nej. Hvis det var sådan, ville Henrik Pontoppidan jo heller ikke have kunnet lade Per møde Jacobe, og hvor ville vi så være i dag?

Jeanine Cummins er ikke mexicaner, og mange mexicanere ønsker ikke at hun skal stå som litterær eksponent for mexicanske forhold. Det kan jeg sådan set godt forstå. Men jeg kan ikke acceptere hele den grundlæggende idé om, at forfatterens frihed ikke er total. Forfattere er naturligvis nationsborgere, men de er også verdensborgere, der gennem fortællekunst kan nedbryde de grænser og mure, som andre ønsker at bygge. Derfor er den bedste indvending mod American Dirt ikke en identitetspolitisk problematisering af dens principielle legitimitet, men en kritik af dens form, indhold og sprog.

Hvis kritikere diskuterer romaners substans – eller mangel på samme – udfra en anerkendelse af forfatterens ret til at skrive som hun vil, kan kritikken ikke afvises som udslag af en akademisk-teoretisk og krænkelsesparat identitetspolitisk ideologi.

Derfor var det så saliggørende at læse den mexicanske journalist León Krauzes anmeldelse af American Dirt på Slate.com. Han var nemlig fløjtende ligeglad med forfatterens nationalitet. Hvis hun vil skrive om Mexico, så lad hende skrive om Mexico, mente han, og han så intet til hinder for, at den definitive roman om mexicansk migration kunne skrives af en amerikaner. Men lige nu, skrev han, er der ikke mange i Mexico, der har bemærket, at en dame ved navn Jeanine Cummins har skrevet om os. Og så skilte han romanen ad som én fed og utroværdig kliche, hvor hverken helten eller skurken har nogen relation til virkeligheden. León Krauze slutter med et dolkestød: ”Den Store Amerikanske Roman om vold, tab og indvandring venter stadig på at blive skrevet. Jeg er ærlig talt ligeglad med hvem der gør det.”

Sådan kan man afvise Jeanine Cummins’ og hendes betydning. Ikke ved at bruge identitetspolitiske paroler, der dybest set vil fratage hende ret til at skrive frit. Men ved at fradømme hende evnen til at gøre det godt.

Det er tydeligt at forlaget bag romanen har reddet hyphesten lovlig hårdt. De har fået krimiforfatteren Don Winslow til at lægge navn til et forsidecitat om at American Dirt er ”Vor tids Vredens druer” (det er han sikkert blevet godt betalt for), hvilket nok er et lovlig hårdspændt postulat, ligesom markedsføring og PR har været klam. Mødt af al den kritik, går forlagsdirektøren canossagang og forfatteren aflyser sin turne. Og bogen sælger derudad.

Litterær kvalitetskritik og kritik af spekulativ markedsføring skal der til. Det er en nødvendig del af bogens kredsløb. Derimod er ideen om appropriation absurd og til direkte skade for litteraturen som universelt erkendelsesmiddel. En forfatters metier har altid været at skildre menneskelige livserfaringer, uanset om de ligger helt tæt på forfatterens egne private, eller om de kræver fantasi og forestillingskraft, indlevelse og idérigdom. Skønlitteraturen tvinger både forfatteren og læseren ind i nye verdener. Det er fortællekunstens raison d’être.

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