Analyse af Alan Bissetts essay 'Flotsam and Jetsam'

The Scottish writer Alan Bissett (b. 1975) who wrote the essay “Flotsam and Jetsam”. The essay has appeared Alan’s Elsewhere: There in 2012. One would say that you’re never in a great state of life if you are having economic issues. A lot of countries; especially Tanzania, is living under difficult circumstances. But are persons really entitled to judge whether or not other people are wealthy or poor? Do we actually define ourselves as poor and rich or is it just a thing western people do?

“Flotsam and Jetsam” is quite an unusual story, because the story doesn’t include the typical elements of a plot. For example, does” Flotsam and Jetsam” not include a climax, a falling if action. The story doesn’t even have a resolution. It’s merely the account of one episode lasting a couple of hours in Zanzibar. We follow this episode from a Scottish woman’s perspective. Alan Bissett has chosen “Flotsam and Jetsam” to take place in the African country called Tanzania. The story has been set on an island called Nungwi off the African east coast. Nungwi is part of the African country Tanzania. Throughout the short story our protagonist only spends a couple of hours of the story. The setting is an essential part of the understanding of the reflection on the theme: cultural differences. The biggest cultural difference Kate meets in Tanzania is the poverty. While children carry liters of water, while Kate gets picked up in a car with air condition.