‘Structures of Ornament’ and Representation in A. R. F. Webber’s Those That Be in Bondage: A Tale of Indian Indentures and Sunlit Western Waters

Some critics addressing A. R. F. Webber’s Those That Be in Bondage: A Tale of Indian Indentures and Sunlit Western Waters (1917) speak not only of shortcomings in the representations of the novel’s characters but also point to issues with textual unity, coherence and continuity in its form and structure. This article addresses these issues with the aim of revealing some of the ideological reasoning that drives Webber’s novel. Two aspects dominate the criticism so far: Webber’s content and the representations of his characters. A major issue, which is frequently pointed to, but, so far, not analyzed or accounted for, is the novel’s issues with structure and form and its stylistic elements. This article addresses how we might read Webber’s subjects against the structure and form of the text as this combination is crucial in terms of our overall interpretation – we must see the ‘characters’ in action within the structure that Webber has placed them. Webber’s novel will be read against Edward Jenkins Lutchmee and Dilloo (1876) by way of comparison and contrast.