The Weediness of Arabian Jasmine: Ornamental Plants and Affect in Leonora Sansay's Secret History; or the Horrors of St. Domingo

Lisa M. Vetere explores the “weediness” of ornamental plants in Sansay’s 1808 Secret History. In an account of the final years of the Haitian Revolution that focuses more on the ecstasies of lavish balls than on the... [ view full abstract ]

Lisa M. Vetere explores the “weediness” of ornamental plants in Sansay’s 1808 Secret History. In an account of the final years of the Haitian Revolution that focuses more on the ecstasies of lavish balls than on the terrors of the Revolution, ornamental plants play an important role. Napoleon’s commanders used amusing events festooned by roses, myrtle, and laurel to distract colonists from wartime horrors and to represent themselves as firmly in control. But Sansay shows how the weedy power of Arabian Jasmine foils this effort. The jasmine’s autonomy and resilience demonstrate how an ornamental plant becomes a weed. Ultimately, its weediness controls the humans in such a way that none of the human actors are satisfied with the outcome. We see the plant shift from conspirator to willful manipulator, almost an instantaneous transformation from servant to master that characterizes the human relationship to the weed.