By Aakarsh Asoka
At its core, Romance in Marseille is a novel that examines the various cultural, social and economic disparities that were present in the world during the life of its author, Claude McKay. It was birthed at the interstice of a great number of economic and cultural upheavals, conceived in the aftermath of the prosperous period that was the Roaring Twenties, the difficult and tenuous Great Depression, and from the culturally significant Harlem Renaissance. These events naturally mark their influence on McKay and his novel, manifesting themselves in the various themes he presents. Of course, McKay’s Novel is not the only one that does this. A century ago, Dumas wrote novels such as The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, both which draw from the tumult of the Napoleonic Wars and the French Revolution, and in a more contemporary period, there are other examples such as Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and even McKay’s other works such as Home to Harlem. Novels such as these deal with all manner of topics. And one of these topics is the importance of wealth and the craving for more, greater wealth.
The setting accordingly corresponds to this theme. Most of the events in Romance in Marseille occur in the titular port city of Marseille located in the southern French coast adjacent to the Mediterranean. This city is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest major settlement in the country of France, having been founded 600 B.C by Greek travellers. Its unique geographical position lends itself to becoming one of the most vital and significant ports on the Mediterranean, rivalling the likes of Valencia and Barcelona in Spain, or Genoa in Italy. Naturally, this translates into a prevalence of the worth of money in the text. Seafaring and boats are significant to the story, with the protagonist Lafala being a sailor himself. Moreover, as a port city with relative proximity to Africa, Marseille was likely one of the greater beneficiaries of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, through goods and commerce if not direct participation, on account of the nation of France being one of this venture’s most prominent participants.
Money is power, in the world of Romance in Marseille. This is the case in reality as well, but McKay’s text chooses to emphasise this fact specifically. One of the earliest mentions of this correlation is in Chapter Two, when the lawyer Lafala hires for his case discusses the facts of the case. Lafala informs him that he had paid ‘a person of little importance’ five dollars to protect him if he was ever found, and the lawyer mocks him for this, informing him that the amount he had given was entirely useless. He is told to hide this fact, and to instead focus on acquiring a large settlement from the shipping company. It draws on the story’s greater themes; the unyielding pursuit of wealth and the sway this has in most people’s hearts. The natural covetousness of man is apparent from the earliest moments in the story, when Lafala himself is attracted by the lure of a greater reward leading to his abandonment of the lawyer that won him the case and how upon his settlement, various organisations and individuals approach him, hoping that he would grant them support.
The theme regarding the Value of Money, and its relevance to the subject matter is depicted rather blatantly in Chapter Four.
“But Lafala’s mind was fully occupied with the official statement “entitled to more money”…. More money. That was the slogan of life. Everybody and all the world wanted more money. Those who had none wanted some. And those who had some wanted more., And the more many had the more they wanted. Why should a little contract stand in the way when there was something more to gain which was legally awarded to him?”
Fundamentally, in this novel, McKay’s perception of money, his perception of want is jaded, almost cynical. Lafala’s acquisition of money and his return to Marseille repeatedly lands him in trouble, with both the authorities and other people who covet his wealth. Aslima’s death in the conclusion of the book is caused by Titin’s growing envy, birthed from callous covetousness of money, and it is the loss of money that motivates the authorities and the shipping company to try and force Lafala’s arrest.
Most intriguingly, Lafala’s character, his arc and growth share striking similarities to another character who had an intimate relationship with the wealth he suddenly acquires during his story: Edmond Dantès from the Alexander Dumas’ legendary novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.
Both character’s have painfully striking similarities. Lafala and Dantes both start their journeys in Marseille, both undergo ‘betrayal’ during their arcs, and both acquire substantial fortunes as a result of their suffering. Both are sailors, both are imprisoned and both have love interests who are closer to other men. The map can even show the proximity in which the initial portions of their tale occur.
Yet there are differences too. Apart from the influence of race, the reference to the more social themes of ableism and queerness and the different, more modern setting, Lafala and Dantes are fundamentally different people facing different conflicts. The money Lafala earned for instance, is relatively low compared to the monstrous fortune Abbe Faria had bequeathed Dantes, which some estimates account to as much as 80 million francs- close to being a billionaire by modern standards. Simultaneously, the imprisonment of Lafala is relatively short and lacking in detail, yet sufficient to break Lafala’s spirit; to make him more distrustful. Dantes’ time at the Château d’If (as shown in the enclosed map), on the other hand, is full of suffering. Lafala’s disappearance does not excessively influence many in the Quayside, while Dantes’ disappearance led to the tragic demise of his father, the collapse of his employer Morrel’s company and the wedding of his fiance to a rival.
There are many other differences in the text, however the most crucial is the way they deal with money. To Dantes, money is but the means to an end, and despite the vastness of his fortune, it is not even his strongest asset. That would be his resolve, his wit, as well as the varied skills and sharpness of mind his friend and mentor Faria had instilled in him during his imprisonment.
Lafala on the other hand, is made of his money. He is defined by the small fortune he has gathered, which has turned him into an icon of the Quayside of Marseille and the circles he frequents.
In a way, the Count of Monte Cristo and Romance in Marseille offer two viewpoints on wealth, which may be seen as two sides of the same coin. The latter offers a cynical, impersonal perspective focused on material gain and a belief system based on said material gain. The former instead depicts money as the means to an end. To Dumas, Men are the master of Money. To McKay, the inverse.
In the given map, the various significant locations that appear in the story are depicted. These locations are given their own special symbols to allow easy classification. Additionally, a significant location in The Count of Monte Cristo, the island prison Chateu d’if is also marked.
Work Cited
Marinetti, Amelita. “Death, Resurrection, and Fall in Dumas’ Comte de Monte-Cristo.” The French Review, vol. 50, no. 2, 1976, pp. 260–69.
Huillery, Elise. “The Black Man’s Burden: The Cost of Colonization of French West Africa.” The Journal of Economic History, vol. 74, no. 1, 2014, pp. 1–38.
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