The Collector of Worlds (2006 Weltensammler)
Novel (Original Language: German)
Ilija Trojanow
Introduced by Evan Martens
Introduction
Ilija Trojanow’s bestselling novel first appeared on shelves, earned the Leipzig Book Fair Prize for Fiction, and was a finalist for the German Book Prize—two of the most prestigious book prizes in Germany. The novel takes inspiration from the travels of British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890), whom Trojanow fictionalizes and features in Der Weltensammler as a major protagonist. Burton served in the army of the East India Company and, with the support of the Royal Geographical Society, withdrew in order to prepare for pilgrimage to Mecca (a notable privilege for the Islam convert). He later received funding from the Royal Geographical Society to explore the Nile River. Trojanow organizes the novel into three parts based upon Burton’s adventures in British India, Arabia, and East Africa. In each section Burton is accompanied by a “servant” who helps Burton navigate the geography and culture. Trojanow depicts Burton as one of the few prominent Europeans occasionally at odds with the Zeitgeist of colonialism and imperialism. Burton takes interest in and appreciates the importance of cultural, lingual, and ideological exchanges between various peoples, but also perceives the world around him through a colonized, imperialist lens. Thus, with the juxtaposition of xenophilia and xenophobia, Ilija Trojanow demonstrates the complexities of colonialism and imperialism and presents an engaging story of travel and migration. The novel consists of narratives of a third-person narrator and those of Burton’s two native servants and thus constantly changes the narrative perspectives to provide a diverse representation of reality.
Key Passages and Analysis
When observed by other members of the colonial East India Company, Burton is often noted for his strange rapport with “the natives.” As the general of Burton’s troop sits at his desk and writes, he notes that Burton had “a fatal weakness” in that it was not enough “to observe the foreigners:” Burton wanted to partake in their beliefs and practices (Trojanow, p. 131). The general’s observation serves two important functions. First, it demonstrates the general’s colonial perspective, which he shares with the majority of the East India Company, except for Burton, who takes an ethnographic approach shared by few in power and privilege. Later on, when Burton’s major asks for information, Burton refuses on the grounds that it would go against his promise to keep it secret, a word that he has given to his servant, Naukaram. The major responds with incredulity and asks if Burton’s promise to his servant is more important than the safety of their troop, to which Burton asserts, “I cannot betray this man’s confidence.” The major then presents Burton with an ultimatum: “You must decide, Burton. Him or us,” (Trojanow, p. 224). Burton, by not making a decision, sides with Naukaram and ends his career with the company. From here, Burton returns to England and takes Naukaram, who returns to India shortly thereafter. Both instances illustrate Burton’s rather non-colonial attitude and approach to integrating himself into Hindi and then Muslim societies. Burton, in stark contrast to other British colonists, does not treat the land and people as a resource to be exhausted and extorted. Instead, India is a source of knowledge and wisdom from which Burton can learn and then pass on to others, such as his English translation of the Kama Sutra.
During his time in East Africa, Burton’s relationship with his new servant and guide, Sidi Mubarak Bombay, demonstrates a different side of Burton, one that clashes with his xenophilia in India. Trojanow depicts Burton in this portion of the novel to be less open-minded and more complicit to the colonial and imperial mindset of British colonialism. When encountering East Africans afraid of the exploitative nature of “white people,” Sidi Mubarak remarks, Burton always gets annoyed by inquisitions, to which he angrily refers as “complete nonsense!” (Trojanow, p. 433). No longer does Burton attempt to ingratiate and integrate himself with or into the society and culture presented to him on his travels. Instead, Burton echoes the colonial worldview shared by his countrymen and views these fearful people as “barbarians.” Furthermore, Burton seemingly takes out his xenophobic frustrations on his guide, who does not understand why Burton reacts negatively to the notion of colonialism as exploitation and oppression of another group of people. Burton lashes out at Sidi Mubarak and informs him, “what a tremendous sacrifice it would be for us, if we were to settle in your country, and what a marvelous blessing for you,” (Trojanow, p. 434). Rather than seeing colonialism as a destructive force, Burton views British settlements as a gift bestowed upon the masses. Yet the readers need to take these accounts about Burton from Mubarak’s perspective with a grain of salt. Sidi Mubarak’s own wife comments on his stories and considers them “babble” that others believe (Trojanow, p. 360). Burton, therefore, can be understood as a dynamic character and historic figure who, based upon the narrative, stood out from the crowd of colonial forces and attempted to integrate himself within society and culture other than his own while also maintaining the colonial worldview of his country.