Analysis Of John Emmanuel Ocansey's 'Leaving Home'

On the second day of this secret wandering Phillips sees a pair of migrating birds. It is the indication that land is not far off. He becomes familiar to sea and begins to like the rhythm of life on sea. He expresses the strange feeling that arises in his mind on the prospect of leaving the sea, “I want to see land; I want to go home; I definitely want to leave this ‘banana boat’, but I have a feeling that I will miss the sea.”(20) Phillips remembers his first journey through the Atlantic when he crossed the Atlantic in his mother’s arm in 1958. He has asked from his mother many times about her feelings while crossing the Atlantic. Today he has got the answer as he notices a school of porpoises, “As I continue to stare at the porpoises playing

It deals with the travels of John Emmanuel Ocansey. Ocansey’s travel began on 28 April, 1881 through a British ship, the S S Mayumba. He starts his journey from the gold coast to reach his destination Liverpool. There was a deal between John’s father; William Narh Ocansey and Liverpudlian Commission agent, Robert W. Hickson. William Narh Ocansey was a successful merchant of palm oil whose business was to export palm oil to England. This substance was used in Europe for manufacturing of soap and candles. It was also used as lubricants for machines and railway stock. The demand for palm oil was rapidly increasing in England. To improve his trade William thought of purchasing “a steam launch, like the ones owned and operated by the

William decides to acquire a smoking canoe and for this purpose he wrote a letter to Robert W. Hickson, Liverpudlian commission agent. Hickson was agree to order a vessel for William. William sent him a large consignment of palm oil in March, 1880 so that he could utilize the profit to commission a smoking canoe. But Hickson demanded the second shipment of palm oil to complete the order. He also assured William that he would get the vessel by August 1881 after full payment of vessel. William quickly dispatched another large consignment of palm oil, which was sold at a great profit by Hickson. In November 1880 Hickson wrote to William about the steamer that, “it would be impossible to dispatch her because of reports of squally weather and high winds in the Bay of Biscay. Shortly after sending this letter, Robert W. Hickson felt compelled to write again and inform William that because of unforeseen delays he should not expect to receive his steamer until the first week of April 1881.”(27) William waited but the vessel was not sent to him. Finally he realized that he had been cheated. In order to settle this matter William decides to send his son John to Hickson. John was both son and son in law of William Narh Ocansey. He was a Fulani who was adopted by the Ocanseys. He fell in love with Salome, William’s daughter and married her. In this he became both son and son in law of William. John was