Custance in the Drift: Racial Capitalism and the Logistics of Desire
Wan-Chuan Kao, Washington and Lee University
Logistics is control and governance. In Chaucer’s Man of Law’s Tale, Custance is set adrift at sea yet follows an itinerary that delivers the human parcel to her destinations on time and undamaged. In the flow if not in the wake, the circulations of religion and commerce become indistinct. I argue that he rudderless ship signifies not simply the universalizing Church but also the logistical space of premodern capitalism, for Custance figures whiteness as a racialized, gendered, and Christianized commodity. White fugitivity, driven by an infrastructure of desire, manifests itself as racial capital inseparable from the logistics of desire’s fulfillment.
Register
This event is free, but all participants must register in advance. Space is limited, so please do not request a paper unless you plan to attend.
Register and Request PaperAbout the Premodern Studies Seminar Series
This Center for Renaissance Studies seminar provides a forum for new approaches to classical, medieval, and early modern studies, allowing scholars from a range of disciplines to share works-in-progress. Organized by Timothy Crowley (Northern Illinois University), Megan Heffernan (DePaul University), Lydia Barnett (Northwestern University), and Christopher Fletcher (Newberry Library).
If you have any questions about the submission process or the seminar in general, please email Christopher Fletcher.