Contesting Place/Navigating History

A reading on John Dominis Holt’s Waimea Summer

Abstract

This article examines how the dynamics of place, history and culture intersect to shape the sense of displacement felt by the protagonist Markie/Mark Hull in John Dominis Holt’s Waimea Summer. Holt’s narrative vividly portrays the contestation between two contrasting cultures: Native Hawai‘ians/Kānaka and the West. Markie struggles with his Hawai‘ian heritage while navigating the rural landscape of Waimea on the Big Island (Hawaiʻi). This paper draws upon the concept of displacement articulated by Ashcroft, highlighting how Markie’s experiences reflect a state of being uprooted and disconnected. Additionally, as introduced by Estok, the idea of ecophobia illuminates Markie’s apprehension and fear towards the inexplicable phenomena he encounters in Waimea. These problematic ideas contextualize how Markie struggles to reconcile his Hawai‘ian heritage, rooted in the past, with his Western upbringing and beliefs shaping his present reality. The conclusion posits how colonization’s cultural and historical traumas have profoundly influenced and shaped Markie’s perception of self and heritage.