Adam Cohen Recreates the 1884 Mignonette Cannibalism Trial in 'La cena del capitán'
Published by Arpa, 'La cena del capitán' is Adam Cohen's chronicle of the Mignonette, a small English sailboat whose sinking prompted a notorious legal case. In 1884, adrift in the middle of the Atlantic, the captain and another sailor killed the cabin boy and survived by eating his flesh while awaiting rescue. The rescue came only a few days after the killing, and the two perpetrators were brought before a court. Cohen's book revisits the conviction of the two sailors and the ethical questions surrounding it: whether sacrificing an innocent life so that others may live can be lawful, whether utilitarian arguments or a supposed common good can strip an individual of human rights, and under what conditions cannibalism might be justified. The case became a landmark in debates over extreme necessity. Zadie Smith is quoted in connection with the themes of the book: 'We will have to answer for why we asked ChatGPT absurd questions while the planet was going to hell.'
Key facts
- 'La cena del capitán' is published by Arpa and written by Adam Cohen.
- The book chronicles the sinking of the Mignonette, a small English sailboat.
- In 1884, the captain and another sailor killed the cabin boy to survive by consuming his flesh.
- The killing took place in the middle of the Atlantic while the crew awaited rescue.
- Rescue arrived only a few days after the murder.
- The two killers were tried in court and convicted.
- The case raises ethical dilemmas about utilitarianism, human rights, and justified cannibalism.
- Zadie Smith is quoted on ChatGPT and the planet's crisis in relation to the book's themes.
Entities
Artists
- Adam Cohen
- Zadie Smith
Institutions
- Arpa
Locations
- Atlantic Ocean
- England