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2003, the year when the first film of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise hit the cinemas, marks a reawakening of interest in pirate fiction. Pirate films had been very popular during the 1940s and ‘50s, but suddenly disappeared from the screens almost all together. The first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, however, did not only spawn four sequels, but its popularity also manifested in a multitude of other pirate products, such as novels, TV series’, non-fiction books etc., that swamped the market. The pirate fiction following in the wake of the Disney film can be seen as a new epoch, a “Post-Sparrow” era. However, this does not mean that contemporary audiences have regained their appetite for maritime history. The pirate motif as found in present-day fiction consists of contradictory constitutional elements, that can be combined as seen fit. The overarching structure keeping it all together is a strong leaning towards escapism. The fact that pirates are per definition robbers and murderers does not diminish this effect. In the contrary, pirate fiction is often regarded as portraying a better or even ideal way of life. Contemporary pirate fiction is thus strongly related to elements of the literary utopia, in the meaning that it depicts a rather literal “Golden Age of Piracy,” but (de)constructs piratical idea(l)s at the same time. The alleged utopia is often depicted as a more realistic heterotopia, or even a democ(k)racy, a mock democracy or a mockery of democracy. This thesis answers the question why fiction that makes criminals gain centre stage can cater to escapist longings. It first offers a working definition for the “pirate” by drawing on Foucaultian thought. In the following, several aspects of the pirate motif are subjected to close investigation: the oscillation between the enemy of all, hostis humani generis, and the pirate hero; the (de)construction of the ideal piratical society; the depiction of gender roles; and, in a last step focusing on text level, the use of intertextuality. ; Der ...
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