On the Genealogy of Democracy: Reading Peter Carey's Parrot and Olivier in America

Abstract

The article presents a critique of Peter Carey's novel "Parrot and Olivier in America." The main characters are Olivier, a French aristocrat, while Parrot is Olivier's servant who both travel to the U.S. and observe the rise of American democracy after the French Revolution. It is explained that the novel is not just about the experiences and observations of the main characters, but Carey also questions claims about the originality of American democracy.