As a British-Guyanese writer, D’Aguiar’s heritage and diasporic identity played a significant role in shaping his perspective. He belongs to a generation of Black British writers who confront slavery and its legacies head-on, seeing it as their responsibility to “bear witness” to these historical traumas. By focusing on forgotten or suppressed narratives, such as that of Mintah—a fictionalized survivor of the Zong massacre—D’Aguiar uses literature to restore humanity and individuality to those erased by history.

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Mintah - A young female slave taken from a Danish mission, Mintah is the central character. After being thrown overboard from the slave ship Zong, she is able to climb back onto the ship and hides, attempting to rouse the remaining captives to rebel against the killings. Mintah's story, both before being thrown overboard and afterwards, forms the novel's core.

Captain Cunningham - The captain of the slave ship Zong, he orders his crew to seize the sick slaves and throw them into the sea when illness threatens to infect all on board.

First Mate Kelsal - The First Mate of the Zong, Kelsal has a unsavory past known to Mintah. It is Kelsal's knowledge of Mintah's knowledge of his past that prompts him to initially order her overboard.

The Crew Members - The crew of the Zong face the moral weight of the atrocity committed on the ship, as their accounts are contradicted by Mintah's journal.

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Memory and Haunting
The novel imagines the throwing overboard of 132 sick slaves from the slave ship Zong in 1781. The main character Mintah, the only survivor, immortalizes the drowned slaves through 131 wooden carvings, an act described as "feeding the ghosts". This represents a way of addressing the haunting of the past and making the traumatic history live on in the present.

Black Identity and Subjectivity
Mintah's character allows D'Aguiar to explore slavery's severance of family and community. Her black identity is based on filial and kinship connections, but she is also depicted as an artist, allowing a more complex articulation of black subjectivity beyond an essential racialized culture.

Symbolism and Metaphor
The novel employs a body of metaphoric associations around symbols like wood, land, and especially the sea, which forges connections across different spatial and temporal zones. D'Aguiar abandons realism for the symbolism of poetry to express the diverse experiences of culture and identity.

Postcolonial Perspective on the Sea
"Feeding the Ghosts" offers a postcolonial view on the sea and colonial history. The sea becomes a site of trauma and memory of the Middle Passage.

In summary, "Feeding the Ghosts" uses the historical event of the Zong massacre to explore themes of memory, black identity, symbolism, and the postcolonial legacy of the sea, through the lens of the sole survivor Mintah's experience and artistic expression.

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Critics appreciate the novel for bringing to light a tragic and often overlooked historical event.

D'Aguiar's prose is frequently highlighted for its lyrical quality and vivid imagery. His ability to blend historical fact with poetic narrative has been noted as one of the novel's strengths, creating a haunting and immersive reading experience.

Critics note that D'Aguiar successfully conveys the horror of the slave trade while also highlighting the strength and dignity of those who resisted their dehumanization.

In academic circles, "Feeding the Ghosts" is often discussed in the context of postcolonial literature and African diasporic studies.

For general readers, the novel's harrowing subject matter can be challenging but also deeply moving. Its emotional impact and the moral questions it raises about history and humanity resonate with many readers.

Overall, "Feeding the Ghosts" is perceived as a significant literary work that contributes to the understanding of a dark chapter in human history. Its combination of historical detail, poetic narrative, and profound thematic exploration has earned it a place of respect in both literary and historical discussions.