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LITR / CRCL 5734: Colonial &
Postcolonial Literature Andrea Winters LITR 5734: Colonial Post-Colonial Literature Summer 2001 Dr. Craig White “English Built England Everywhere” British colonialism began in the early fifteen hundreds and even continues today with the British rule of the British Virgin Islands. However, British colonization is decreasing year after year. With the British releasing control of Hong Kong back to China in 1997, the British Virgin Islands remain the only British colony still under governmental control today. During the colonization and post-colonization of these colonies, several aspects of the original society were changed. Literature can serve as a type of historical document, in this case many, authors wrote about colonization from both a colonized and a colonizer’s point of view. Therefore, I will attempt to prove by referring to primary sources studied in class and secondary research, one of the main changes were the physical environment of the colony. In addition, I will discuss the feelings the colonized people had in regard to England’s physical changes. Jamaica Kincade is quoted as saying “The English loved England so much they built it everywhere they went.” I will give primary and secondary sources to site examples proving England’s physical changes of the colonized societies and the feelings of the colonized people. Primary
in class Sources: Jamaica Kincaid writes about the feelings of the colonized society in an excerpt from A Small Place provided in the Post-Colonial Studies Reader. While she expresses the feeling of the colonized, contrarily, she explains the ideas of the English colonizer. In this excerpt, she is describing Antigua, the place she grew up, and how the British changed it. She begins by explaining the English love England so much, whenever they went they turned it into England. She supports this idea in several ways. First, she gives examples of the street names in Antigua. On a tropical island in the Caribbean Sea, the streets have names such as Rodney, Hood, Hawkins and Drake Street all names of “English maritime criminals”. Secondly, Kincaid continues with her description of High Street. This was the street where all of the colonial government buildings were located. The English had built an entire portion of the city that did not exist before their arrival. High Street consisted of the Government House with a high white wall, the Department of Treasury, Barclays Bank, a library and a post office. Finally, Kincade makes reference to the schools the British built, “You loved knowledge, and wherever you went you made sure to build a school…” (Kincade 94). Although Kincade tells us what the British built while in Antigua, she does in such a way she expresses her discontent all the while giving us the good things they did. On the contrary, in an interview with Kincade she described the library with fondness. She even expressed her discontent for her homeland because they did not attempt to rebuild the library after it had been destroyed. Kincade gives us reference to the physical changes England made while in Antigua. However, she seems to have mixed feelings toward these changes. Another writer, E.M. Forster, also gives examples of the English built England everywhere. In his book, A Passage to India, one of the main characters, Aziz is describing Mr. Fielding’s (an Englishman) house as he observes while visiting for tea. Aziz describes the high ceilings and the archways commonly associated with British architecture. He continues by describing the beautiful light blue color and the openness of the room, “It was also a very beautiful room, opening into the garden through three high arches of wood.” (Forster 66). But Aziz was mostly impressed with “…the carving on the pavilions. Think of the hours it took. Their little roofs are curved to imitate bamboo. So pretty…” (Forster 75). The architecture Aziz was so impressed with was typical British characteristics such as the high ceilings and archways. In addition to the design of the rooms, Aziz was not expecting such a welcoming atmosphere; “Everything arranged coldly on shelves was what I thought.” (Forster 68). Aziz had an idea of British homes and the way they should appear and obviously, he was pleasantly wrong. His feelings of admiration toward British architecture can be seen on page 73 as he continues to describe Mr. Fieldings house, “ ‘I wish I lived here. See this beautiful room! Let us admire it together for a little.’ ” Again, these examples exemplify the welcoming of some aspects of British colonization. Daniel Defoe in his book, Robinson Crusoe, also gives an example of the English building England everywhere. However, his perspective is from the English point of view. After leaving the beauties and comforts of England against his father’s advice, Crusoe ends up shipwrecked on an island. He then aspires to build all the comforts of home. Crusoe describes the functions his house should home to be that of a “regular” home. He decides that one of the factors for his house should be that it has a view of the sea (Defoe 62). After finding a hill with the security of not having someone or something sneak up from the bottom or down from the top, Crusoe begins to build a fence, uses sails for a roof and even decides he needs a “cellar”. “I made a cave just behind my tent, which served me like a cellar to my house.” (Defoe 63). After the structure of the house is completed, Crusoe ventures to the ship and fills his house with his belongings from the boat. He gets books and even brings the dog and cats (Defoe 67). He continues to make this little part of the island his home by chopping wood and bringing it home for a fire (Defoe 68). The first thing Crusoe takes time to build is a table and chair. As we discussed in class, the English are seemingly, the epitome of manners. For example, they eat every meal at a table. The table and chair exemplifies civilization and is the beginning feeling of home. Finally, his home has all the possible comforts of his remembrances. Therefore, he sits in his chair, at his table and begins another English tradition of writing a journal. A journal is important to keep the history and exposé of his journey. For as long as he has ink he will write and after that, he will be forced to leave off (Defoe 72). Defoe did not give Friday much of a voice. However, I can draw an inference that Friday must have liked Crusoe’s “English” house or he would not have stayed. We can make comparisons to Crusoe being the Colonizer and Friday was the colonized. Therefore, we can conclude, that the colonized people did like some aspects of the British colonization. Our special class speaker, Doreen Williams-Stewart, gave an example of the English built England everywhere. When Doreen was speaking to the class, she passed around a book with some articles about the West Indies. One of those articles was about a Catholic Church built in the sixteenth century. Governor Diego Columbus built the Zona Colonial Catholic Church, obviously, in Zona. The picture of this church represented a typical English Catholic Church, with archways, dome roofs, and pillars. However beautiful it may be, even still standing today, it resembles England and its religion. Never the less still present today in the tropical islands of the Caribbean. Secondary
Research: Rebecca M. Brown the author of the www.SMCM.edu/academics/aldiv/art web site explains a new concept in architecture. Hybridity architecture is the fusion of British and colonized society’s styles of building design. This web site concentrates on British/Indian architecture. Brown explains that hybrid architecture styles allows the building to take on new styles without completely getting rid of tradition. In 1881, Maharaja Ram Singh hires British architect Swinton Jacob to build what was initially to be a new town hall. Jacob integrated the classic British style of vaulted ceilings, dome roofs, archways and columns with the India classics of stonemasons, carved motifs and chattri (a kind of tower). Albert Hall in Jaipur, India was a beautiful integration on British and Indian architectural styles. It was so beloved that Maharaja’s successor Madho Singh decided it should be a museum of art (Brown web site). Albert Hall gives another example of the colony embracing some aspects of the British colonizers. Another web site, www.GreatBuildings.com, also explains hybridity but with African/British and Chinese/British architecture. First of all, “Africans tried to retain control of the semantic content of the styles in which they built but local elite’s were freely using elements of Western architecture vocabularies to create their own hybrid product”. (Great buildings web site) One example of this is in Ethiopia. Fasil Ghebbi transformed Hindu and Arabic palaces and monasteries into unique places with an English Baroque style brought by missionaries. Secondly, another example of hybridity shows up in Hong Kong. As this web site shows several buildings in Hong Kong were built with the influence of British architects. Perhaps the most recent is the Chek Lap Kok Airport designed by Norman Foster. Foster was born in Manchester England in 1935. His degree is from the Manchester University School of Architecture. In 1967, he formed Foster Associates in London. His firm is known for “high tech innovations with British flare” (Great buildings web site). He has also designed the Shanghai Bank at Hong Kong in 1979. Hong Kong was described as a contrast of “British Colonial architecture to centuries-old Buddhist monasteries…” Even after one hundred and fifty six years of British rule, Hong Kong is perhaps the greatest example of British hybridity. Considering that the Hong Kong rulers continue to employ British architect, creates the idea that the colony still adopts that aspect of British colonization. June 30, 1997 closed another chapter of the British colonialism. According to www.facts.com web site, the mother-like-figure, England turned over the one hundred fifty six year British colony of Hong Kong to China’s rule. Hong Kong was the last of the British colonies in Asia therefore, closing the chapter of British reign this region. This event was in the making for several years before the actual completion. In 1984 British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, and Chinese Premiere, Zhao Ziyang, signed the sovereignty accord that allowed China to embrace the concept of one country two systems (World). Hong Kong retains its capitalist system for fifty years under China’s rule. However, China would gain significant control of the colony’s government. British governor for Hong Kong, Chris Patten, attempted to make the British mark on Hong Kong an even greater one with several events. He held the first democratic election in Hong Kong and agreed upon financing to build a new airport. The lasting effects of the elections would fade with China’s rule. In April of 1997, China issued a document announcing the proposal for restricting public protests and elections rights after the colony’s return. However, the British architectural design of Chek Lap Kok Airport would stand for generations to come. The airport is a lasting memory of British rule (Facts.com). “In a ceremony marked by pageantry and formality, Britain relinquished the last of its Asian colonies at midnight Monday [June 30, 1997] with one last playing of ‘God Save the Queen’ and a final lowering of the Union Jack, British rule of Hong Kong ended… Prince Charles… literally sailed off into the night aboard the royal yacht.” another British colony is no longer (www.CNN.com).
In conclusion, “The English loved England so much they built it everywhere.” As shown through the Post-Colonial Reader, A Passage to India, Robinson Crusoe and various web sties and even a personal speaker, the British colonization maybe down to only one colony but, the effects that the British had one each of their colonies will surly last a life time. Colonies will embrace schools, libraries, Governmental buildings, banks, airports and even churches that will remain there for generations after the expiration of British rule.
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