Barbara Trevino

November 22, 2009

Perspectives of Colonialism’s Effect on Women

Introduction

            Although unaware, I have been a student of Postcolonial Studies throughout my academic career. However, coming from a Social Science background  with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, I came to know authors such as Jamaica Kincaid, Chinua Achebe, and Frantz Fanon, as not only great writers, but as outspoken  resistors to domination, and forced subordination of colonized people. However, my knowledge was significantly lacking leaving me with a sense of emptiness and a desire to learn more.  This class has allowed me to venture forth on my quest for knowledge.

            My passion lies with gender studies and modes of resistance to oppressive politics and institutions of dominance and control. Reading the assigned postcolonial novels in dialog with the colonial novels has provided me with a whole new insight into the words, symbolism, and societal critiques found within the novels. I have also become more aware of the forms of resistance our two female protagonists Lucy and Jasmine have employed in their journey through colonization. In this journal, I will explore the role of gender and the effects of colonialism and transnational migration on women of colonized countries.  

            To aide in my search for information on women’s role in colonization I have critiqued essays written by students in previous courses relating to the effects of colonization on women, reviewed websites pertaining to postcolonial literature, and have attempted to develop a working knowledge of the interrelatedness of colonialism and resistance in postcolonial discourse so that I may further my studies into women’s resistance movements. Although my reviews are somewhat limited to the female experience, because that experience is so often marginalized, I feel it is important to further explore this area.

Student Essay Reviews

“Exile and Gender Oppression in Lucy” by Karen Daniel (2008)

            In the research post “Exile and Gender Oppression in Lucy” by Karen Daniel, Daniel discusses the issues of exile and oppression in relation to gender and the roles of women in both West Indian and US societies. She references the novel Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid to illustrate the similarities between how the role of women in West Indian and US societies is very marginalized and oppressed.  Daniel raises the question of why Lucy holds such animosity towards her mother to aide in her exploration of the themes and issues relating to exile and oppression dispersed throughout the novel.

            Daniel asserts that Lucy’s anger and resentment of her mother is less a result of her mother’s direct actions, but more of a disdain and resentment for the patriarchal society of her native country. She conjectures that Lucy’s mother is merely a symbol of the patriarchal society she detests so much. On the surface this assertion seems to have merit and a basic validity; however I would disagree and argue that Lucy’s animosity towards her mother is largely based on her mother’s actions towards her and her mother’s persistent marginalization of Lucy as a daughter and as woman. I would further assert that although Lucy’s disdain for her mother may not be based solely on her feelings of the patriarchal society of the West Indies, but rather that her mother’s action may be a result of this patriarchal domination; therefore contributing to the hatred Lucy has for her.

            Daniel also asserts that Lucy is disenchanted with her transnational migration to the US when she encounters many of the same patriarchal, oppressive institutions. While I agree that Lucy definitely did suffer some disillusionment upon coming to the US, I view her story as more of a short transition from her life in the West Indies to her life in the US. Kincaid’s closing of the novel to me left much room for Lucy to grow and overcome much of the oppression she faces. In addition, Daniel closes her essay with the sentiment that in order for Lucy to flourish in her new life, she must “get over both her anger at her mother and her anger at her homeland if she is to overcome the oppression she feels trapped by.” This assertion is overly simplistic and niave. I assert that Lucy is rightfully indignant and this indignation may serve her to better resist the modes of oppression she is faced with in her new life. Complacency never results in change to imbedded institutions of oppression.  While she can forgive her mother and learn to appreciate her native country, she also must hold on to the values she has gained by resisting the expectations placed on her by her mother and her culture.

“HIV / AIDS and Women in Africa” by Danielle Lynch

            The research post “HIV / AIDS and Women in Africa” by Danielle Lynch offers the reader a very broad overview of the role of HIV/AIDS and the effects on women living in Africa. Lynch asserts that although once believed to be a product of promiscuity, prostitution and drug abuse, the prevalence of AIDS among African women is more a result of circumstance and patriarchal beliefs present in many African cultures. She cites the high levels of sexual assault and women’s subjugated roles within traditional African homes as significant contributing factors to the high percentage of women with HIV/AIDS.

            Lynch attributes patriarchal attitudes and women’s inferior status within society as major factors relating to the high rate of sexual assault present in African countries. She asserts that because of the inferior status of women sexual assault is much less likely to be punitively punished or even reported.  In addition, this lack of reporting and punishment seems in part to be due to the fact that it is improper for women to even discuss sex and sexual relations in public. Further, this lack of ability to speak openly about sex prohibits women from developing and honest open dialog about safe sex practices.

            One particularly disturbing occurrence Lynch explored was the rate of child rape occurring in areas of Africa. She notes that besides depravity one factor that may be contributing to the high rate of child sexual assault is the false belief held by approximately 18 percent of African men that sex with a virgin, even a child virgin will cure AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. It is unclear if her assertion is based on theory or her interpretation of the statistics.

            While this essay provided an adequate overview of this issue, I feel that some statements were generalities and would have been better received if they provided concrete information. For example, when citing statistics, it would have been beneficial to know if the statistics were based on certain countries or on the continent as a whole. The statistics seemed ambiguous at best and not plausible at worst because of the many different “Africans” that live in Africa with different nationalities, cultures, tribes etc. The statistics would be more effective if they were specific to certain nations or even regions of Africa.

Review of Literary Reviews

            For my literary reviews, I have chosen reviews of t he novels Lucy and Jasmine because the insight provided helped me gain a heightened perspective of the female experience of colonization and transnational migration. 

“I Would Rather be Dead: Nostalgia and Narrative in Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy” by Katherine Sugg

Narrative.10.2 (May 2002)

            This review by Katherine Sugg asserts that the novel Lucy breaks away from the common theme of many post-colonial novels which center on the premise of exile, reconnection and return.  Instead of returning to her native country, Kincaid’s Lucy stays in her place of exile. This assertion is interesting because it illustrates Lucy’s break away from the norm of what is expected in post-colonial literature. She further asserts that while nostalgia is an integral component in post-colonial narrative, Lucy’s feelings of nostalgia are often ones of horror, disdain and fear resulting in a more concrete desire to stay away from her homeland, thus solidifying her chosen exile from her native country.

            This review was very enlightening because it brought into perspective how different Kincaid’s portrayal of exile in Lucy was from other more traditional novels such as Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe,, and even Baum’s Wizard of Oz where the protagonist realizes that despite the allure of the other land, the homeland is always best .

            Lucy’s struggle with her nostalgia in the novel is very illuminating to the reader because through her frequent memories of her mother and Antigua, she depicts an almost idyllic physical realm of beauty interspersed with the suffocating repression of a patriarchal society that allowes her no room to grow and flourish. Sugg offers the reader many examples of this nostalgia to illustrate its significance in the novel.

Review of Jasmine by Carmen Faymonville

 Explicator. 56.1 (Fall 1997): 53-54

            In this article, the author Carmen Faymonville contends that the novel Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee is based on the frontier myths associated with traditional Western novels based on frontier lifestyles and the dreams of the west told by an Indian woman coming to terms with her own changing role as a woman and an immigrant. Faymonville brings to the reader’s attention the many parallels of Jasmine’s story to the traditional Old-West novel. For example, like many immigrants during the settlement of the west in the US, Jasmine starts in the East working her way slowly westward eventually heading off into the sunset towards California. According to Faymonville, “Metaphorically she moves from East to West and becomes an American "gold digger."

            Faymonville’s thesis is original and very interesting to read. She offers vivid details and citations supporting her assertion. One of the major parallels Faymonville discusses is the constant struggle of the protagonist Jasmine to acclimate to her new surroundings while those around her learn to acclimate to her differences such as when she is in Iowa with Bud. This acclimation is reminiscent of earlier immigrants of the frontier and their eventual acclimation.  

            Overall, I found Faymonville’s critique of Mukerjee’s Jasmine to be illuminating, well organized and original. The author brought up many points that I had not seen and even overlooked. This article offered a new perspective to a novel that was already enjoyable and offers the reader a more in depth look at the clichés and themes present in the novel.

Web Reviews

Contemporary Postcolonial and Postimperial Literature in English www.postcolonialweb.org

            This website offered a very simplistic yet thorough interface in which to access a plethora of postcolonial articles. The home page has several links categorized by region, authors, religions, and issues such as gender relations and theories in postcolonial literature. The links are varied and labeled in a user friendly manner. This simple interface allows the viewer to quickly and accurately attain articles and information pertaining to his or her specific interest. Further, the viewer is able to explore the website and material in a linear method preventing the viewer from becoming lost in a series of links forced to abuse the back icon trying to return to the start of her search.

            After exploring the website, the variety of information offered on this site was impressive. My interest of study in postcolonial literature is the affect of colonialism on gender and forms of resistance towards the oppressors in colonized societies. While there was much information on gender relations in the field of postcolonial and postimperial discourse, it was more difficult to locate an abundance of information regarding resistance in colonized nations.

Literary History www.literaryhistory.com

            This website is a great starting point to gain a better overview of postcolonial literature studies. Although the website is a general literature website, on the homepage of the website, the Postcolonial literature link will open a web page with a variety of resources pertaining to postcolonial discourse. The articles are divided in categories such as literary criticism, authors, definitions, and other headings facilitating a quick start to browsing of the articles.

            This website provided a wide range of sources for students and individuals interested in postcolonial studies. However, the website was lacking in articles specific to gender or resistance. The website would be a more effective research tool if there were more categories to choose from offering a more in depth analysis of specific issues within colonized societies.

Colonialism and Resistance

            Upon investigation of the terms colonialism and resistance it is clear that although the words themselves can take on different meaning, used in context especially with one another, the meaning is quite clear. According to the Online Stanford Dictionary of Philosophy colonialism is “a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another.”

            One aspect of colonialism that differentiates it from imperialism is the notion that instead of ruling from afar, coloniaism involves the movement of settlers from the subjugating nation to the subjugated colony. Resistance on the other hand should be seen as the natural result of colonialism. If a force is exerted, logical reaction is resistance to said force. In postcolonial terms, resistance and resistance movements are the efforts of the colonized  to fight off the force of the colonizing nation. Resistance can take many forms ranging from passive resistance acts such as boycotts and letters, to full fledged guerilla tactics.

Conclusion

            While there is much to learn about the effects of colonization on women, I feel this course and this journal have provided me with an adequate starting place in which to further my studies. Reading the insight of my peers who had taken this class previously has helped me to gain new perspectives on the issue of gender in postcolonial studies.  Further, reviewing the websites as a disinterested third party has aided me in looking more objectively at where I get my information and the value of expediency when doing research or merely trying to gain insight on unfamiliar topics.  

            In the future, I plan to delve deeper into specific women’s resistance movements such as those in Cuba. Morocco, and Mexico. While I have always been interested in these movements, I feel I am better prepared to study them in dialog with a more world view of colonialism, capitalism and globalization. In addition, I feel it is imperative that I am cognizant of literature I may assign my students and make sure to offer them an additional text when possible that they may read in dialog to offer a more holistic view of the subject matter.

Works Cited

Faymonville, Carmen. "Review of Jasmine." Explicator. 56.1 (Fall 1997): 53-54. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 235. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 53-54. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Univ of Houston - Clear Lake. 22 Nov. 2009 <http://libproxy.uhcl.edu:2306/ps/start.do?p=LitRC&u=txshracd2589>

Sugg, Katherine. "'I would rather be dead': nostalgia and narrative in Jamaica Kincaid's Lucy." Narrative. 10.2 (May 2002): p156. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Univ of Houston - Clear Lake. 22 Nov. 2009 <http://libproxy.uhcl.edu:2306/ps/start.do?p=LitRC&u=txshracd2589>.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/colonialism/

www.literaryhistory.com

www.postcolonialweb.org