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Student Midterm submissions 2015 (2015 midterm assignment) |
LITR 5831 World Literature |
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Joyce
M. Strong
October 1, 2015
Part
I. Web Highlights
Strong’s Web Highlights
Colonial and Post-Colonial literature provides various accounts of
periods of colonization and its effects on the countries and the citizens. The
representation of race, gender, and social class gives insight into the beliefs,
of both the oppressed and oppressor. However, the character that is often
underrepresented and devalued is the female. Little or no attention and respect
is given to the female character in texts; specifically the Colonial texts. What
I am interested in the most when studying Colonial or Post- Colonial Literature
is the woman’s perspective whether she is the author or the colonized character
in the text. Therefore I chose three writings of previous students that offered
their perspective on the role of women in Colonial and Post-Colonial literature.
Jacob A. McCleese’s 2013 midterm essay “Focusing on the Ladies” discussed
the lack of women's portrayal in novels that deal with colonialism and the
reasons he thinks it is that way. He begins with
Robinson Crusoe and the portrayal of
his mother. McCleese brought to attention that even though Crusoe’s mother is
given a voice her dialogue is only heard through her son when he speaks. A
woman’s thought or beliefs are not given importance unless a man is there to
speak for her. McCleese states “Allowing male characters to speak for female
characters eliminates the need for authors to formulate real representations of
women in their novels” (para 4). The experiences and character of a woman cannot
fully be understood or retold when there is an indifference to a woman’s place
in society. Standards were set for women and they were expected to adhere to
them without opposition. McCleese continues his discussion with The
Man Who Would Be King. He points out
how the female is valued more for her beauty than anything else. He gives a
passage for the text that show how conflict had arisen between villagers due to
the desire of a woman. An example of how common that a beautiful woman can
create chaos is given with the recant of the story about Helen of Troy. These
examples show how women can be seen as property for any man to fight for and
claim.
Valerie Mead’s 2013 final exam essay “Shades of Grey: Gender Roles in
Colonial and Post-Colonial Literature” discusses how women were perceived in The
Man Who Would Be King, the Train to Pakistan, and Jasmine. Mead gives examples
from each text that illustrate how women are treated as objects. The female
character in The Man Who Would be King was selected to marry Dravot without
regards to her opinion. The mistreatment of Nooran in the Train to Pakistan was
seen as a norm. Mead pointed out that while Jasmine was more liberated than the
other women, she still felt obligated to follow traditions. The comparison
between the women in The Man Who Would Be
King, The Train to Pakistan, and
Jasmine shows how society often can’t
let go of traditions when it comes to gender roles.
Lori Arnold’s 2013 final exam essay “Women as a Doubly oppressed group in
Postcolonial Literature” discusses how women are oppressed as both writers and
characters in the genre. She examines how women in postcolonial literature are
portrayed similar to the women in colonial literature. There are hardly any
changes to female representation in postcolonial literature over the years.
Arnold sees how the male authors portray similarities between the
colonizers and the colonized when it comes to their opinion of women and their
role in society. She lastly mentioned how transnational migration provides as
escape to freedom from their oppression.
In conclusion, the three essays chosen provide some similar perspectives
on the female role in Colonial and Postcolonial literature. The lack of
attention or misrepresentation has always been an issue with portraying women in
texts that pertains to colonization. The attention that is being brought creates
further dialogue which may results in an improvement in the way women are
portrayed and recognized as an author or character.
Part
II. Essays
(Essay 1)
Intertextuality and Relationships
The studies of Colonial and Post-Colonialism literature in dialogue with
one another gives an in-depth look into colonization through the perspectives of
the colonizer and the colonized. The reasons behind the colonization and effects
on the colonized population are examined. While both the colonial and
postcolonial texts offers different point of views intertextuality shows how one
literary work can merge a connection to another and
leads to a better understanding of their
similarities and differences. The novels
Lucy and
Robinson Crusoe and the poem “I
Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” are examples of intertextuality when read in
dialogue with one another. The texts A
Small Place and Shooting an Elephant
illustrate the relationship dynamics and animosity between the colonizer and the
colonized.
In both Jamaica Kincaid's Lucy
and William Wordsworth's “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” the sight of daffodils
invokes emotions from the main characters. Lucy becomes angry upon seeing the
daffodils because they reminded her of a poem about flowers that she was
required to memorize at a school. The school was named Queen Victoria Girls’
school for one of the previous monarch of Great Britain that colonized her
birthplace. In “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” the character speaks of the
emotion of happiness that daffodils bring upon seeing them despite being lonely.
The reactions of both characters show how an object or image can take on
different meanings for people due to their life experience. A person like Lucy
who lived through the effects of colonization will not see the world in the same
light as a person who didn’t experience the control that colonization brought.
When Lucy and Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe are read in dialogue with one another the
relationship between Lucy and Mariah can be seen in comparison to the
relationship of Crusoe and Friday. Mariah allowed Lucy to become immerse in the
society that she belonged to. Lucy saw what money and privilege brought to
Mariah and her family and friends. Lucy accompanied Mariah to the summer house
on the lake not only as a nanny for the children but also as a confidante.
Mariah confided in Lucy about her marital issues while Lucy felt comfortable
enough to talk about her issues with her mother. In
Robinson Crusoe, Friday becomes
Crusoe’s slave and accompanied him throughout the island in which Crusoe is a
castaway. Crusoe tries to make Friday into a man like himself by teaching the
English Language and putting an end to cannibalism.
Intertextuality is also shown when reading Kincaid’s
A Small Place and George Orwell’s
Shooting an Elephant. The author in
A Small Place releases her anger and
frustrations about the effects of English Colonization on her birthplace of
Antigua. She mentioned the streets being named after English maritime criminals
such as Horatio Nelson and celebrating a holiday that honored Queen Victoria.
Antiguans had to also follow English laws. The author illustrated a loss of
identity to England. In Shooting an
Elephant, the main character is a European police officer who tried to do
his job while encountering hate from the inhabitants of Moulmein in India. He
became a target for physical violence and insults due to colonization of India
by Britain. The examples of colonization in
A Small Place provide insight into
the reason behind the resentment of the police officer in
Shooting an Elephant due to his
nationality. The Indians most likely experienced similar changes to their
country as did the when Britain gained control. The effects of colonization are
felt even after independence is gained from the former colonizer.
(Essay 2)
The Versatility of the Novel
The novel is the defining genre of modernity due to the inclusion of
narratives that often pertains to the lives of a multiple generation family with
the youth hoping to stray away from the expectations and desires of their
parents. An example of modernity in colonial literature is provided in Robinson
Crusoe. Crusoe wanted to leave home to set sail on a voyage despite his father
wish for him to stay home and live modestly. Lucy is an example of modernity in
postcolonial literature. Lucy leaves her home in the West Indies for a better
life in America away from the contempt of her mother. In both colonial and
postcolonial cultures there is a need for social mobility. The novel not only
provides narratives between characters of modernity, it implements dialogue
between characters of different social status that is identified as self and
other.
Self and other is provided in
Robinson Crusoe and Rudyard Kipling’s
The Man Who Would Be King. Crusoe would always call the inhabitants of the
island savages and describe them as being unclothed. He points out the fact that
they are not English like him. They are described as cannibals. The distinct
difference between an Englishman and the so-called savage in the mind of Crusoe
is highlighted when Crusoe attempts to make his slave Friday adapt to the
English way of life by speaking the language and eating animal flesh instead of
human flesh. In The Man Who Would Be King
the Indians were called heathens by Dravot. He made it known that he and
Carnahan were superior to the inhabitants of India when the decision was made
for them to travel there with the idea of establishing a Kingdom. Dravot made an
effort to create a disguise of a heathen by undressing so he and Carnahan would
be able to talk to the Kafirs. The behavior of both Dravot and Crusoe showcase
how the perception of a person not like oneself can become negative.
Crusoe and Dravot saw natives of the island and country they came to as
being inferior. Their skin and languages were not alike and they did not have
the same customs. The beliefs that they were so superior resulted in their
desire to become the Master or King. It would lead to the downfall of Dravot and
Carnahan. The treatment of the natives makes Dravot and Carnahan seen as
villians whereas Crusoe seems to have villain tendencies. He was not violent
towards the natives but was determined to teach his language and skills.
(Essay 3)
Reclaiming Identity through Postcolonial Literature
Colonial and Postcolonial literature can often be difficult for some
Americans to read due to the subject matter. The control and mistreatment of
natives and foreigners not like oneself can be seen as a reminder of America’s
past. Africans were brought from their homeland to produce labor. Land were
taken from the original natives of America and singled out for either removal or
assimilation. These are some of the subjects that most want to ignore or forget.
The literature is also a reminder to the person that experienced colonization or
their descendant. They are reminded of what was taken from them. Native
languages, customs, and religions are eradicated and replaced with the language,
customs, and religions of the colonizer.
Despite some resistance or ignorance to post-colonialism, a movement
influenced by the Harlem Renaissance was formed by Francophone writers and
intellectuals Aimé Césaire, Léopold Sédar Senghor, and Léon Damas. It was a way
to recognize and oppose colonization and to form a united identity for black
Africans throughout the world. The shared experiences of colonization by the
French Empire are showed in relations to the effects on the black race. Aimé
Césaire’s Discourse on Colonialism
illustrates what he believes are the motives behind colonization and the
treatment of blacks in Africa and the Caribbean. The Negritude movement provided
a voice to the victims of colonization as a way to fight against the oppressors.
Studying Colonial and Postcolonial literature provides a better
understanding of the former colonized nations with regards to the way their
country functions in present time. Insight is given into the way their social
and political lives are structured from influences of the nation that occupied
them before gaining independence. I was familiar with the colonization by
Britain before I took this course but I had only read Colonialism and
Post-Colonialism literature written by Francophone and Hispanophone writers.
This was my first time reading Robinson
Crusoe and The Man Who Would Be King.
It provided the perspective from the colonizer instead of the colonized.
This course introduced me to novels that I didn’t know discussed colonization
such as Jasmine and
The Train to Pakistan.
Part III. Research Proposal
I
decided to do two research posts. The first post I would like to examine the
colonization of Haiti. I am interested in the influence of the French Empire on
the language and religion of the inhabitants of the island.
The
second post I would like to explore the effects of colonization of Peru. I would
examine the role of Francisco Pizarro in the conquest of the Inca Empire. The
significance of the myth of gold would also be examined.
