Colonialism and Post-Colonial Literary Criticism
Summary
TLDRThe lecture by Professor Arthur Hawkins covers the distinctions between colonialism and imperialism, highlighting their differences in origin and application. Colonialism involves settlers transferring to new territories, while imperialism refers to commanding control over another nation. The lecture also delves into post-colonial theory, influenced by Edward Said's 'Orientalism,' which critiques how Western perspectives shaped knowledge about non-European peoples. Post-colonial critics explore the lingering effects of colonialism, examining identity, resistance, and the interplay of power in literature. The lecture concludes with questions encouraging further exploration of post-colonial themes in literature and culture.
Takeaways
- 📜 Colonialism is defined as a practice of domination involving the subjugation of one group by another, often through settlement.
- 🌍 The difference between colonialism and imperialism lies in their etymology and methods; colonialism typically involves settlement, while imperialism involves exerting power over another region without settlement.
- 🏛️ In the 19th century, there was a tension between liberalism and colonialism, where some philosophers defended colonialism under the guise of a 'civilizing mission.'
- 📚 Edward Said's work, particularly his book 'Orientalism,' played a significant role in post-colonial studies, analyzing how the West created distorted knowledge about the East.
- 💡 Orientalism refers to a set of concepts, assumptions, and practices used to interpret and evaluate non-European cultures, which reinforced imperialism.
- 📖 Post-colonial critics deconstruct texts to understand how they reflect and reinforce colonial and imperial projects.
- 🔍 Post-colonial criticism interrogates universal categories like capitalism and democracy, questioning their roles in perpetuating colonial oppression.
- 🌱 Post-colonial critics explore how colonization impacted both colonized peoples and colonizers, including issues of identity, education, and resistance.
- 🧠 Post-colonial criticism also investigates how cultural differences, such as race, religion, and gender, shape perceptions of identity and societal structures.
- 📝 Contemporary post-colonial critics apply their analysis to various literary works, such as 'Dracula,' examining how they support or challenge imperialist narratives.
Q & A
What is colonialism, according to the professor's definition?
-Colonialism is defined as a practice of domination that involves the subjugation of one people by another. It typically involves the transfer of a population to a new territory where they live as permanent settlers while maintaining political allegiance to their country of origin.
How does colonialism differ from imperialism?
-While both colonialism and imperialism involve political and economic control over dependent territories, colonialism specifically involves the settlement of people in the new territory, whereas imperialism refers to a broader exercise of power over another country, which may not involve settlement.
What is the etymological difference between the terms 'colonialism' and 'imperialism'?
-The term 'colonialism' comes from the Latin word 'colonia,' meaning farmer, emphasizing settlement, while 'imperialism' comes from the Latin term 'imperium,' meaning to command, indicating broader forms of control or dominance.
What argument did 19th-century Western philosophers use to justify colonialism?
-They used the 'civilizing mission' argument, which suggested that colonial rule was necessary to help 'uncivilized' societies develop and reach a point where they could sustain liberal institutions and self-government.
Who is Edward Said, and what was his contribution to post-colonial theory?
-Edward Said was a leading figure in post-colonial studies. His book 'Orientalism' applied Michel Foucault's discourse analysis to the production of knowledge about the Middle East. Said's work examined how Western knowledge and representations of the 'Orient' reinforced imperialist power structures.
What is 'Orientalism,' according to Edward Said?
-Orientalism refers to a structured set of concepts, assumptions, and practices used to produce and interpret knowledge about non-European peoples. It also describes how the West defines itself by creating a stable depiction of its 'other,' the East, often through binary oppositions like rational vs. irrational or order vs. chaos.
What is the role of a post-colonial critic?
-A post-colonial critic examines literary and historical texts to uncover how they reproduce logics of subordination and reflect imperialist ideologies. They also question universal categories like capitalism, democracy, and liberalism, especially in the context of colonized societies.
What are some key questions post-colonial critics ask when analyzing literary texts?
-Post-colonial critics ask questions like: How does the text represent colonial oppression? What does it reveal about post-colonial identity, including issues like double consciousness and hybridity? How are the 'other' or 'stranger' described and treated in the text?
How does post-colonial criticism engage with concepts of race, gender, and class?
-Post-colonial critics examine how race, gender, class, and other cultural differences shape individual identity and perceptions. They analyze how these factors operate within colonial and post-colonial contexts to either perpetuate or challenge systems of power.
What is the significance of post-colonial identity after decolonization?
-Post-colonial identity refers to the lasting impact of colonialism on a society's culture, education, and self-perception, even after formal decolonization. Critics examine how colonial legacies continue to influence post-colonial societies and explore the extent to which true decolonization has been possible.
Outlines
📚 Understanding Colonialism and Imperialism
In this paragraph, Professor Arthur Hawkins introduces the concept of post-colonial theory, beginning with a foundational explanation of colonialism. Colonialism is defined as the practice of domination, where one group subjugates another. He distinguishes between colonialism and imperialism, highlighting that while both involve political and economic control, they have different historical roots. Colonialism often includes the physical relocation of people to new territories, while imperialism emphasizes command or control over distant lands without necessarily settling them. The historical tension between liberalism and colonialism in the 19th century is introduced, focusing on how even proponents of universal values justified colonialism through ideas like the ‘civilizing mission’.
🌍 Edward Said and Orientalism
This section delves into post-colonial studies, particularly through the work of Edward Said and his influential book *Orientalism*. Said’s work is recognized for applying Michel Foucault’s discourse analysis to the production of knowledge about the Middle East. *Orientalism* is identified as a set of concepts and practices that produce and evaluate knowledge about non-European peoples, emphasizing how these representations reinforced imperialist agendas. Said shows how knowledge was used to justify European domination by presenting the East as the ‘other.’ Orientalism became a way for the West to define itself by contrasting its characteristics with those it projected onto Eastern societies.
🔎 Analyzing Post-Colonial Criticism
The paragraph explores the questions and methods used by post-colonial critics to deconstruct literature. It discusses how critics investigate colonial oppression, post-colonial identity, and cultural differences. Key topics include how texts reflect or reinforce imperialist ideologies and how personal and cultural identities evolve in post-colonial contexts. Critics pay attention to representations of race, gender, and class, as well as how Western texts may silence or distort the experiences of colonized peoples. Questions related to the relationship between colonial powers and their former colonies are central to understanding these texts from a post-colonial lens.
🏛️ Post-Colonial Legacies and Resistance
This section focuses on the aftermath of colonialism and the ongoing impact of colonial education, science, and technology on post-colonial societies. It raises critical questions about the extent of decolonization and whether societies can truly escape colonial influence. Topics include the persistence of colonial legacies, resistance movements, and how colonization affected both the colonized and the colonizers. It also questions whether modern imperialism continues to replace older forms of colonialism and explores the role of translation in post-colonial theory.
🧛 Post-Colonial Criticism of Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Professor Hawkins concludes the lecture by applying post-colonial criticism to Bram Stoker’s *Dracula*, a novel set in the Victorian era. He explains how Victorian readers could relate to the historical themes of the novel, even as it features fantastical elements. Post-colonial critics argue that the novel's historical meaning is both temporal and spatial, reflecting imperialist narratives. The text serves to reinforce colonial power structures by casting events and history in a progressive, pro-colonial light. The paragraph also lists key texts in post-colonial criticism, encouraging students to apply these ideas to other literary works.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Colonialism
💡Imperialism
💡Civilizing Mission
💡Post-colonial Theory
💡Orientalism
💡Double Consciousness
💡Hybridity
💡Knowledge and Power
💡Resistance
💡Decolonization
Highlights
Definition of colonialism as a practice of domination involving subjugation of one people to another.
Difficulty in distinguishing colonialism from imperialism.
Etymology of 'colony' and 'imperium' to differentiate colonialism and imperialism.
Colonialism involves the transfer of population to a new territory with political allegiance to the origin country.
Imperialism focuses on one country exercising power over another through various control mechanisms.
Western domination of eastern, southern, and northern lands through colonial practices.
19th-century tension between liberal thought and colonial practice.
Philosophers defending universalism while also supporting colonialism and imperialism.
The civilizing mission of the West as a justification for colonialism.
Challenges to colonial and imperial practices by philosophers, thinkers, writers, and academics.
Edward Said's influence on post-colonial studies through his book 'Orientalism'.
Orientalism as a set of concepts, assumptions, and practices used to produce knowledge about non-European peoples.
Post-colonial critics deconstructing texts to understand imperialist projects.
Post-colonial critics interrogating universal categories like capitalism, class, rationality, and democracy.
Questions post-colonial critics ask while reading literary texts.
Impact of colonization on both the colonized and the colonizers.
Legacy of colonial education, science, and technology in post-colonial societies.
Forms of resistance against colonial control and the refusal of colonial authority.
Influence of Western science, technology, and medicine on existing knowledge systems.
Emergent forms of post-colonial identity after the departure of colonizers.
Role of translation in post-colonial theory.
Post-colonial reading of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' as an example.
Recommended readings for understanding post-colonial criticism.
Study questions for further exploration of post-colonial theory.
Transcripts
hello everyone this is your professor
Arthur Hawkins speaking so far we have
talked about and read about various
schools of criticism and today we will
be talking about post-colonial theory in
order to understand post-colonial theory
first we have to have a sound
understanding of colonialism
now colonialism by definition is a
practice of domination which involves
the subjugation of one people to another
one of the difficulties in defining
colonialism is that it is hard to
distinguish it from imperialism
now colonialism and imperialism may
sound like they are very similar and
oftentimes these two concepts are
treated as though they are synonyms
however there is a slight difference
that makes colonialism and imperialism
separate entities yes like colonialism
imperialism also involves political and
economic control over a dependent
territory the etymology of the two terms
however provides some clues about how
they different
the term colony comes from the latin
word cologne meaning farmer this route
reminds us that the practice of
colonialism usually involved the
transfer of population to a new
territory where the arrivals lived as
permanent settlers while maintaining
political allegiance to their country of
origin that is to say when we talk about
colonialism we talk about a group of
people being moved to another territory
who in return dominated that particular
territory for their country of origin
now imperialism on the other hand comes
from the Latin term Imperium meaning to
command thus the term imperialism draws
attention to the way that one country
exercises power over another whether
through settlement sovereignty or
indirect mechanisms of control
now how did the Western people dominate
the eastern southern northern far
eastern lands now you all know the story
of of the the British or Portuguese or
Spaniards moving into the far corners of
the Americas similar to that in the 19th
century the tension between liberal
thought and colonial practice became
particularly acute as the women of
Europe over the rest of the world reach
its zenith ironically
in the same period when most political
philosophers began to defend the
principles of universalism and echo
volte the same individual still defended
the legitimacy of colonialism and
imperialism that is to say many
philosophers who lived in the 19th
century although they appeared to be
defenders of universalism equal T and so
on they still defended the values and
practices operated through colonialism
and imperialism
well how did they do that well one way
of reconciling those apparently opposed
principles was the argument known as the
civilizing mission of the West which
suggested that a temporary period of
political dependence or tutelage was
necessary in order for in order for the
uncivilized societies to advance to the
point where they were capable of
sustaining liberal institutions and
self-government that is to say in order
to justify their colonial and imperial
hopes and willingness these philosophers
and politicians of the West suggested
that they were colonizing and Imperial
izing let's say African countries in
order to bring them happiness democracy
self-government and so forth well such
evil and practice was challenged by
numerous philosophers thinkers writers
researchers and academics among whom and
word Saheed is the leading one now the
field of post-colonial studies was
influenced mainly by Edward cites tough
breaking book titled Orientalism in
Orientalism cite applied Misha fucose
technique of discourse analysis to the
production of knowledge about the Middle
East the term Orientalism described as
structured set of concepts assumptions
and discursive practices that were used
to produce interpret and evaluate
knowledge about non-european peoples
science analysis made it possible for
scholars to deconstruct literary and
historical texts
in order to understand how they
reflected and reinforced the imperialist
project by a lark
although my previous studies that focus
on the economic or political logics of
colonialism
Syed's work drew attention to the
relationship between knowledge and power
Orientalism hence can be seen as an
attempt to extend the geographical and
historical terrain of the
post-structuralist critique of Western
epistemology so what is Orientalism and
its functions
Sayid uses the term Orientalism in
several different ways
first Orientalism is a specific field of
academic study about the Middle East and
Africa albeit one that Syed conceives
quite extensively to income-tax history
sociology literature of the apology and
especially philology he also identifies
it as a practice that helps define
Europe by creating a stable depiction of
its other its constitutive outside that
is to say people from the West has a
certain way of looking at those people
from the east and this is this view is
transferred onto the eastern people who
start to see themselves from the lenses
of the West
Orientalism is a way of characterizing
Europe by drawing a contrasting image or
idea based on a series of binary
opposition's for instance the West being
rational
focusing on the mind demanding order
whereas the east being irrational
focusing on the body and living in chaos
now finally Sayid emphasizes that it is
also a mode of exercising authority by
organizing and classifying knowledge
about the Orient what does a
post-colonial critic do contemporary
literary theorists who identified
themselves as post-colonial critics have
drawn attention to practices of
representation that reproduce a logic of
subordination that endures even after
former colonies gained independence
furthermore they deconstructed literary
and historical texts in order to
understand how those texts reflected and
reinforced imperialist projects
well in addition to these post-colonial
critics started to interrogate universal
categories such as capitalism class
rationality objectivity democracy and
liberalism
they question these categories by paying
special attention to how each changes
the content and form of the colonised
finally a post-colonial critic would
look at how notions such as democracy
and liberalism perpetuates the
conditions of colonialism and
imperialism while during these
post-colonial critics ask certain
questions while reading literary texts
according to Tyson such questions
include how does the literary text
explicit newer allegorically represent
various aspects of colonial oppression
furthermore what does the text reveal
about the problematics of post-colonial
identity including the relationship
between personal and cultural identity
and such issues as double consciousness
and hybridity
what persons or groups does the work
identify as other or stranger or at
times weird awkward how are such persons
groups described and treated in those
texts furthermore how does the text
reveal about the politics and or
psychology of anti-colonialist
resistance
what about the cultural difference
post-colonial critics asked for instance
what are the texts reveal about the
operations of cultural difference the
ways in which race religion class gender
sexual orientation cultural beliefs and
customs combine to form individual
identity in shaping our perceptions of
ourselves others and the world in which
we live how does the text respond to our
comment upon the characters feelings or
assumptions of a canonized colonized
colonialist work are there meaningful
similarities among the literature's of
different post-colonial populations
how does a literally checks in the
Western Canada
reinforce or undermine colonialist
ideology through its representation of
colonization and/or it's inappropriate
silence about colonized peoples now
these were and have been important
questions that have been asked by
post-colonial critics there are many
other questions to be asked as well
among which the following was were the
most important how did the experience of
colonization affect those who were
colonized while also influencing the
colonizers or how where colonial powers
able to gain control over so large a
portion of the non-western world
including such countries like India
China Thailand and many African
countries by and large what traces have
been left by colonial education science
and technology in post-colonial
societies and what were the forms of
resistance against colonial control how
did in other terms
the colonize refused that colonial
control
how did colonial education and language
influence the culture and identity of
the colonized how did Western science
technology and medicine change existing
knowledge systems and what are the
emergent forms of post-colonial identity
after the departure of the colonizers
that is to say yes we're certain extent
officially at least the United Kingdom
start colonizing India but for many
years of their insistence on their land
and they still left legacies behind
which affected and still affect Indians
living in that region to what extent has
decolonization that is to say a
reconstruction free from colonial
influence being possible that is to say
after being so many years of
colonization chain at the colonize
feel free and go back to basics again
how do gender race and class function in
colonial and postcolonial discourse are
new forms of imperialism are replacing
colonization and huh and finally what is
the role of translation in post-colonial
theory now to set an example I will
provide a post-colonial reading of Bram
Stoker's Dracula now smart and
Hutchinson's funnier Bram Stoker's
Dracula shows that the novel's
historical meaning is familiar to most
Victorians that is to say because the
text was written during Victorian age
many Victorians could understand the
text and relate to it because of its
historical reality although it is
considered to be a gothic piece of work
in which various fantastic or awkward
unreal elements exist now in their
critical
application smart and Hutchison have
found that all of the characters
attempts to tell the story failed to
bring order and sense to a world which
is turned upside down
second the rereading of the novel shows
that these various ways of telling
history fail because the real story in
drapala is leader historical door
temporal it is spatial logged and
preserved in cultural memory which the
principles of Stoker story are
continuously enjoined ignore or forget
thus Imperial narratives they argue
whether historical or fictional are
arrangements of detail and events to
serve a purpose
testing events and their causes into a
progressive chronology which argues for
the greater good of the colonial
enterprise there are other books or
works that should be read in order to
understand post-colonial criticism any
word sides
Orientalism Kamau broth White's hid the
history of the voice there at least
p-box
in other worlds essays in cultural
politics Dominique like operas the
bounds of race perspectives on hegemony
and resistance and homey Baba's the
location of culture
well we can also suggest an application
you can read the poem titled the African
burial ground study it from a
post-colonial perspective by using 1/2
or some of the questions proposed by
post-colonial critics the poet's name is
Yusef Komunyakaa and he is from M
country which was colonized that is to
say by reading the content of this poem
and asking finally questions set by
post-colonial critics we can apply
post-colonial criticism into our reading
of a poem
there are also some study questions
while answering these questions you may
have a look at this following link
provided by Stanford University now
these study questions are what is the
difference between colonialism and
imperialism find out write an example
for colonialism and one for imperialism
how does imperialism work what do power
holders do to control relatively weaker
ones what sorts of arguments were
proposed by some 19th century thinkers
who justify and legitimize their
colonial and imperial intentions what
was it with science major contribution
to post-colonial studies summarize his
ideas on Orientalism as briefly as
possible and explain in your own words
what a post-colonial critic actually
does and here are the references I used
while preparing this lecture and
PowerPoint slides for you
thank you
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