We have attended three days guest lectures by Prof. Balaji Ranganathan sir at our Department of English about Postcolonial study. (14-16 September 2018)
In these three days, he has covered all four units:-
i) Black skin white mask
ii) Orientalism by Edward Said
iii) A Tempest
iv) Imaginary Homeland
Postcolonial study
Postcolonial study is the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism (Wikipedia)
Idea of state and nation
The very first discussion is about state. What is a state? and who supported the state. The answer is very simple. A state is a fixed geographical territory and it is always supported by structure of governance. State is fixed but nation is not fixed. According to different parties the version of nation keeps on changing. In real sense nation is an imagination.
Colonization and Imperialism
Colonization is a forcible occupation over nation. By its process, central system dominates the surrounding land and components. Imperialism is another term which seems to be similar with colonization but it was different. It is a policy that involves nation extending its power. By the acquisition of lands by purchase. (Wikipedia)
Idea of Desire
Desire is something which we possess. normally every sacred text, religious Gurus told us to leave desire. But in this way without desire we becomes Buddha. Buddha not in terms of spiritual guru, but in terms of a person with peace in mind, without any types of needs and desire to fulfils. In Philosophical context loss of desire is good, but in Psychoanalysis if you do not have desire, its dangerous. Normally people think and desire to achieve something. Sigmund Freud in his essay "Beyond the Pleasure Principles" attributed most human behaviour to sexual instinct. Sexuality acquires cultural term.
Binaries
There is always binary opposition in each and every things. We cannot understand the value of somethings without knowing the other. For eg, we understood the importance of light only because of absence of darkness. The presence of one things is only because of absence of other thing. But Franz Fanon in his book "Black Skin, White Masks" goes beyond the binaries. We need to get out of binaries for postcolonial study. Only self awareness can destroys binaries.
Humanism
To understand the act of colonisation we need to understand that what humanism is and on which ground the value of humanist fails that he/she becomes a coloniser. Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasise the value and agency of human beings. Colonisation is not humanist act.
i) The Black Skin, White Masks
Normally the white man remains in the idea of whiteness and black man in his blackness. White man is governs by the idea of difference. In a way we are dominated by the idea of inferiority and superiority. In psychology there is only inferior complex. Franz Fanon talks about two reasons of Inferiority complex:-
i) Economic
ii) Epidermalization
According to the second point Fanon says that the skin colour was in Epidermis. In this way Fanon is accepting the biological term. In the first chapter, "Negro and Language", Body colur is not seen in biological context but as a cultural term. Language is a part of culture.
Two dimensions for a black man
i) The way he behaves with black
ii) The way he behaves with white
The feeling of equality is not presented in colonisation. Although this is not postcolonial era. Things might be changed. We lives in a Globalisation era where everything is govern by money. Money remains as a power source which gives position to a person, not his/her skin colour.
Fanon use desire to deconstruct the idea of skin colour. For sexual pleasure skin colour doesn't matter. Sexuality cannot be define in terms of colour. Sexuality is define in universal context. There is no biological basis for sex desire. There are many white man who have their relationship with black woman. Similarly a black woman crave for a white man.
Dependency Complex
In this story a black woman character, name Mayotte wants white skin man. She is desiring for something which she doesn't have, whiteness, fairness. Therefore she is depended on white man to become free from societal pressure. She wants to live life of a happy woman who is not neglected by the society for her skin complex.Every human being in a way was traped under this dependency complex.
Hybridity
The theme of Hybridity was always remains there whenever two culture met. Whenever there is mixture of two things, it will consider as hybrid. Similarly for human beings when a white man married to black woman, or a black man married to white woman, there kid should be a mixture of two colour considered as Mulatto. Then He/she was a hybrid identity.
Example of Goddess Kali
In Indian Mythical stories also black colour considered as something bad and something for neglected people or place, Goddess Kali is mainly worshipped by Aghoris in Graveyard. She is not the Goddess who is supposed to kept inside the house but at Graveyard. Many Black magician also worshipped Kali for their evil deeds. Therefore in a way she is connected with the evilness. The Blackness is treated as inferior to the whiteness.
ii) Orientalism By Edward Said
It is used for the imitation or depiction of aspects in Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian culture (Wikipedia).
Highly Materialist
In 19th century Orientalism was very much materialist. There is exchange of materials from one place to another. Many things are imported or exported beyond territories. For Example, Potato is a Latin American vegetable which comes in India after 16th century. Similarly Chillies are also very recent one. It only happens because of Columbian exchange. In this way all the material wealth of Asia is considered as Material Orientalism.
East India Company
East India company stands as a biggest company for import and export of various things across nations. The royal households of East India Company are Shareholders and shares materials to the outer world.
Philosophical Discourse
Orientalism is not only materialist but it is also taken in Philosophical discourse. In the field of literature also we can find Orientalism. For Example, there is link between European and Sanskrit language. Many Scholars have translated Indian text into English, such as:-
i) H.H Wilson translated Rigveda
ii) Charles Wilkins translated Bhagwad Geeta
iii) Hermann Jacobi translated Jaina Sutras
There are many more scholars who realised that there is massive literature in India.
Academic Orientalism
Today Orientalism is academic and it is better known as "Area Study". It is also a style of thoughts based on Ontological and Epistemological distinction made between east and west. Orientalism is also discussed as corporate institution. All 19th century travel writings, policies, will be a part of Orientalism. It is in a way an authority of western people over Indian. It is a kind of Panopticon over Asian people. It means a 24 hour surveillance. We are living in discourse of surveillance where there is discourse between Power and knowledge.
Orientalism on films
Orientalism can also applied on films. It is exotic in terms of dresses, wealth etc. In this way we can see Orientalism as a discourse moves from textual to philosophical onwards. It is not a limited word. It carries wider meanings. It can be extended to any term. There is one video which shows Orientalism in films.
Orientalism Despotism
Orientalism Despotism is very important term in the study of Orientalism. It allowed early modern Europeans to distinguish themselves from the most powerful non-Europeans civilisations. India and Orientalism depicted as despot. Rulers are also portrayed in a very negative way.
iii) A Tempest
A Tempest by Aime Cesaire is very much significant text in postcolonial literature. It is the retailing of "The Tempest" which was written by Shakespeare. Aime changed the concept of 'The Tempest' totally and gives postcolonial point of view to 'A Tempest'.
There are so many major differences between both these works:-
a) Mulatto
Ariel, the slave of Prospero is Mulatto in "A Tempest" by Aime Cesaire. But In Shakespearean tempest there was not such description about race of the slave, it was only a spirit which works according to the commands of the master. Aime changed the concept. In this way he highlights the condition of Mulatto in society, How the people with mixture of two colour, half white, half black treated.
b) Why Shakespearean Tempest fails?
Shakespearean Tempest fails because of following reasons:-
b.1 Resistence by Caliban is failing
b.2 Prospero represents colonisation at its worst
b.3 Limitations to Caliban
Aime presents Caliban as a strong rebel, who raised his voice against each and every bad things. He loves his freedom and singing the song of freedom till the end. He never stops his fighting with Prospero. He keeps on hating him, and even his hatredness increased day by day. He is a true rebellion. He used abusive language while talking with Prospero. He din't gave him any kind of respect. In this way he has got all the qualities of a good rebel as described by Albert Camus in his book "Rebel"
c) Systematic order
Shakespearean Tempest follows Systematic order, everything ends in logical order. But Cesaire Tempest doesn't follow any systematic pattern. When all leaves the island, Prospero and Caliban still remains there to fight. Caliban is singing the song of his freedom and never allows Prospero to rule over his land.
iv) Imaginary Homeland
Imaginary Homeland consists of total 12 essays. There are some very significant essays in the study of postcolonial literature like:-
a) Imaginary homeland
b) Commonwealth doesn't exist
c) New Empire within Britain
d) Attenborough's Gandhi
Is homeland can be Imaginary?
Yes it can be, in the mind of the character who feels the imagination of his/her homeland. Many people after partition, left alone from their native land. It is not only about partition. but many migrated to various countries, some are forcibly or some with their own choice.
Diaspora
We can connect the term Imaginary homeland with Diaspora which is a scattered population whose origin lies in different geographic locale. Idea of state and belongingness is crucial, without it we cannot acclaimed to nation. All writers who are exiled, suffers a sense of loss and therefore writes Diasporic literature.
Example of Passport
When we go abroad, then at the airport we get departure stamp, at that time we are not a citizen of any nation till we cannot get the arrival stamp. We becomes stateless after getting departure stamp.
Immigration
Many people moves from one country to other but they are not completely merge in the local identity. for eg, India is never a home for all of us, as because we are early citizens of abroad.
That is what the idea about Imaginary Homeland says. The nation in which we are living is also an Imaginary nation. Problem is only about imagination, Homeland is just and Idea. We are functioning on imagination. There is always a struggle of finding an Identity and living in strange world. Mentally it becomes difficult to come out from this suffering. Therefore literature provides ground over which a person can vomit his sufferings.
There is desire-conflict going on in our mind. It is of three types
a) Approach Approach Conflict (++)
b) Approach Avoidance Conflict (+_)
c) Avoidance Avoidance conflict (__)
When you finds that it is not possible to achieve your desire, then there is Avoidance Avoidance conflict, which goes just like parralel lines I I, never intersecting each other.
If there is greater chance to achieve desire and also the capability to achieve it, then there is Approach Approach conflict, just like perpendicular lines, intersecting each other at one point.
If we can achieve our desire, but still avoiding it, then there is Approach Avoidance conflict.
In similar way the Idea of Homeland and Hostland is Avoidance approach conflict. We reach, we approach the land but we are avoiding it, not taking it as our own land.
History of Palestines
People of Palestines had their land and property before the arrival of Jews. Jews are arrived because of the cruel ruler Hitler who has started killing Jews. After their migration to Palestines, it turns as Israel, a new state by the politics of western countries especially America, which has majority of Jews. Now the Palestinian started immigrating from their homeland because of forcefully occupation of Jews and shift in near Islamic countries. Now they have just an imagination of their homeland, till today after the 70th years of occupation, they have not got their land back.
eg. It can also be connected with Kashmir issue.
New Empire within Britain
The people of Britain have different views regarding Asian and African countries. They believes that Asians are hardworking. For African people they look on their race. Moreover, western countries don't like Indian people, because they thought that we grab all the opportunities. Many Indians are not investing in West, whatever they earn invest it in India, in this way their rage is obvious. Many Indians are taking pride to live in west world just by doing very cheap work like sweeping, cleaning restaurant, guard of lift etc because it is difficult to find any job in foreign countries.
Commonwealth doesn't exist
According to Salman Rusdie Commonwealth literature doesn't exist now. After the big theory of Orientalism, commonwealth loss its relevance. The idea of commonwealth gets highly disturbed.
Commonwealth writing > Postcolonial writing > New Writing
Now there is not specific Commonwealth literature but called as New literature. All writings by Britishers is not commonwealth writing. It is govern by whites, but written by brown.
Is there is need of study Postcolonial literature in present era?
Today we are living in a world of Globalization. Now things are totally changed. There is no need to remain in past.We must have to move on. So many years passed after colonization. This era in not considered as postcolonial anymore. This is the new era about global world in which we have to remain globally connected with each other. Market must be put in priority.
In these three days, he has covered all four units:-
i) Black skin white mask
ii) Orientalism by Edward Said
iii) A Tempest
iv) Imaginary Homeland
Postcolonial study
Postcolonial study is the cultural legacy of colonialism and imperialism (Wikipedia)
Idea of state and nation
The very first discussion is about state. What is a state? and who supported the state. The answer is very simple. A state is a fixed geographical territory and it is always supported by structure of governance. State is fixed but nation is not fixed. According to different parties the version of nation keeps on changing. In real sense nation is an imagination.
Colonization and Imperialism
Colonization is a forcible occupation over nation. By its process, central system dominates the surrounding land and components. Imperialism is another term which seems to be similar with colonization but it was different. It is a policy that involves nation extending its power. By the acquisition of lands by purchase. (Wikipedia)
Idea of Desire
Desire is something which we possess. normally every sacred text, religious Gurus told us to leave desire. But in this way without desire we becomes Buddha. Buddha not in terms of spiritual guru, but in terms of a person with peace in mind, without any types of needs and desire to fulfils. In Philosophical context loss of desire is good, but in Psychoanalysis if you do not have desire, its dangerous. Normally people think and desire to achieve something. Sigmund Freud in his essay "Beyond the Pleasure Principles" attributed most human behaviour to sexual instinct. Sexuality acquires cultural term.
Binaries
There is always binary opposition in each and every things. We cannot understand the value of somethings without knowing the other. For eg, we understood the importance of light only because of absence of darkness. The presence of one things is only because of absence of other thing. But Franz Fanon in his book "Black Skin, White Masks" goes beyond the binaries. We need to get out of binaries for postcolonial study. Only self awareness can destroys binaries.
Humanism
To understand the act of colonisation we need to understand that what humanism is and on which ground the value of humanist fails that he/she becomes a coloniser. Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasise the value and agency of human beings. Colonisation is not humanist act.
i) The Black Skin, White Masks
Normally the white man remains in the idea of whiteness and black man in his blackness. White man is governs by the idea of difference. In a way we are dominated by the idea of inferiority and superiority. In psychology there is only inferior complex. Franz Fanon talks about two reasons of Inferiority complex:-
i) Economic
ii) Epidermalization
According to the second point Fanon says that the skin colour was in Epidermis. In this way Fanon is accepting the biological term. In the first chapter, "Negro and Language", Body colur is not seen in biological context but as a cultural term. Language is a part of culture.
Two dimensions for a black man
i) The way he behaves with black
ii) The way he behaves with white
The feeling of equality is not presented in colonisation. Although this is not postcolonial era. Things might be changed. We lives in a Globalisation era where everything is govern by money. Money remains as a power source which gives position to a person, not his/her skin colour.
Fanon use desire to deconstruct the idea of skin colour. For sexual pleasure skin colour doesn't matter. Sexuality cannot be define in terms of colour. Sexuality is define in universal context. There is no biological basis for sex desire. There are many white man who have their relationship with black woman. Similarly a black woman crave for a white man.
Dependency Complex
In this story a black woman character, name Mayotte wants white skin man. She is desiring for something which she doesn't have, whiteness, fairness. Therefore she is depended on white man to become free from societal pressure. She wants to live life of a happy woman who is not neglected by the society for her skin complex.Every human being in a way was traped under this dependency complex.
Hybridity
The theme of Hybridity was always remains there whenever two culture met. Whenever there is mixture of two things, it will consider as hybrid. Similarly for human beings when a white man married to black woman, or a black man married to white woman, there kid should be a mixture of two colour considered as Mulatto. Then He/she was a hybrid identity.
Example of Goddess Kali
In Indian Mythical stories also black colour considered as something bad and something for neglected people or place, Goddess Kali is mainly worshipped by Aghoris in Graveyard. She is not the Goddess who is supposed to kept inside the house but at Graveyard. Many Black magician also worshipped Kali for their evil deeds. Therefore in a way she is connected with the evilness. The Blackness is treated as inferior to the whiteness.
ii) Orientalism By Edward Said
It is used for the imitation or depiction of aspects in Middle Eastern, South Asian, East Asian culture (Wikipedia).
Highly Materialist
In 19th century Orientalism was very much materialist. There is exchange of materials from one place to another. Many things are imported or exported beyond territories. For Example, Potato is a Latin American vegetable which comes in India after 16th century. Similarly Chillies are also very recent one. It only happens because of Columbian exchange. In this way all the material wealth of Asia is considered as Material Orientalism.
East India Company
East India company stands as a biggest company for import and export of various things across nations. The royal households of East India Company are Shareholders and shares materials to the outer world.
Philosophical Discourse
Orientalism is not only materialist but it is also taken in Philosophical discourse. In the field of literature also we can find Orientalism. For Example, there is link between European and Sanskrit language. Many Scholars have translated Indian text into English, such as:-
i) H.H Wilson translated Rigveda
ii) Charles Wilkins translated Bhagwad Geeta
iii) Hermann Jacobi translated Jaina Sutras
There are many more scholars who realised that there is massive literature in India.
Academic Orientalism
Today Orientalism is academic and it is better known as "Area Study". It is also a style of thoughts based on Ontological and Epistemological distinction made between east and west. Orientalism is also discussed as corporate institution. All 19th century travel writings, policies, will be a part of Orientalism. It is in a way an authority of western people over Indian. It is a kind of Panopticon over Asian people. It means a 24 hour surveillance. We are living in discourse of surveillance where there is discourse between Power and knowledge.
Orientalism on films
Orientalism can also applied on films. It is exotic in terms of dresses, wealth etc. In this way we can see Orientalism as a discourse moves from textual to philosophical onwards. It is not a limited word. It carries wider meanings. It can be extended to any term. There is one video which shows Orientalism in films.
Orientalism Despotism
Orientalism Despotism is very important term in the study of Orientalism. It allowed early modern Europeans to distinguish themselves from the most powerful non-Europeans civilisations. India and Orientalism depicted as despot. Rulers are also portrayed in a very negative way.
iii) A Tempest
A Tempest by Aime Cesaire is very much significant text in postcolonial literature. It is the retailing of "The Tempest" which was written by Shakespeare. Aime changed the concept of 'The Tempest' totally and gives postcolonial point of view to 'A Tempest'.
There are so many major differences between both these works:-
a) Mulatto
Ariel, the slave of Prospero is Mulatto in "A Tempest" by Aime Cesaire. But In Shakespearean tempest there was not such description about race of the slave, it was only a spirit which works according to the commands of the master. Aime changed the concept. In this way he highlights the condition of Mulatto in society, How the people with mixture of two colour, half white, half black treated.
b) Why Shakespearean Tempest fails?
Shakespearean Tempest fails because of following reasons:-
b.1 Resistence by Caliban is failing
b.2 Prospero represents colonisation at its worst
b.3 Limitations to Caliban
Aime presents Caliban as a strong rebel, who raised his voice against each and every bad things. He loves his freedom and singing the song of freedom till the end. He never stops his fighting with Prospero. He keeps on hating him, and even his hatredness increased day by day. He is a true rebellion. He used abusive language while talking with Prospero. He din't gave him any kind of respect. In this way he has got all the qualities of a good rebel as described by Albert Camus in his book "Rebel"
c) Systematic order
Shakespearean Tempest follows Systematic order, everything ends in logical order. But Cesaire Tempest doesn't follow any systematic pattern. When all leaves the island, Prospero and Caliban still remains there to fight. Caliban is singing the song of his freedom and never allows Prospero to rule over his land.
iv) Imaginary Homeland
Imaginary Homeland consists of total 12 essays. There are some very significant essays in the study of postcolonial literature like:-
a) Imaginary homeland
b) Commonwealth doesn't exist
c) New Empire within Britain
d) Attenborough's Gandhi
Is homeland can be Imaginary?
Yes it can be, in the mind of the character who feels the imagination of his/her homeland. Many people after partition, left alone from their native land. It is not only about partition. but many migrated to various countries, some are forcibly or some with their own choice.
Diaspora
We can connect the term Imaginary homeland with Diaspora which is a scattered population whose origin lies in different geographic locale. Idea of state and belongingness is crucial, without it we cannot acclaimed to nation. All writers who are exiled, suffers a sense of loss and therefore writes Diasporic literature.
Example of Passport
When we go abroad, then at the airport we get departure stamp, at that time we are not a citizen of any nation till we cannot get the arrival stamp. We becomes stateless after getting departure stamp.
Immigration
Many people moves from one country to other but they are not completely merge in the local identity. for eg, India is never a home for all of us, as because we are early citizens of abroad.
That is what the idea about Imaginary Homeland says. The nation in which we are living is also an Imaginary nation. Problem is only about imagination, Homeland is just and Idea. We are functioning on imagination. There is always a struggle of finding an Identity and living in strange world. Mentally it becomes difficult to come out from this suffering. Therefore literature provides ground over which a person can vomit his sufferings.
There is desire-conflict going on in our mind. It is of three types
a) Approach Approach Conflict (++)
b) Approach Avoidance Conflict (+_)
c) Avoidance Avoidance conflict (__)
When you finds that it is not possible to achieve your desire, then there is Avoidance Avoidance conflict, which goes just like parralel lines I I, never intersecting each other.
If there is greater chance to achieve desire and also the capability to achieve it, then there is Approach Approach conflict, just like perpendicular lines, intersecting each other at one point.
If we can achieve our desire, but still avoiding it, then there is Approach Avoidance conflict.
In similar way the Idea of Homeland and Hostland is Avoidance approach conflict. We reach, we approach the land but we are avoiding it, not taking it as our own land.
History of Palestines
People of Palestines had their land and property before the arrival of Jews. Jews are arrived because of the cruel ruler Hitler who has started killing Jews. After their migration to Palestines, it turns as Israel, a new state by the politics of western countries especially America, which has majority of Jews. Now the Palestinian started immigrating from their homeland because of forcefully occupation of Jews and shift in near Islamic countries. Now they have just an imagination of their homeland, till today after the 70th years of occupation, they have not got their land back.
eg. It can also be connected with Kashmir issue.
New Empire within Britain
The people of Britain have different views regarding Asian and African countries. They believes that Asians are hardworking. For African people they look on their race. Moreover, western countries don't like Indian people, because they thought that we grab all the opportunities. Many Indians are not investing in West, whatever they earn invest it in India, in this way their rage is obvious. Many Indians are taking pride to live in west world just by doing very cheap work like sweeping, cleaning restaurant, guard of lift etc because it is difficult to find any job in foreign countries.
Commonwealth doesn't exist
According to Salman Rusdie Commonwealth literature doesn't exist now. After the big theory of Orientalism, commonwealth loss its relevance. The idea of commonwealth gets highly disturbed.
Commonwealth writing > Postcolonial writing > New Writing
Now there is not specific Commonwealth literature but called as New literature. All writings by Britishers is not commonwealth writing. It is govern by whites, but written by brown.
Is there is need of study Postcolonial literature in present era?
Today we are living in a world of Globalization. Now things are totally changed. There is no need to remain in past.We must have to move on. So many years passed after colonization. This era in not considered as postcolonial anymore. This is the new era about global world in which we have to remain globally connected with each other. Market must be put in priority.
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