"Colonised people are not simply those whose labour has been appropriated but those whose soul dwells an inferiority complex created by the death and burial of the its local cultural originality" How true is this statement?
I agree with this statement to quite a large extent. I think that souls of colonized people dwell an inferiority complex created by both the colonial rule and the death and burial of the local cultural originality. Moreover, I believe that ` inferiority complex' and the `death and burial of cultural originality' will later become two components of a vicious circle as time goes by.
It is easily understood that colonized people are those whose physical labour has been appropriated. People's lives are
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Chacko regards the War of Independence against Britain in 1957 as a war that they " have won and lost" and also a war that made the Indians "adore their conquerors and despise themselves" (p.53) The Indians had won as they gained their independence after war. However, they had also lost as they can't deny that the British government and the administration are better. They therefore adore their conquerors, love for a foreign culture. They think they are incapable of ruling themselves compares to the British, so they despite themselves. People get a sense of superiority as they are more like British.
Besides colonial rule, I think inferiority complex can be created by the "death and burial of the local cultural originality". In the book, under the good governance the British, the Indians start accepting western ideas and favour western products. While western culture is seeping into people's lives, the Indian local culture is having less impact on the people. There are less people follow traditional customs. All these gradually lead to the "death and burial of the local cultural originality." One of the best examples found in the book is the kathakali performance. To suit the tourist's taste, "the six-hour classics were slashed to twenty-minute cameos". (p.127) The Hotel People scarify this cultural originality for money. Culture of a country is very important to its people.
In The Colonizer and the Colonized, Albert Memmi presents his arguments on the benefits and problems of assimilation of the colonized. According to Memmi, bilingualism of the colonized is a benefit and a problem for the colonized. In addition, he illustrates how self-rejection, self-hate, and shame are problems of assimilation by the colonized. After providing evidence of Memmi’s arguments, I will analyze whether the arguments he provides on the answer of assimilation in his book still hold up in modern society. Although Memmi provides pros and cons to assimilation being the answer to colonization, there really is no benefit if it means that suffering is the root cause of one choosing to assimilate to the oppressors.
As a first generation Indian-American, I am no stranger to being a part of a distinct community while observing two unique cultures. Traveling to India exposed me to a dynamic population with rich diversity comprising of numerous languages and differing religions. Though these individuals may have had differing customs from their neighbors, there were similar ambitions to conquer grinding poverty. This poverty can be clearly noticed by seeing citizens sleeping on floors of a railway station, or the lack of air conditioning in searing hot weather. The frailty and mortality of the human condition was starkly visible in India. As a fellow human, I was humbled not only by the lack of privilege and opportunity of many citizens, but also by their
Simpson criticizes historians, political scientists and anthropologists for assuming that the era of colonialism in the new world is over. According to Simpson, colonialism is defined by a territorial project because she sees that the colonists do not seek for labor but rather more land to expand. Simpson adds that Indigenous peoples are strongly tied to their territories, which make them a problem for the colonials, and therefore they’re subject to “elimination” (pg. 19).
Initially, the concept of colonisation will be explained, including the forces that were driving the colonisation and the usual ways it was achieved. At a general level, the ideologies underpinning the colonisers’ interactions with indigenous peoples will also be described. A comparison will then be made between the experiences of colonisation for Aboriginal peoples
As India’s modernization developed, the entire civilization of India improved remarkably. The country’s improvement of civilization is exemplified through it’s establishment of schools and law. Western education was introduced by Britain and laws were well made with courts that enforce them. (Doc 3). One should take into account the speaker of this document because Romesh Dutt is an Indian like any other, yet he praises the British for what they have done to contribute to the development of India. In addition to these establishments is Britain bringing finer ideals of humanity to India. Infanticide, the killing of female babies, was brought to a halt as well as participation in the slave trade (Doc 5). Without the interference of Britain, these inhumane actions would be prevalent throughout India and the country would suffer from a bad reputation. These
In The Colonizer and the Colonized, Albert Memmi’s essential argument is that the collapse of colonialism is inevitable. According to Memmi, there are only two answers for the colonized to disrupt the system of oppression. The two possible “solutions” are assimilation and revolt. In response to the marginalization of the colonized, both answers carry a high price. In Memmi’s eyes, neither will work in the end. The first of two answers on the road to collapsing colonization is assimilation. Imitation and compromise are not the answer to decolonizing, for neither the colonized nor the colonizer.
Throughout history, we see various forms of colonialism that have happened in the world. Multiple groups of people were affected by this act of colonizing. An example of the groups that were affected would include the Cherokees and the Mayans. Both of these groups of people experienced colonialism in similar ways, either by adaptation or resistance nevertheless they still had their differences.
Though they needed the laborers for their resources, the indigenous people and imported slaves that worked for them were dehumanized and mistreated for the colonist’s greed.
Colonized people across the globe were the ones responsible for their own destiny as they pushed for their independence from controlling empires. In the 1850’s to the 1900’s, there were many powerful countries, particularly in Europe, Asia and Africa that ruled through their colonial empires. This control was important as mother countries benefitted from their colony’s raw materials and labor. It didn’t take long for populations in these colonies to feel used as they started to realize that they had no control in the land where they lived. Groups started to develope, lead by the elite and upper class, looking for change.
When a central power comes in and dominates the surrounding land and people it is referred to as colonization. In some cases it can lead to a positive outcome but more so than not it has a negative repercussion. In “Heart of Darkness,” “The Powwow at the End of the World,” and “Heritage,” both the colonizer and the colonized experience negative consequences that force them to change their views on the world.
“Colonialism is complex, for sure, but it is also simple in that it falsely promotes the superiority of Europeans over Indigenous people.” – Wenona Victor, an oppressed Aboriginal who created a “decolonizing dialogue.”
After years of unjustified colonization, and aggression, Natives were displaced and reduced to life on reservations. Pateman recounts that once the association between “savagery” and the Natives was created “lacking all the attributes of a civil condition” as perceived by the English “savages cannot undertake the transformation of their lands” (55). By constructing this binary, colonizers were able to disqualify Natives from owning their own land or entering into a contract. First the binary supported the removal of natives and then incited other brutalities to be committed against them. The association of nature with Natives fueled their subordination allowing for justification of the atrocities committed against them to be based on the idea of their “uncivilized”
The effects of European colonization can still be seen today. It can be seen physically in the landscapes of the islands of the Caribbean, and mentally it is still present in some of the inhabitant’s minds. Political struggles should not be ignored as well as many islands have struggled since their independence. Today when many Europeans look back at the peak of their country’s empires they see the Caribbean as a contributing factor. While there is no question as to the wealth generated by the control of the Caribbean islands, one can ask how great these European colonizers were. There are many ways to measure accomplishment, if one measures it just by wealth then European colonization could be considered a success. However, if we were to
Colonist brought down ethnic groups by force with unthinkable notions. History is explained and written by means of this culture clash.
After living a certain lifestyle for an extended period of time, a sudden change in lifestyle abnormally envelops not only a society as a whole, but the individuals who live in that society. The psychological state of the indigenous people worsens due to the forced ideas of the colonizers mixing with their own, which can cause a rift in their thinking. A decision has to be made eventually; however, the colonizer typically tries his hardest to prevent them from making what he believes is the “wrong” decision. Although the colonizer appears to be helping the indigenous people, his true intentions are all but innocent. Due to their technological disadvantages, the colonizers have an advantage over the indigenous people, causing the previous existing people to feel undermined. Even after the colonizers leave, the colonized people continue to bear the scars left behind by the colonizers, as stated by Hayes who argues that, “Post Colonial Theory recognizes the trauma resulting from the alienation of indigenous people from their own land, even after achieving independence” (Hayes). Colonization leaves behind permanent psychological damage, even long after independence has been obtained.