In this course, we have learned the meaning and content of imperialism, more specifically modern imperialism, and how it affects both the colonizers and the colonized. In the first half of the semester, the imperialists’ view was taken into account through literature. We have studied this perspective in books written by well-known authors, like Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Melville’s Typee, and Ingalls’ Little House On The Prairie. On the other hand, the colonized , or natives’ reactions and struggle against imperialism was also considered, for example, in Ngugi’s A Grain Of Wheat, and in Silko’s Ceremony, and that is my main discussion in this essay.
First, we can start with Ngugi’s A Grain Of Wheat. This novel talks about the people of
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That man stands before you ,now. Kihika came to me by night. He put his life into my hands and I sold it to the white man. And this thing has eaten into my life all these years.” Mugo admits that he preferred the British, who obviously are the imperial power itself, over his own people. Maybe at last Mugo felt like he belongs to his society by both confessing his betrayal to Kihika and saving Karanja’s life.
By mentioning this betrayal, along with other ones, Ngugi complains about the African’s reactions to the imperial power: they put the whites in the center and denied the class. It is true that , though overcoming imperialism is discussed in the book, like in chapter 7, when Kihika, Karanja, Gikonyo and Mumbi gather to sort out a plan to get rid of the British, there is always someone who doesn’t share the same opinion and would prefer imperialism , for they see that it is the closest way to modernity and civilization.
In an interview done with Ngugi, the interviewer asked Ngugi about how his attitude towards imperialism is shown through A Grain Of Wheat and Petals of Blood. In response to that question, Ngugi states hoe concerned he was about imperialism in Kenya in its two stages: the colonial and the neo-colonial. He points out how imperialism affects the people, the colonized, and on several basis. “ The imperialism is a total phenomenon- an economic, a
Initially, “Things Fall Apart” contains no traces of colonization. Instead, Achebe describes many of the customs of the people
The crown depicted the Indians as intractable, only to find that settlers resorted to violence against the Indians precisely because of their supposed intractability. Indigenous peoples, for their part, fought among themselves and against advancing settlers. All groups sought to “territorialize” their societies to secure themselves against competitors. In the final chapters, Langfur extends and qualifies this complicated story. In the later eighteenth century, settler pressures grew, stressing crown policies and threatening indigenous social orders, until all-out war broke out after 1808. For Langfur this was no Manichean battle between European invaders and indigenous victims. To a dominant narrative of violence he juxtaposes a “parallel history of cooperation” among Europeans, Africans, and Indians, and he concludes that war itself must be understood in terms of “the relationship of cooperative enemies.”
By the 1800s, Europe had gained considerable power- centrally governed nation-states had emerged and the Industrial Revolution had deeply enriched different country’s economies. Advances in science and technology, industry, transportation, and communication provided Western nations with many advantages. Encouraged by their new military and economic prestige, European countries embarked on a path of aggressive expansion that today’s historians call “New Imperialism (1800-1914).” Europeans brought much of the world under their influence and control, dominating various countries politically, economically, and culturally. Though the West reaped the benefits of foreign imperialism, native peoples felt its harmful effects. For example, in Document
This primary source assists in answering the question, “Was imperialism constructive or deconstructive,” as it gives numerous examples of how the US imperialising Hawai’i was constructive. The examples included the ways the Hawaiians and Hawai’i benefited from being a territory of the US. Since the speech gives a clear western perspective on the US imperialising Hawai’i and clearly shows the audience whether imperialism was constructive or destructive for a western perspective, it is valuable. Therefore, the examples and the clear perspective provided assists in answering the overall question of whether imperialism was constructive or destructive. Regardless of the valuable information sources possess, they all also have limitations. The first limitation of the source is that the speech doesn’t show both sides of imperialism. This is because the speech only demonstrates how imperialism was constructive, and doesn’t state anything about how it may have been destructive. Another limitation is that the speech was written from a western perspective, therefore it was written from the perspective of the people from the country that was
There was a great question asked by numerous individuals in the eighteenth century with what happens to people’s lives when their country is a colony of another country. This was very important to Americans when they were being ruled by Great Britain, and even to this day it remains important when countries find themselves controlled by more powerful outsiders. But what is colonialism? Colonialism occurs when one nation takes control of another. Kenya’s experience as a colony of Great Britain gives us more of an idea of what being colonized meant both to the people being controlled and to those who control them. Although it seems hard to believe, Kenya was created by the Europeans and generally this had a positive on effect on Kenyans because it began development.
There have been many instances throughout history in which indigenous people have unwillingly suffered the consequences of foreigners’ interaction with their culture. In the case of the Huaorani two foreign groups, the oil companies and the missionaries, invaded their land and gravely affected the life they led in the Ecuadorian amazon. In the book Savages Joe Kane gives a firsthand account at how the Huaorani fight to preserve their land and traditional way of life.
In document 4, Ndansi Kumalo, an African veteran of the Ndebele Rebellion, discussed his tribe’s surrender to the “White people”. He also described the horrifying and humiliating lives they struggled with “like slaves” because of their surrender. This poor treatment led to uprisings and rebellions. Although African reactions to Europe’s Scramble for Africa were all similar, the reactions had varied results. Some rebellions failed poorly, but others succeeded.
European powers shamelessly exploited the people and resources of Africa in the 19th century. They often tried to justify their actions by using ideology, religion and moralism. After the end of the African slave trade, the development of steam power, and medical discovery, European nations started exploring not only the coast but also the unmapped interior of the continent. In this essay, I will explain the main driving forces behind African Imperialism. The Western europeans countries all competed for land and resources because of their self interest. They sought natural resources, and technology gave them the ability to exploit them. The philosophy of national pride however, was the primary reason. (Main document) (Doc C, D & B)
This section highlights that history has created a false narrative depicting the natives as a victimized people, which they were to some extent but only in the fashion that they did not possess the same technology for warfare, immunity of communal diseases transmitted, and they were not anticipating combat. All other factors considered, the natives stood to be a potential threat. In regards to knowledge obtained by Spaniards prior to arrival and knowledge gained from observation, it would be remiss had they not prepared for battle. This argument is not to be misconstrued in approving their actions; I do recognize colonization as an evil for both the reasons employed and its damaging effects, but rather to change the narrative surrounding that of the native people. While they did experience a tragedy, I feel that it is erroneous to write them into history as being incompetent resulting from their
Many people have their ideas and opinions on the topic of imperialism of the different continents like Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Imperialism had different effects that came from the and different reasons for which it was done. There have been poems, essays, and short stories about the good and bad of imperialism. Those who read some of these works interpret them in different ways that can change the message the author originally had planned. Imperialism shed light upon that not everything is how it seems.
Language can be a powerful tool which can build individuals up but it can also tear them down. When reading Literature through a post-colonial lens it can give us the needed tools to provide or grasp the information in order to reveal the bigger picture in the story. “Post-colonialism examines the manner in which emerging societies grapple with the challenges of self- determination.” (Aladren, 2013) In one way we can see that approach of colonist being conveyed through the native tongue which tends to be taught to its subjects. Such examples can be seen in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Act1 & 2) and the The Epic of Gilgamesh which illustrates how a “savage” can be domesticated simply by learning the imperialist language. As the subjects Caliban and Enkidu encounter these dominating issues due to the situation they face once they are introduce to oppressors culture.
Change is a reoccurring theme throughout history. It destroys and creates. It displaces and introduces. It can cause death and life. The movement of imperialism in Africa brought great change to the native tribal life. Forcing the indigenous people to turn away from their century-old traditions caused violent rifts between the European settlers and the tribes, as well as internal problems between once amiable members of the Ibo culture. With the introduction of the foreign Western Society in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the tribe’s life and ideals are drastically altered as the new ethics and principles collide with the old traditions and laws, causing the members of the society to either adapt or be crushed underneath the foot of colonialism. Achebe’s character, Okonkwo, was impacted immensely by the cultural collision, as his previous way of life was pulverized before his eyes, and he found no reason to live any longer.
The British colonization of Kenya destroyed the culture and economy of the native people, but it established a democratic government and left Kenya a more modernized country.[1] During the 1880’s through 1914, the start of WWI, was an age of imperialism. One place that felt victim to this imperialism was Africa. At this time Africa was a wholly unmodernized continent. The reason the Europeans went after Africa was the introduction of the idea of social Darwinism and the “white man’s burden”. Social Darwinism is the belief that only the strongest and the most cunning can make it to the top of the social ladder, and it was the White Man’s Burden to step in for these undeveloped countries
In the Discourse on Colonialism, Cesaire illustrates a compelling relationship between colonized states and the proletariat class. He conveys that the proletariat socio-economic class allows for the possible unification of society against the powers of colonialism. Interestingly, the comparison reflects as these elements extend from constructed illusions to unequivocal creeds. By isolating and juxtaposing the two groups, Cesaire is able to elaborate on how he believes that race and class unite to dominate 'inferior subjects' in nations throughout the globe. Throughout the essay, Cesaire provides reasoning for the socially constructed experiences of those dictated by colonial imperialism, particularly Africans, and proletarian conflicts in
Mala Pandurang’s Ngugi Wa Thiong 'o: An Anthology of Recent Criticism (2008) is a brilliant specimen of archival research on Ngugi criticism. She wrote another important book on the postcolonial African fiction, entitled Post-colonial African Fiction: The Crisis of Consciousness (1997). Oliver Lovesey in The Postcolonial Intellectual: Ngugi wa Thiong’o in Context (2016) has pointed out the multifarious cultural identities of Ngugi. The biographical reading of Ngugi’s life from a Marxist vantage point is the core theme of the text.