Hybridity and National Identity in Postcolonial Literature
Every human being, in addition to having their own personal identity, has a sense of who they are in relation to the larger community--the nation. Postcolonial studies is the attempt to strip away conventional perspective and examine what that national identity might be for a postcolonial subject. To read literature from the perspective of postcolonial studies is to seek out--to listen for, that indigenous, representative voice which can inform the world of the essence of existence as a colonial subject, or as a postcolonial citizen. Postcolonial authors use their literature and poetry to solidify, through criticism and celebration, an emerging national identity, which they have taken on the responsibility of representing. Surely, the reevaluation of national identity is an eventual and essential result of a country gaining independence from a colonial power, or a country emerging from a fledgling settler colony. However, to claim to be representative of that entire identity is a huge undertaking for an author trying to convey a postcolonial message. Each nation, province, island, state, neighborhood and individual is its own unique amalgamation of history, culture, language and tradition. Only by understanding and embracing the idea of cultural hybridity when attempting to explore the concept of national identity can any one individual, or nation, truly hope to understand or communicate the lasting effects of the colonial process.
Postcolonialism is the continual shedding of the old skin of Western thought and discourse and the emergence of new self-awareness, critique, and celebration. With this self-awareness comes self-expression. But how should the i...
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...nial institution--one voice which would articulate their own sense of national identity. But exploration of these societies, and the literature produced by postcolonial authors and poets illustrates that there is a veritable infinite number of differing circumstances inherent in each postcolonial society, and, consequently, in each piece of literature produced by postcolonial writers. If one is to read this literature in a way which will shed some light on the postcolonial condition, one must understand and adopt the theory that we are all walking amalgamations of our own unique cultures and traditions. We are all always struggling with our own identities, personal and national. We must understand that there is no "one true voice" representing an easily identifiable postcolonial condition, but, instead, each author is his or her own voice and must be read as such.
Saxena, Rohit, Diguijay Singh, and Praveen Vashist. “Glaucoma: An Emerging Peril.” Indian Journal of Community Medicine 38.3 (2013): 135-7: Proquest. Web. 7 Jan 2014.
In the first scene of the movie, Alec Baldwin’s character is in the office with the three other salesmen. Alec being that he is the boss is talking down to the employees and treating them like garbage. Alec talks to them this way because money and power has taken over his body. He has no idea what employee moral means. He gets a kick out of treating people like this. When the employees respond to him he makes a smart remark and yells at them. He acts this way because he knows that they will follow anything he says because he is the boss. When Jack Lemon’s character questions him about something Alec tells him off because Alec does not want to hear any complaints. Alec just wants the job done and if they cannot do the job he will find people that can. Alec is screaming at them to try to get them to comply with his orders and if they do not he will fire them because he does not need employees slowing him down.
When it comes to post-colonial literature, most initially think about the colonization of other countries and how it has affected the natives. Though it is the most well known form of post-colonial literature, it is not the most wide-spread. By slightly altering the framing in which one looks at it, the idea that feminist literature by women from a patriarchal society is post-colonial literature begins to make sense.
First, it is important to note that RCT is foundationally structured on feminist theories and it differs from more traditional theories that are based on individualism (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2012). Additionally, like most feminist theories striving to end oppression, it can be applied to empower both men and women (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2012). Unlike those traditional therapies that place the responsibility
Through the excerpts from Pixley, Carvalho and Kim, the basis of both liberation theology/liberation criticism and post-colonial criticism stem from their focus on the marginalized, whether that be natives or “The Other” and the interplay between these two criticism can be observed through their opposition to the dominant culture, the necessity of educating the marginalized and giving them a voice, and their analysis of the text through hermeneutics and its application in each criticism.
The colony is not only a possibility in the geographical; it is a mental dominance that can imperialize the entire self. Entire continents have be domineered, resources completely dried, and at colonialism’s usual worst, the mental devastation of the indigenous culture has left a people hollow. Indigenous culture is no longer that. In the globalized world, no culture is autonomous; culture cannot breathe without new ideas and new perspectives, perspectives that have traditionally come from the people who have lived within the culture. But, the imposition of dominant cultures has certainly benefited from culture’s own vulnerability, as global similarities now exist throughout most different, yet not separate cultures. Postcolonialism is imperialism with a mask on, nothing less. As Franz Fanon puts it “that imperialism which today is fighting against a s true liberation of mankind leaves in its wake here and there tinctures of decay which we must search out and mercilessly expel from our land and our spirits.”
In the play Glengarry Glen Ross, selling is like a complicated courtship. Richard Roma is sales. Throughout the play, we never once get a true insight into the real Richard Roma. All we know is that he is good at his job, greedy and calculating. His demeanor changes on a dime; he is whoever he needs to be in whatever situation he happens to be in. This is his edge.
What makes a piece of writing humourus? In “ How I got Smart” by Steve Brody and in “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, both use literary devices to tell a story from a younger perspective. Although they both use figurative language in a humourous way, Brody’s story is silly and has a happy ending and Hughes’s story is somewhat sad and does not end happily thus making Brody’s story overall funnier.
Postcolonial criticism, as suggested in the textbook, “has developed because of the dramatic shrinking of the world and the increasing multicultural cast of our own country” (1603). As described by Andrea Smith in his book “From Heteropatriarchy and the Three pillars of White Supremacy”, “The
K.L. has done great with the DDST test. She has fell in normal range for each category. She able to perform each task I asked her within her age range and even some beyond that that completely amazed me, given her age. She needs some work on her language but I feel that that will come in time. Her mother is going to work with her on that and see if she can get that improved and we might try this test again someday. K.L. is your normal happy, funny, go-lucky two year old. I cannot wait to see her grow up and watch all of the changes that I know will blow her mother and I away!
The book “From Unincorporated Territory” [Saina] , by Craig Santos Perez, is an interesting story because it shows how colonialism is the destruction of the author’s culture and identity on his native island Guam. It forced the author’s family and himself to make a drastic change in their life and migrate from Guam to America on an outrigger. After leaving in the year 1995 and not returning until 2008, the author depicts to the audience what has changed due to colonization. My thought on colonialism is firm. That I am confused about it. The reason for my confusion is I believe it is necessary for a certain purpose most people cannot see. Even though know that it is wrong; I know it destroys somewhat the vast majority of the colonized culture but I can’t help to think that the author has a message of that purpose most people cannot see. After reading the book, what I just admitted even to me sounds a little cold hearted, but reading his point of view in this book, it made me realized I’m not too wrong for making such a confession. I believe the author has a hidden message about it. Once I had a gut feeling I wanted to expose that message in my essay.
Ashcroft B., Griffiths G., Tiffin H. - Post-colonial studies, The Key Concepts, Routledge, 2009 Print.
In order to develop her argument, Mould relies on the texts of three authors and their contributions to the postcolonial discourse: Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, Homi Bhabha’s foreword to the 1986 edition of this book, and Chilla Bulbeck’s, Re-Orientating
Over the centuries, countries have sought to expand their spheres of influence, whether politically, economically, or socially. With the advent of technological advances such as the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, colonial endeavors intensified as the world became increasingly interconnected. Countries were no longer confined to their neighboring territories as steam power reduced the distances to far-flung countries and increased their manufacturing output. In this essay, colonisation would refer to the process of subjugation by European powers in other parts of the world, notably in Africa and Asia, occurring mainly between the 18th and 20th century. Although direct colonialism largely ended in the wake of nationalist uprisings post-World War Two, the legacy of colonialism lingers to this day for both colonizers and the colonized.
In addressing the two fundamental emotions (pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain) consumers are influenced by a number of factors that have been the subject of much research and academic attention.