Stories of Growth: Post/Colonialism in World Literatures

1. 加勒比海地區 World Literatures in English世界英文文學與電影中的 南亞 Stories of Growth 移民 非洲 Fall, 2015 Kate Liu

2. Outline • Post/Colonialism? Let’s start with three pictures & a chart. . . • What are “World Literatures in English”? • Main Concerns: • (de-)colonization; • Migration: civil war & diaspora; • identity  Stories of Growth • Difficulties and Relevance • 2 examples • References

3. Post/Colonialism • Colonialism ? • One people’s forceful control and exploitation of another people, deprivation of their land, culture and identity, using military, financial and cultural power. • Post – (1)“after, against & beyond” or (2) “after & because of”

4. Q: What do you think about these three images? Are they to do with Colonialism, Postcolonialism or Decolonization? If so, how?

5. (中正紀念堂〉，《台北謠言》 阮義忠先生攝(1988) 慈湖雕塑公園;since 2000 (see explanation here) Chiang Kai-shek

6. 聯合報記者曾吉松／攝影 http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NATS3/4162779.shtml Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall or 台灣民主紀念館 (2008)

7. Taiwanese Soldiers in and after WWII 雙重殖民的悲哀與抵抗 台灣大地文教基金會

8. Numbers of Taiwanese Soldiers in Different Wars source

9. Yes and no. • Yes, because they do mark three important changes in the usages of a sign of political (colonial?) authority and a group of people’s sense of identity. • No, because • KMT is not from a “foreign” country, while Japan is. • De-colonization is either impossible—or an ongoing process, and Taiwan’s democratization is not yet well-developed. • Are we/you still “colonized”? • How is studying English literature connected with colonization? Ref. 20150825有話好說：日本曾經是祖國？台灣未對日抗戰？17:30

10. Controversies around the 70th Anniversary of End of WW II • When and Why was “China” involved in WW II? (1937/7/7 or 1939/6?) • On which side? • Former President Lee – on the Japanese side • Former Vice PresidentLien – ?

11. Textbook Guideline Controversies -- KMT took over Taiwan or restore Taiwan? -- Japan ruled over Taiwan or colonized Taiwan?

12. English literature and Colonial Education • Colonial Education/Civilization = done thru’ missionary, medicine and literature, etc. • The purpose of colonial education: Macaulay: "We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect." (source) • In India: first the Bible, and then English literature, were promoted by the East India Company. Examples of Colonialism & Partition of India 39:00

13. Relevance to US:English literature and Colonial Education India -- “Studying English literature was seen as a way of 'civilising' the native population. By 1835, this tactic was made law by the English Education Act, which officially required Indians to study in English and to study English literature. ” (Eaglestone 11) Taiwan -- In Taiwan: translation of American Modernist literature in the 60’s. (reference:美援文化傳播下的現代主義文學) Identity -- Colonization (or neo-colonialism) is inevitable, but we can be self-aware and selective in receiving its influences. One way to do it is to broaden our perspective and avoid US/Japan/Korea fever by understanding more cultures than just the dominant ones.

14. Basic Concepts: • English ≠ British • American ≠ US • English (King’s English, Queen’s English)  englishes

15. Q: What are World Literatures in English? • Two kinds of misunderstanding -- English literature and World literature • Definitions (see course intro.)

16. Mapping World Literatures in English

17. World Literatures in English: Major Concerns • 1. (De-)Colonization • 2. Civil War, Migration, Diaspora • 3. Identity + Language, Nation, Racial & Gender Stories of Growth

18. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (1) Colonization • What is it? • Colonization= one nation/people’s exploitation, control and possession of another nation/people on the levels of culture, politics and economy. • e.g. Slavery and Racism

19. History of European Colonization in Brief –Beginning • From exploration to trade and invasion/settlement. • Columbus’s ‘discovery’ – 1492 (Before him, some Vikings.) •  One in three of the indigenous population of Hispaniola were dead within two years of Columbus’s arrival; in 30 years they had all been wiped out. (causes: disease [small pox], torture, imprisonment and mass suicide, Walder 25) • (image source) The Effects of Smallpox Decimated The Americas When The Europeans Helped Spread the Disease in the 16th Century, As Depicted In This, The Florentine Codex

20. Q: Colonization: Other Consequences?

23. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (1): Physical and Cultural ColonizationSlavery & Racism Example: (slavery) Mansfield Park (Left) a boat for the Middle Passage; Image source: Identity and Difference323

24. World Literatures in English Physical and Cultural ColonizationSlavery & Racism (Right and Left) evidence for scientific racism; recent example The Bell Curve (1994) Image source: (right) Identity and Difference 308 (left) “scientific racism”

25. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (1): Effects of Colonization • Unequal Power Relations • caused by and/or related to the two above • between different cultures, men and women, the colonizer and the colonized, the haves and have-nots, etc.. • Stereotyping or Objectifyingthe Other Example (skipped): --The English Patient-- Sheltering Sky, -- Out of Africa, -- Heart of Darkness

26. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (1): Effects of Colonization – Stereotyping the natives • We were wanderers on prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and excessive toil. But suddenly, as we struggled round a bend, there would be a glimpse of rush walls, of peaked grass-roofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of feet stamping, of bodies swaying, of eyes rolling, under the droop of heavy and motionless foliage. The steamer toiled along slowly on the edge of a black and incomprehensible frenzy. The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us – who could tell? (Heart of Darkness –to be cont’d)

27. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (1): Effects of Colonization -- Stereotyping • We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse. We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember, because we were travelling in the night of first ages, of these ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign – and no memories. (Heart of Darkness 68 – 9)

28. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (1): Implicit Colonization • Dominance of English people(e.g. A Passage to India –The Bridge Party that creates a gap) • Narrow definitions of English and Eng. Literature • white man’s burden (assimilationism) • (e.g. My Fair Lady—English Language) • “The Empire Writes back” --with englishes, parodies, distinct or a mixture of cultures. Jamila Lyiscott: 3 ways to speak English

29. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (2): Civil War, Migration and Diaspora (離散族群) • Civil Wars that happened • Post-Emancipation (between poor whites and ex-slaves) • Post- WW-II-Independence Movements because of • unfair racial distribution of power • government corruption • neo-colonial intervention (Russia vs. US) • religious conflicts and fundamentalism

30. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (2): Civil War, Migration and Diaspora (離散族群) • Five kinds of Diaspora: •  Victim(e.g. Jews, Africans, Armenians), •  Labour (e.g. Indian, Chinese), •  Trade (e.g. Chinese and Lebanese), •  Imperial (e.g. the British), •  Cultural diasporas—most of our literary writers & some of our relatives and friends. Source: Global Diaspora: An Introduction ix

31. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (3): Identity --Who am “I”? • National, Cultural/Racial, & Gender Identities-- are all influenced and challenged by colonization, civil wars and (multiple) migration • e.g. multiculturalism & double identity • e.g. “What is Worth Knowing” (next week)  Look for (1) the signs of Indian culture; (2) the “Western” signs of displacement

32. World Literatures in English Major Concerns (3): Identity --Who am “I”? 2. Asserting one’s Identity thru’ • Language, Literatureas well as Different Ways of Living and Acting. • e.g. Caliban ““You taught me language, and my profit on 't / Is I know how to curse.” • e.g. “Situation” Note: allusions Max Mueller Bhavan -- All the institutes in India, is known as Max Mueller Bhavan – in honour of Max Müller (1823-1900), a scholar of comparative religion and co-founder of modern Indian studies. （author of Sacred Books of the East）

33. Situation By Ka. Naa. Subramanyam -- Upanishads印度哲學書 -- The Dance in India By Faubion Bowers 1953 “Sailing to Byzantium” (below)

34. Review: Course Title: (1) World Literatures in English (see syllabus) English ≠ UK American ≠ US Foreign Film ≠ Hollywood Film Foreigners ≠ Americans englishes ≠ King’s English

35. Postcolonial Literature: Main Concerns? 1. Cultural Colonization and its Impact on Race, Gender and Class Relations 2. Civil War, Diaspora and Global Migration 3. Identity --& its definitions thru’ Nation, Race, Gender, Class, Language & Social Action

36. Maps and Areas of Focus (source)

37. World Literatures in English: Possible Difficulties & Relevance • Difficulties 1. Language 2. Culture and History 3. Some “Postcolonial” Styles • Relevance Chinese Diaspora and Taiwan’s experience of multiple colonization

38. Course Title: (2) Stories of Growth • Children: • vulnerable and receptive to influences of their environment • like an innocent mirror posed to society 2. Experience of growth(genre: “bildungsroman”) • “turning points,” rite of passage (first day of school, most embarrassing moment/lessons, wedding) • with thoughts and needs we can relate to. Points of Access: Sameness & Difference  Building a context to connect

39. Example 1: The Peace Tree • Festival of lights: Diwali (in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism), Hanukkah (Judaism) and Christmas • Ramadan (齋月) • Peace Tree – a child’s way of wishing for peace in the world  But can the world’s conflicts be solved thru’ celebrating different festivals together?

40. Concept Map (1) Stories of Growth

41. References • Eaglestone, Robert. Doing English : A Guide for Literature Students. London ; New York Routledge, 2002. • Walder, Dennis. Post-Colonial Literatures in English: History, Language, Theory. Blackwell P, 1998. • Cohen, Robin. Global Diaspora: An Introduction. Seattle: U of Washington P, 1997.