世界英文文学.ppt

1、世界英文文學,印度,加勒比海地區,南非,移民,Spring, 2005 Kate Liu,種族&性別議題,Outline,What are “World Literatures in English”? Main Concerns: (de-)colonization; migration; identity Difficulties and Relevance,Two kinds of misunderstanding - “English” literature and World literature (A related one: the U.S. = America) Definit

2、ion: literatures written in English in 1.) the U.S. and U.K., and in 2.) the English-speaking countries in areas ranging from Africa, South Asia, South-East Asia, East Asia (e.g. Hong Kong), South Pacific area (e.g. Australia a map.),What are World Literatures in English?,Mapping World Literatures i

3、n English,World Literatures in English: Major Concerns,1. (De-)Colonization2. Migration, Diaspora3. Identity + Language, Nation, Racial & Gender,What do you think about these two images?,(中正紀念堂，台北謠言阮義忠先生攝,慈湖,Two significant images in the history Taiwans colonization or democratization?,What is it? C

4、olonization= one nations exploitation, control and possession of another nation on the levels of culture, politics and economy. e.g. Slavery and Racism,World Literatures in English,Major Concerns (1) Colonization,World Literatures in English,Image source: 1. slave ship; 2. biological determinism Ide

5、ntity and Difference 323 & 308,Major Concerns (1): Explicit Colonization Slavery & Racism,History of European Colonization in Brief Beginning,From exploration to trade and invasion/settlement. Or economic military/political cultural. Columbuss discovery 1492 (Before him, some Vikings.) One in three

6、of the indigenous population of Hispaniola were dead within two years of Columbuss arrival; In 30 years they had all been wiped out. (causes: disease, torture, imprisonment and mass suicide Walder 25) Example of criticism: Gullivers Travels,For Reference: Gullivers Travels Chapter 39,Gulliver, towar

7、ds the end of his adventures, hesitates to inform the government of his discoveries, because “that enlargement typically involves a crew of pirates. . .driven by a storm they know not whither. They go on shore to rob and plunder, they see an harmless people, they take formal possession of it for the

8、 king. . . Ships are sent with the first opportunity, the natives driven out of destroyed, their princes tortured to discover their gold.” “The first colonization of North American by English-speaking settlers in the early 17th century was contemporaneous with the far larger settlement of Ireland by

9、 Scottish Presbyterians, with the aim of reducing to civility the indigenous, Gaelic speaking Catholic people.” (Walder 33),History of European Colonization in Brief ,1800 “European laid claim to more than half the worlds land surface, and, in varying degree, controlled a third.” (26) with their tra

10、ders, missionaries and merchants. The British colonization: Mid 19th century: the U.K. conquered of the world. Turning Point: The Indian Mutiny 1857 (end of the East India Company). Culmination: Queen Victorias Diamond Jubilee 1897. The people of the Empire fought for the U.K. in the World Wars. Dec

11、line: from Empire to Commonwealth (1912 South Africa; 1931 Canada, Ireland, etc.; 1947 India; Caribbean nations 1950s and 1960s).,Major Concerns (1): Effects of Colonization,Unequal Power Relations caused by racism and based on colonial interest. between different cultures, men and women, the coloni

12、zer and the colonized, the haves and have-nots, etc colonial identities.,World Literatures in English,Dominance and narrow definitions of English and Eng. Literature white mans burden; British and U.S. literatures as the core of English department. e.g. Indias learning of Bible and then English Lite

13、rature un-examined acceptance of their values and biases.,World Literatures in English,Major Concerns (1): Implicit/Cultural Colonization,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), Cul

14、tural diasporas. Source: Global Diaspora: An Introduction ix,World Literatures in English,Major Concerns (2): Migration and Diaspora,Migration Connecting different parts of the world,The need for slaves gets stronger as there are more plantations in central and south Americas; Abolishment of slave t

15、rade in 1807, and slavery in 1834 indentured Indian and Chinese laborers to West Indies; In the South African War (1899-1902) between the Dutch settlers and the British colonizers (with Indians joining the war). Multiple migration: e.g. Chinese/Indian the Caribbean U.K Canada or the U.S.,Race/Class

16、relations among the colonized (e.g. Indias Caste system) Race/Gender relations between Colonizers and the Colonized Wide Sargasso Sea and Foe Influenced and challenged by colonization and (multiple) migratione.g. multiculturalism & double identity (e.g. “What is Worth Knowing”) Asserting ones Identi

17、ty thru Language, Literature and Cultural Distinctness (e.g. Narayan),World Literatures in English,Major Concerns (III): Identity -Who am “I”?,Identity and Language,e.g. My Fair Lady.Class distinction language distinction. Class: “Im a respectable girl: so help me, I never spoke to him cept so far a

18、s to buy a flower off me.” Language: “Look at her: a prisoner of the gutter, Condemned by every syllable she utters, By right she should be taken out and hung, For the cold-blooded murder of the English tongue.”,Exemplary view of “Standard English”,An Englishmans way of speaking absolutely classifie

19、s him. The moment he talks, he makes some other Englishman despise him. One common language Im afraid well never get. Oh why cant the English learn to paying for his coffee Set a good example to people, whos English, is painful to your ears. The Scotch and the Irish leave you close to tears! There a

20、re even places where English completely disappears, receives his change Why, in America they havent used it for years.,Difficulties 1. Language englishes 2. Culture and History 3. Some “Postcolonial” StylesRelevance Chinese Diaspora and Taiwans experience of multiple colonization,World Literatures in English: Possible Difficulties & Relevance,References,Walder, Dennis. Post-Colonial Literatures in English: History, Language, Theory. Blackwell Pub (April 1, 1998).,