What is Postcolonialism?
• By definition, postcolonialism is a
period of time after colonialism, and
postcolonial literature is
characterized by its opposition to the
colonial.
• Despite a consensus on general
themes of postcolonialism, there is
an ongoing debate regarding the
meaning of postcolonialism. Many
critics now propose that the term
should include the literatures of
Canada, the United States, and
Australia.
Want Literature?
• Postcolonial literature often focuses on race
relations and the effects of racism and usually
indicts white and/or colonial societies.
• Postcolonial literature often records racism or a
history of a genocide, including slavery,
apartheid, and the mass extinction of peoples
(i.e: the Aborigines in Australia)
• Most significantly, is the fact that the nature and
subject of most postcolonial writings have been
dictated due to the very different geographical,
historical, social, religious, and economic
concerns on the different ex-colonies.
Authors’ Commentary
Author Gina Wisker notes that
postcolonial texts tends to
produce guilt or feelings of
inherited complicity in many
readers.
While author Deepika Bahri
states that the use of the
term “postcolonialism”
allows for a yoking together
of a very diverse range of
experiences, cultures, and
problems.
Ultimately, Simon
During argues that
postcolonialism is
“the need, in nations,
or groups, which
have been victims of
imperialism to
achieve an identity
uncontaminated by
universalist or
Eurocentric concepts
or images.”
Postcolonial Theories/Studies
• Postcolonial theory has been mainly influenced
by poststructuralist thought and has produced a
favorite subject matter in many texts, based on:
power, resistance, and identity.
• Finally, postcolonial studies tend to be
contingent, unstable, contradictory, and/or in
process. They also, tend to be highly self-critical
and thus always engaged in active questioning.
“Jane’s All White”
• Jane Eyre is good for a postcolonial reading due to
the Christianity in the novel. Christianity is full of
polar opposites like good/bad, heaven/hell, and
God/devil. Jane Eyre also includes white/black into
this list of dichotomies.
• These white/black opposites include
beauty/ugliness, cosy domesticity/the wild,
virgin sexuality/promiscuity,
cleanliness/dirt,
civilized/savage, sentient/mad.
• These dichotomies allude to
postcolonial/racist undertones
within the novel
Bronte loathes non-whites
• Rochester describing Bertha’s family is full of
racism. He calls Bertha’s mother a “Creole” on page
326. That’s pretty racist if you ask me. He also says
that Bertha has “pigmy intellect” on page 345.
Apparently, pigmy does not only mean small, but it
also means coming form India or Ethiopia. This
implies that Indians and Ethiopians have an inferior
intellect. This is probably what Rochester meant. He
is very sneaky.
• “India is realized as a place in which good white
people sacrifice themselves on a metaphorical cross
and die.” (413). This ties back into Christian
references and the idea that white people are good.
St. John is a Christ figure for going to India. This
promotes colonialism.
No, Wait--she Loathes
All Non-Europeans
• -“For Bronte, sexual licentiousness and the
native are represented as one and
inseparable…. When seeking sexual comfort
in Europe, Rochester looks for the antipodes of
the Creole.” Europeans are far too proper to be
good in bed.
• Rochester, on page 347, feels a sweet and fresh
wind from Europe. Even the weather is better
in Europe than elsewhere. Wonder if Bronte
really hates foreigners.
Where “Jane’s All White” Went Wrong
• First things first: we
concede that “Jane’s All
White” got a few things
right. The portrayal of
Bertha does tend to support
the idea that Charlotte
Bronte and by extension
Jane are racist and think
British people are the most
amazing thing in the world,
ever.
• Most of the article,
however, is a little bit
ridiculous.
Where it Went Wrong Again.
• Of course Bronte’s upbringing affects her
writing, how in the world could it not? Duh.
That doesn’t mean she is racist.
• The use of light and dark descriptions of
people are actually just symbolic not racist or
indicative of the effects of colonialism for
most of the novel.
• Hisotrically light and dark are common literary
symbols. Why would they all of a sudden be
racist symbols? They aren’t.
Real Meaning of Darkness
• Think about it. The characters that are
described as dark aren’t the lowest of the low
which a racist use of the concept would
suggest.
• Mrs. Reed and Blanche are both “dark.”
Granted they are really mean but they are also
rich, accomplished and high class.
• Doesn’t it make sense that darkness in this case
could just mean “be wary” or
“this person is dangerous/
mean/bad/whatever”
Reason We Are Right.
• Rochester is described as dark. Especially as
the gypsy. He is described as “black as a
crock.”
• At the same time he is a protagonist. You are
rooting for him and his happiness.
• Why would Bronte make her main character
dark if that darkness is supposed to mean that
she is racist? That is just dumb.
• Darkness really just acts to enhance the
mystery of Rochester. It makes him more
allusive and adds to the love story.
To Sum up
• Post-colonialism is some reference to colonies,
imperialists, racism, culture differences and
such in literature.
• It is confusing and subjective and is not a term
to be thrown around willy nilly.
• Don’t jump to conclusions. Dark doesn’t
always mean racist.
• The end.