Post Colonial Theory
Post Colonialism Theory To understand the post colonialism theory, I believe that we must first take a brief look at how we got here. In order to reach the post era, we first must walk through the challenges and lessons of those before us. How else would the history that we have to teach us today be there, how else would we have the literature to educate us? Colonialism was all about the newer, bigger, better lands and though these lands had natives already, they were just another obstacle. They would befriend the natives and get them to teach them the ways of the land in order to live and survive off the land. Once they were self-sufficient, they would begin to try to conform the natives to their way of life as the proper way of life. They would teach them that they were living wrong and evil lives and would eventually turn against the natives when they did not conform to their way of life. Therefore switching roles from the colonized to the colonizers. In switching the roles of power and showing their true colors and purpose for being there, they showed their true nature for possession and power, for fear and hate. Throughout the texts that we have been studying, we see this over and over again in the way that these characters move in and take over. As we look at the way Gilgamesh was possessive of his people and his land, we see the way he did as he pleased. He was known to be two thirds god and "a tyrant." (Manson 15) As in those who are the colonizers, he was feared and not necessarily respected. He imposed his wishes and commands on his people and rather than living for them he forced them into submission, such as claiming his birthright, "the privilege of sleeping with their brides before the husbands were permitted." (Manson 15) as you see even now throughout the history books. It is a constant hunger for the power and desire of what is not ours that drives some. He lived this way for some time thinking that he is content until the farmer 's
Cited: Baldwin, Dean R., and Patrick J. Quinn. An Anthology of Colonial and Postcolonial Short Fiction. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Print. Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print. Shakespeare, William, Barbara A.. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tempest. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print.