The colonial identity in the Remains of the day
The colonial identity in the Remains Of The Day and In the Castle of My Skin.
While Remains of the Day and In the Castle of My Skin are presented in diametrically-opposed perspectives of colonizer and colonized respectively, an assessment of the novels would evince that the application of black-and-white dichotomies in understanding the colonial enterprise may not be effective. Despite the fact that he is English, both Stevens and the indigenous Barbadian community are subordinated within the hierarchy of imperialism. The novels are set in the twilight years of the British Empire, with the crumbling imperial apparatus allowing the reevaluation of one’s identity outside the system. This pervasive system is a double-edged sword that subverts the internal psyche of those in the Mother Country and the colonized as well. The struggle of the characters to establish viable identities while escaping from the fetters of British colonialism is hence a universal one. This essay will examine the dynamics between colonialism and identity of both colonizer and colonized, especially the impacts on the individual psyche as well as the construction of the colonial identity.
The damaged identity under the colonial system
Both novels demonstrate an intimate understanding of the damaged psyche of those involved in the colonial enterprise. After all, the conquering of the epistemological space, rather than the use of physical violence perpetuated colonialism. Internal fragmentation is experienced as the characters attempt to reconcile their individual identities and that designated by the system. Thus, the unreliability of Stevens is not merely an ethical shortcoming, but rather due to the conflict between his position as a butler serving a Nazi-sympathizer and his own moral consciousness. While Stevens’s “every instinct” opposed the dismissal of the Jewish maids, his “professional duty” enslaved him to Darlington’s “wishes” (Remains 148, 149). G’s enrollment in the High
While Remains of the Day and In the Castle of My Skin are presented in diametrically-opposed perspectives of colonizer and colonized respectively, an assessment of the novels would evince that the application of black-and-white dichotomies in understanding the colonial enterprise may not be effective. Despite the fact that he is English, both Stevens and the indigenous Barbadian community are subordinated within the hierarchy of imperialism. The novels are set in the twilight years of the British Empire, with the crumbling imperial apparatus allowing the reevaluation of one’s identity outside the system. This pervasive system is a double-edged sword that subverts the internal psyche of those in the Mother Country and the colonized as well. The struggle of the characters to establish viable identities while escaping from the fetters of British colonialism is hence a universal one. This essay will examine the dynamics between colonialism and identity of both colonizer and colonized, especially the impacts on the individual psyche as well as the construction of the colonial identity.
The damaged identity under the colonial system
Both novels demonstrate an intimate understanding of the damaged psyche of those involved in the colonial enterprise. After all, the conquering of the epistemological space, rather than the use of physical violence perpetuated colonialism. Internal fragmentation is experienced as the characters attempt to reconcile their individual identities and that designated by the system. Thus, the unreliability of Stevens is not merely an ethical shortcoming, but rather due to the conflict between his position as a butler serving a Nazi-sympathizer and his own moral consciousness. While Stevens’s “every instinct” opposed the dismissal of the Jewish maids, his “professional duty” enslaved him to Darlington’s “wishes” (Remains 148, 149). G’s enrollment in the High
Cited: Bates, Thomas R. “Gramsci and the Theory of Hegemony,” Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 36, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1975), pp. 351-366. Booker, M. Keith and Juraga, Dubravka. The Caribbean Novel in English: An Introduction. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2001. Ishiguro, Kazuo. The remains of the day. London: Faber, 1989. Lamming, George. In the castle of my skin; foreword by Sandra Pouchet Paquet. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1991. Richardson, Michael. “Enough Said: Reflections on Orientalism,” Anthropology Today, Vol. 6, No. 4 (Aug., 1990), pp. 16-19. Rinder, Irwin D. and Campbell, Donald T. “Varieties of Inauthenticity,” Phylon (1940-1956), Vol. 13, No. 4 (4th Qtr., 1952), pp. 270-275 Watson, Timothy Peter. “The sun also sets: British culture at the ends of Empire,” Diss. Columbia University, 1998. Dissertations & Theses: Full Text. ProQuest. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.proquest.com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/>