This dissertation focuses on the reaction to colonialism from 1900 to 1964 in Northern Rhodesia. It will begin by giving a brief general historical review of colonialism in Africa, details of the racial attitudes of the British, then proceeds to discuss their respective political administration and finally the reaction of the natives to colonialism. Between the 1870s and 1900s, Africa faced heavy European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressures, military invasions, and eventual conquest and colonization. At the same time, African societies put up various forms of resistance against the attempt to colonize their countries and impose foreign domination. By the early twentieth century, however, much of Africa, except Ethiopia and Liberia, had been colonized by European powers.
Hunt Hawkins believes that Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was an anti-imperialism novel, as opposed to what some may believe while reading the novel; an example would be Chinua Achebe, who believes the novel to be racist and de-humanizing. Imperialism in Africa was evident in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and the affects of it was not only political, but also social, psychological, and spiritual. This essay will show a critical deconstruction on imperialism and Conrad’s work. Background In order to understand the point of this essay, one would need to understand what deconstruction is as well as imperialism. Deconstruction, according to Jacques Derrida, started in late 1960s France and “upends the Western metaphysical tradition.
Some of the first civilizations started in Africa, and forever after other civilizations wanted to conquer Africa as a means of showing their global superiority. Africa's worst domination, however, came from the Europeans. European colonization set the stage for imperialism that Africa deals with to this day. Before the resurgence of imperialism Africa was a resourceful continent. During imperialism, Europeans went into Africa and stripped its land of its resources and this also changed the climate negatively.
Europe, Africa, the river, and Kurtz are all plausible candidates for the heart of darkness within Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness. Marlow may refer to Europe when mentioning the heart of darkness for numerous reasons. The European governments and trade organizations have been the primary reasons for the infiltration and development of Africa. The Europeans have been the ones to enslave the African people and bring misery upon them. Marlow encounters much of this misery when first being introduced to the Chief Accountant of the Trade Company.
Europe wanted to set up and colonize in Africa, mainly because of Africa's raw materials it was purely economic. . (Iweriebor, 2011) The African's did not take kind to this, and it provoked not only African political responses but also diplomatic responses and military resistance. A lot of treaties of protection for the leaders of African societies, states, and empires went out. There was a lot of controversy about these treaties and eventually the military had to step in.
Overall, the trade brought about unceasing insecurities, economic disorder, and political chaos in the African continent. It blocked its socio-economic development by exploiting its technological, agricultural and human resources for the benefit of Europe only. It damaged Africa's mercantilist economy and prevented its evolution into a capitalist economy. On the long run, the Atlantic slave trade was the starting point of a process of socio-economic exploitation and political fragmentation that was later institutionalised by Europeans through colonisation and neocolonisation. In the end, only Europeans benefited from the trade.
Socio-politically. African culture, thus Arts has realized pragmatism, more so during the colonial and post-colonial periods, as opposed to its static stance in the pre-colonial period. Of worth- noting, the Mediterranean coastal areas in N. Africa, have long over-due being assimilated by Islamic culture. Both intra and inter-movements have respectively enabled Africans to travel within and outside the continent. Consequently, African art should include the art of the African diasporas, particularly those in S.E Asia, Brazil and the Caribbean.
THE CONCEPT OF NEOCOLONIALISM Neocolonialism is a concept derived from colonialism; and there is some theoretical consensus concerning its development. Scholars in postcolonial studies like Robert Young, Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin agree that inspite of the looseness of the term, neocolonialism originated with Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first post-independence president. The term neocolonialism first saw widespread use, particularly in reference to Africa, soon after the process of decolonization which followed a struggle by many national independence movements in the colonies following World War II. Upon gaining independence, some national leaders and opposition groups argued that their countries were being subjected to a new form of colonialism, waged by the former colonial powers and other developed nations. Kwame Nkrumah, who in 1957 became leader of newly independent
Introduction Studying the colonial period in Africa necessitates the scrutinizing of the policies that were used by the imperialist countries in this continent. To implement their policies, the colonizers created a geopolitical discourse whereby they could prevail and legitimize their ideologies. With the development of nationalist movements and with the increase in the demands for decolonization and independence the early speech was challenged and a new discourse emerged. This latter advocated the claims of underdeveloped countries and constituted an anti- geopolitical discourse which focused on the explanation of discrimination, exploitation and alienation of the oppressed peoples; it also pondered on the means that should be followed in order to overthrow this system. This paper sheds light on these aspects and it is divided into two main parts.
His mother, Sycorax, was said by Prospero to be from Algiers, capital of Algeria. While his father’s origin is debated, his character is representative of an African native as viewed by ‘superior’ white nobles at the time of his debut, with Pat Scorer writing: [W]e might note the silence [in The Tempest] surrounding Caliban’s reduction to slavery and Prospero’s assumption that, as a European exile landing by chance on these shores, he has a right to appropriate them and to subject any native occupant to his will. (2000, p291) Caliban being representative of colonial attitudes towards the native peoples of colonised islands,