3. Applied Literature
Masoumeh Baei; Behzad Pourgharib; Abdolbaghi Rezaei Talarposhti
Abstract
The endeavor to establish reconciliation between the opposing demands of two cultural communities lies at the heart of some literary works associated with postcolonial literature. This theme, which is also central to the novels of Bharati Mukherjee, especially The Tree Bride, forms the plot of the novel ...
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The endeavor to establish reconciliation between the opposing demands of two cultural communities lies at the heart of some literary works associated with postcolonial literature. This theme, which is also central to the novels of Bharati Mukherjee, especially The Tree Bride, forms the plot of the novel and serves as an axis around which the characters are developed. The present article adopts the theories of Homi. K. Bhabha to expound upon the gap that distances the oriental and the occidental cultures from one another and renders fragmented the identity of the postcolonial individual. Bhabha’s notions of the uncanny and the hybrid identity are two central concepts that can serve as keys to explaining the postcolonial encounter. They can significantly contribute to the discussion of the novel as they can prepare the ground for the investigation of how anti-colonial resistance becomes possible through the third space that is created through hybridity and the uncanny. In The Tree Bride, the protagonist finds herself between two cultures that attempt to draw her into their own orbits. The protagonist’s mimicry of the target culture is an ironic one, since it consists of acceptance and rejection at the same time. In other words, while Tara Chatterjee mimics the norms and criteria of the target culture toward which she strives, she is influenced by her ancestral culture. The paper argues that such uncanny condition can be detrimental to the individual and plunge her into a deep identity crisis.
3. Applied Literature
Ahad Mehrvand; Shiva Talebi Ashtiyani
Abstract
Conrad’s acclaimed works from his middle period have been thoroughly studied from several perspectives including postcolonialism whereas the novels from his early period were overlooked due to their so-called“uneven” quality. The most notable works among Conrad’s early novels ...
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Conrad’s acclaimed works from his middle period have been thoroughly studied from several perspectives including postcolonialism whereas the novels from his early period were overlooked due to their so-called“uneven” quality. The most notable works among Conrad’s early novels are hisLingard Trilogy- three of his early novels which are based on the recurring presence of the Captain Tom Lingard, the protagonist, and therelationship between Westerners and non-Westerners in a contact zone where both cultures meet. A postcolonial study of these novels can reveal Conrad’s attempt to change the binary logic of his time which put the West in a position of power. Postcolonial elements in this trilogy can be studied by using Homi Bhabha’s theories of stereotype, ambivalence, mimicry, hybridity, and othering to substantiate our claim that in Lingard Trilogy, Conrad’s discourse was anti-racist and against the imperial logic of the nineteenth century, since he tried to change it in the Trilogy.