Literature And Criticism Of The 19th Century - 1693 Words

For many, it is hard to know what to do about a world beset by struggles of cultural nationalism and staggering divides in the wealth and poverty of nations. Struggles of such are direct consequences of British colonial rule, after all, Britain was the largest of a series of European empires to conquer and divide a great portion of the world from a bird’s eye view. Thus, the driving force of postcolonial literature is in fact the legacy with which colonialism left behind; it is often concerned with the revision of history, the reclamation of places, and the assertion of one’s cultural identity and integrity. Now, postcolonial literature and criticism began in the nineteen-nineties and continues to preside in the present day; but what is†¦show more content†¦According to Edward Said, a great deal of the Hammoud 2 resistance to imperialism â€Å"was conducted in the name of nationalism† (â€Å"Yeats and Decolonization†, 74). To him, nationalism was a â€Å"mobilizing force† (74) of resistance towards Britain’s role in subordinating Irish culture. Now, in Yeat’s perspective, the most effective way to revise history, reclaim a place, and assert one’s cultural identity and integrity is by articulating that which is artificial as opposed to that which is natural; this requires the use of the imagination over the use of realism to promote national independence. Why? Because what is done is done, and what is lost is lost. In his â€Å"Lake Isle of Innisfree†, Yeats promotes the use of the imagination in order to link what is past, passing, and coming to the people of Ireland. By doing so, he demonstrates that Ireland is capable of imagining nationhood. Unfortunately however, he falls short as he cannot seem to demonstrate that Ireland is a l iving culture capable of adapting to situations initiated by colonial rule. According to postcolonial theory, in terms of the revision of history, colonizers often depicted their victims as ones existing outside of history; the colonized were portrayed as uncivilized and in desperate need of progressive development supported by the colonizers; in this way, postcolonial writers were often preoccupied in telling of things from the perspective of the colonized, in hopes to create a new educational