We are told about the world before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them. And those preconceptions, unless education has made us acutely aware, govern deeply the whole process of perception (Lippmann: 90).
In defining the nature of stereotypes Walter Lippmann in 1922 explained one of the governing principles of human perception and human relationships. Although his theory on Public Opinion did not exclusively allude to the relationship between coloniser and colonised, his work laid the foundation of the historical, cultural and literary investigation and understanding of the mechanisms of colonial control through the power of stereotyping. By shaping the world they perceived according to their beliefs, moral codes and attitudes, including those concerning the people and lands they occupied, colonisers have ever since dominated their colonies not only through military strength and physical violence but also through their views.
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The aim of my work will partly be to demonstrate the major tropes of colonial stereotypes and their functioning in some selected literary pieces of High Imperialism, which approximately stretches from the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) to the end of the First World War (1918). As the “jewel in the crown” (Laisram: vii), India has long caught the most attention of all the British colonies, and even fascinated politicians, writers, and philosophers of other European nations. Due to this fact, I have chosen to focus on literary pieces that refer to this richest colony of the British Empire only.
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However, the main part of my work will concentrate on the aftermath of colonialism, i.e. the dealings of colonial stereotypes in contemporary English fiction.
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The basic question will thereby be whether the selected writers William Sutcliffe, Pankaj Mishra, Ruth Jhabvala and Anita Desai succeed in questioning and finally reversing colonial stereotypes in their narratives of East-West encounters – or whether they fall back on the images of the colonial legacy. Are Orient and Occident still two opposite poles in the perception of today’s world? Is there still an East-West divide between those formerly colonised and those formerly colonising as Edward W. Said stated in his 1978 published and highly influential theory on Orientalism?
Table of Contents
1 Stereotypes of the Other: Can Contemporary English Fiction Reverse Colonial Traditions? – Introduction
2 Stereotypes in Sociological and Literary Contexts
2.1 Stereotyping as Mode of Orientation and Identity Finding
2.2 Stereotypes in Colonial Relations
2.2.1 Victorian Stereotypes of the Indian Subordinate
2.3 Stereotypes in East-West Relations
2.3.1 Stereotypes as Symptoms of an ‘Imperialism of the Mind’
3 The Deconstruction of Colonial and Orientalist Stereotypes in The Romantics, Journey to Ithaca, Travelers, and Are You Experienced?
3.1 Travels to India – Travels to Colonial Visions?
3.2 Western Mimics and Authentic Indians: Analysis of the Novels’ Character Constellations
3.2.1 Sexuality, Spirituality and the Question of Supremacy
3.2.1.1 Bridging the Culture Gap? The Depiction of Sexual Encounters and Gender Role Models
3.2.1.2 Losing One’s Senses: The Characters’ Search of the Sublime
3.3 Western ‘First World’ Perspectives on ‘Third World’ India: The Tourist’s Quest for the Other
3.3.1 What is the ‘Real’ India? The First World Traveller’s Longing for Truth and Authenticity
4 Where Tourists Meet Trickers: The Difficulties of Stereotype Deconstruction in the Four Analysed Novels – Conclusion
5 Bibliographies
5.1 Primary Sources
5.2 Secondary Sources
Research Objectives and Themes
This work examines how contemporary English fiction navigates and potentially deconstructs deep-seated colonial and Orientalist stereotypes regarding India. By analyzing selected novels, the study explores whether these postcolonial narratives successfully challenge the binary oppositions of East and West or whether they inadvertently perpetuate the tropes of the colonial legacy, focusing on the intersection of identity, spirituality, and Western perception.
- The persistence of colonial imagery in contemporary literature.
- The role of "spiritual seeking" as a modern form of Orientalist projection.
- Character constellations and the subversion of the "Western hero" archetype.
- The clash between Western tourist expectations and the multifaceted realities of postcolonial India.
- The function of mimicry and self-perception in East-West encounters.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.1.1 Bridging the Culture Gap? The Depiction of Sexual Encounters and Gender Role Models
His eyes were velvet and heavy. He looked very oriental. She wished they could be closer together in understanding, that she could explain herself better to him. But perhaps it was not possible by means of words. ‘Okay,’ she said. She unbuttoned her blouse and took it off. She was wearing nothing underneath (Jhabvala: 48).
Ruth Jhabvala has more than once been accused of reviving Orientalist stereotypes in her novels. According to David Rubin she “in fact continues the traditions of the colonial British novelists of the half century preceding Indian Independence” (Rubin: 70) when, for example, frequently showing her female western characters “trapped by the irresistible sexual attractiveness of Indians whom they fail to understand” (Ibid: 70). This, however, is only partly true for Travelers. What can be said is that the American Lee is indeed somehow trapped in a sexual situation with the Indian Gopi, although – or better because – she does not understand him. However, it is not his irresistible sexual attractiveness that lets her sleep with him but her confusion about their cultural difference and the appropriate dealing with it. While Gopi believes that she wanted to have sex with him when following him to a hotel room, Lee mistakes his invitation to enjoy “a very good view” (Ibid: 43) from there for an innocent piece of touristic advice. When protesting against his touch, he feels hurt and disappointed since she does not react according to the stereotype he holds about western girls.
Summary of Chapters
1 Stereotypes of the Other: Can Contemporary English Fiction Reverse Colonial Traditions? – Introduction: This chapter introduces the theoretical foundation regarding stereotypes and outlines the core objective of investigating colonial tropes in contemporary fiction.
2 Stereotypes in Sociological and Literary Contexts: This section explores the sociological nature of stereotyping and prejudice, demonstrating how these were codified as distinction markers in colonial literature.
3 The Deconstruction of Colonial and Orientalist Stereotypes in The Romantics, Journey to Ithaca, Travelers, and Are You Experienced?: This main chapter performs a deep analysis of four selected novels to detect whether they successfully reverse or fall back on colonial stereotypes.
4 Where Tourists Meet Trickers: The Difficulties of Stereotype Deconstruction in the Four Analysed Novels – Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, concluding that while some authors offer a critical deconstruction, the ingrained nature of these stereotypes makes full reversal a difficult and complex process.
5 Bibliographies: Lists all primary and secondary sources utilized in the research.
Keywords
Colonialism, Orientalism, Stereotypes, Postcolonial Literature, East-West Relations, Indian Identity, Western Perspective, Cultural Encounter, Spirituality, Tourism, Identity Finding, Mimicry, Alterity, British Raj, Social Perception.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work investigates the processing of colonial and Orientalist stereotypes within contemporary English fiction set in post-independence India.
What are the central thematic areas?
The key themes include the deconstruction of colonial binaries, the intersection of sexual and spiritual encounters, and the role of Western travelers in maintaining or dismantling images of the "East."
What is the core research question?
The research asks whether contemporary authors succeed in questioning and reversing colonial stereotypes or whether their narratives inadvertently fall back upon the images inherited from the colonial legacy.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a literary analysis approach, drawing on postcolonial theory, sociology, and cultural studies to evaluate character constellations and narrative techniques.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body examines four novels—The Romantics, Journey to Ithaca, Travelers, and Are You Experienced?—analyzing how they handle intercultural encounters and the quest for authenticity.
How can the keywords characterize this work?
The work is defined by the study of postcolonial dynamics, the critique of Orientalist discourse, and the analysis of the Western "tourist gaze."
How does Jhabvala’s work challenge traditional views?
Jhabvala challenges traditional views by portraying characters that oscillate between being "marionettes" of their own stereotypes and agents of tragic, moral messages, rather than straightforwardly romanticizing the Indian setting.
What unique perspective does Pankaj Mishra contribute to the discussion?
Mishra contributes a nuanced perspective through his Indian narrator, Samar, who provides an insider's view that avoids the simplistic categorization often found in European-authored texts.
- Quote paper
- Julia Krause (Author), 2009, The Deconstruction of Colonial Stereotypes in Contemporary English Fiction, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/141698
