Duncan argues that empire can be determined nowhere in Collins’ novel The Moonstone, because it is everywhere. There was a strict geographical (England and its colonies) and also social (high, middle and lower class) order in Victorian England. Englishmen and Christianity were regarded superior to the subject races and their religions (e.g. Islam or Buddhism), those were considered barbaric and their believes archaic and of low moral. Most of Collins’ con-temporaries believed in the necessity and generosity of imperialism. Nayder even claims that racial hatred towards the subject races was the general, public opinion of the masses in En-gland, especially after the Mutiny in 1857 which motivated Charles Dickens to state: “I wish I were Commander in Chief in India. The first thing I would do to strike that Oriental race with amazement … should be to proclaim to them, in their language, that I consider my holding that appointment by the leave of God, to mean that I should do my utmost to exterminate the Race upon whom the stain of the late cruelties lasted” (Nayder, pp. 216/217). Collins distan-ces himself from the public opinion of the time and regards the oriental literature which tea-ches Muslim and Buddhist morals as equal to Christian moralistic teaching. This becomes clear when we take a look at his “A Sermon for Sepoys” from 1858, where he almost praises the oriental ideals of devotion to the service of god, unimportance of earthly properties and brotherly love, which will lead to an eternal life in paradise. Collins claims that the Indians should be taught their own literature instead of a foreign Christian morality by, at least in some cases, questionable English gentlemen.
In the Victorian era empire was an important part of the national identity and the empire was to be hold together by all means and ways. A global, imperial economy based on dispossessions in the colonies had already been established and certainly many Englishmen left En-gland for the purpose of making money abroad through trade or even through plundering, if there were offered such opportunities to them. The wealth of many English noblemen was collected through means which would have to be considered unchristian or even inhumane these days. In the middle of the 19th century capitalistic ideals were, at least for some people, already more important than Christian morals or a traditional understanding of honour.
Table of Contents
1. Preface
2. The Depiction of the Three Indian Brahmins in the Novel
3. The Depiction of English Characters in the Novel
4. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This work examines Wilkie Collins' novel "The Moonstone" to analyze his critical perspective on Victorian imperialism, focusing on the dichotomy between the representation of Indian figures and the moral failings of the English characters.
- The role of colonialism in the formation of Victorian national identity.
- Contrast between the perceived "barbaric" nature of subject races and their actual religious devotion.
- The critique of the English upper class through characters like Herncastle and Ablewhite.
- The function of the Moonstone as a symbol of colonial exploitation and guilt.
- The evaluation of how socio-cultural prejudices influenced the reception of the Brahmins.
Excerpt from the Book
2. The Depiction of the Three Indian Brahmins in the Novel
The first appearance of the three Indians takes place when Betteredge is having a walk around the terrace and accidentally meets “three mahagony-coloured Indians” who he judges as “strolling conjurers”. One of them, speaking English, asks for “permission to show his tricks in the presence of the lady of the house”. Although Betteredge claims that he is “the last person in the world to distrust another person because he happens to be a few shades darker than himself”, which is obviously not true when we consider his later statements about the Indians, he is nevertheless suspicious of a “strolling stranger whose manners are superior to his own” and he “warns them off the premises” (Collins, p. 26). Penelope and the lodge-keeper’s daughter who have also watched the three Indians passing out, assume that the boy in company of the Indians is “ill-used by the foreigners”, an assumption which is immediately proved wrong when one of the Indians asks the boy “whether he would like to be sent back to London, and left where they had found him, sleeping in an empty basket in a market – a hungry ragged and forsaken little boy” (Collins, p. 27). Later in the novel we are informed that “the Indians look upon their boy as a Seer of things invisible to their eyes” (Collins, p. 286) and have no such intention as ill-using or abusing him.
Summary of Chapters
1. Preface: This section introduces the historical and social context of Victorian imperialism, contrasting public opinion with Collins' nuanced perspective on Oriental literature and morality.
2. The Depiction of the Three Indian Brahmins in the Novel: The chapter explores how the three Indians are unfairly stereotyped as thieves and murderers by the English characters, despite their pious motivation to restore their sacred diamond.
3. The Depiction of English Characters in the Novel: This part analyzes the moral hypocrisy of English figures such as John Herncastle and Godfrey Ablewhite, highlighting their involvement in colonial plunder and personal greed.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes how Collins uses the novel to challenge the justifications of imperial exploitation and reflects on the enduring legacy of colonial structures in the modern world.
Keywords
Wilkie Collins, The Moonstone, Imperialism, Victorian Era, Colonialism, Brahmins, John Herncastle, Godfrey Ablewhite, Orientalism, Imperial Violence, Social Class, Racial Prejudice, Morality, Exploitation, British Empire
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work investigates Wilkie Collins' critique of Victorian imperialism and colonial power structures within his novel "The Moonstone."
What are the primary themes explored?
Key themes include the moral hypocrisy of the British elite, the misrepresentation of the Indian population, and the socio-economic motivations behind the colonial empire.
What is the central research question?
The study explores whether Collins utilizes his novel to offer a disguised but fundamental criticism of the injustice, racial prejudice, and exploitative nature of British imperialism.
Which methodology is employed?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, examining the text of "The Moonstone" in relation to historical context, the author's other writings, and relevant critical theories regarding imperialism.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The body analyzes the negative portrayal of Indian characters by biased narrators compared to their reality as pious Brahmins, and the exposure of morally depraved English characters.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is defined by concepts such as Imperialism, Colonialism, Racial Prejudice, Victorian morality, and the critique of social class inequalities.
How does the author view the characters of John Herncastle and Godfrey Ablewhite?
They are seen as representations of high English class hypocrisy; they engage in colonial theft and personal dishonesty while maintaining a facade of honor and Christian virtue.
What is the significance of the "A Sermon for Sepoys" in this analysis?
The author uses this text to demonstrate that Collins valued Indian religious and moral ideals, which contradicts the contemporary English belief in the superiority of Western Christian morality.
Why are the Indian characters initially perceived as thieves?
They are victims of the pervasive xenophobia and racial stereotypes prevalent in Victorian society, which conditioned characters like Betteredge to view dark-skinned foreigners with automatic suspicion.
- Citar trabajo
- Bachelor of Arts Martin Boddenberg (Autor), 2011, England and its Colonies in Wilkie Collins' "The Moonstone", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/182070
