Discourse on colonialism by Aim’e C’esaire brings out a civilization that fails in solving the issues it creates. A civilization that chooses to close its eyes; its most burning issues ends up a stricken civilization and is resorts to using deceit and trickery is a dying civilization. As shaped for two centuries under the bourgeois rule, the European civilization is incapable of solving two critical issues. The colonial problem and the proletariat. The relationship between Caliban and Prospero is the resemblance of the relationship of dependence between a colonizer and the native. Caliban's actions towards Prospero show of a people who have been colonized for a period of time.
According to C’esaire’s Discourse on Colonialism, colonialism had never been a benevolent organization whose fundamental objective was to better the lives of the colonized. Instead, the motives were economically exploitive and self-centered. Césaire argues that by creating colonies, the European colonists created the colonial problem and the proletariat problem. This argument is based on the sentiments that no nation colonizes innocently, a civilization trying to justify colonization is a sick civilization. By identifying the colonial era as one fundamentally influenced by racism, fueled racial construction. In A Tempest , Césaire celebrates the verbal war waged by Caliban against Prospero and questions Prospero’s claims to the island. In the post-colonial era, the Caliban struggle of language and breaking ties from Prospero have been alluded to depict defiant subjects in the face of oppression under the European rule. This could also be the embodiment of any other oppressed minority or group.
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Colonialism in Shakespeare’s The Tempest explores the complex relationship between European colonizers and native people, as portrayed by the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero sees Caliban as the second class being to himself and as who needs to be stripped off "savagery." Prospero does not realize that he himself has stolen the leadership of the island from Caliban. It downs on Caliban that Prospero views him as a lesser being and begins to be violent towards Prospero. This further fuels the "savagery" narrative. Their relationship portrays how lack of understanding thereof, affects the relationship of the colonized and the colonizer minting hatred and conflict. The Tempest explores the opportunities and fears and misguided opportunities that colonization creates. Exposure to a new type of people begets racial segregation and intolerance. As is depicted in Prospero’s quote, “A devil, a born devil, on whose nature, Nurture can never stick…” Prospero views the native’s leader Caliban as a savage who is beyond salvaging.
Shakespeare brings out Prospero as an angry man in his aged days. In his ways of commutation to Miranda, Prospero's anger reservoir is brought to light. He portrays the kind of anger that beats logic and reason. Caliban can be a slave naturally, as depicted by Prospero, but Prospero has also cast him to the chains of slavery. Prospero's "civilizing" force is brutally felt in The Tempest as opposed to Césaire’s A Tempest because Césaire brings it out as a call for freedom while Shakespeare portrays colonialism as an immoral fabric on governance. This is portrayed in his quote, "…Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve and like an insubstantial pageant faded…." This means he will take over the island, and Caliban will no longer stand inheritance to the rulership, it is an absolute take over. Relating this to the discourse of colonialism, we first stumble on the issue of anachronism. The ways Shakespeare deal with the issues of racism and the "other" are different from the post-colonial interpretation.
In The Tempest , Prospero is the master of both Caliban and Ariel, whereas Ariel serves willingly, Caliban revolts. Both are looking to find freedom, but they do so very distinctly. Ariel is spirit capable of multiple forms, while Prospero is portrayed as materialistic and bodied. Caliban's drive comes from his own bodily desires as when he gets to stage for the first time; he announces he "must eat dinner…" In the A Tempest , Césaire portrays Caliban as the symbol of resistance and voicing of the oppressed in the societal setting. It calls for a fight against colonialism.
Caliban revolt in The Tempest begins with Caliban accusing Prospero of stealing their island. His desire for the independence of the island mirroring the lust for power. He conspires with Stephano and Trinculo to assassinate Prospero. This shadowed Alonso's plot against Prospero. In Aime’s A Tempest , after the conspiracy with Stephano and Trinculo falls apart as a result of inward fighting, Caliban proceeds to the castle alone. Prospero then dares him to strike him down, but Caliban refuses. This is because here, he is portrayed as a man of no violence. He then challenges Prospero to one on one fight as equals to which Prospero declines.
In The Tempest , Caliban ends up conspiring against Prospero and arranges his magic books to be stolen while Ariel plays the flute. The lays end with Prospero wishing he was more human than magician as he has depicted ass not natural. Caliban has a more natural connection to the world than him. In Césaire’s play, the ending between Caliban and Prospero is more liberating. As Caliban has resisted the colonial rule and peacefully voiced his grievances in collusion with Ariel. He says, "You taught me language, my profit on it is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you for teaching me your language...”
In The Round House, Joes are frustrated by the official investigation and sets out to investigate the crime committed against his mother on his own. The first instance when Joe shows his investigative zeal is when he suspects the priest and, together with his three friends, sets out to find out the truth. This they achieve by spying on the priest who eventually leads them to clues that justify the priest was not involved. They then stumble on crucial clues following Joe's utilization of the Indian “tracker” spy knowledge. This generates the suspicious Postal worker named Linden. Linden is evil and suspected to be possessed by a monstrous spirit that haunts him and drives his behavior. In the quest to bring the assailants to justice, Joe has found himself on t heath of studying law and pursuing justice for his mother. They both agree with his father that his mother is elevated to a new level of loneliness from which they may never recover the mother.
Joe's blackmailing of Sonja to let him see her strip has given him a taste of being a man. The lessons he draws from this ordeal is of his potential of treating women badly. As much as he is after justice for his mother, he subject other women to blackmail despite their past. This also gives him a clue into his life of sexuality as Sonja delves him into this matter. Having donated her kidney for her drunk rapist twin brother whom her parents chose to keep, Linda, in her narration, was allowed to show the audience her hatred for her brother. She even has death wishes for her twin brother owed to the awful things he does to her and other people. "You don't have to do this; you don't have to be Jesus." Says his brother as he shows ingratitude for the sacrifice Linda was making. Linda is the opposite of her brother in very many ways. After the implications of wiindigoo justice when he has murder Linden, Joe is in fear that he is becoming a monster like Linden. Linda comes in to clear this thought by elevating Joe above the actions her twin brother committed.
The functions of storytelling in The Round House features many stories within stories. The stories impact people in different ways but purposefully bring out the emotional and behavioral models. How the characters talks develop the story in a way that in finality justice is obtained outside a legal frame but in a justifiable manner which the whole community is I support of. This is brought out when Joe says, “…I was parsing out the idea, established in other cases, and reinforced in this one that our treaties with the government were like treaties with foreign nations…" the differences in the American and Indian law have also been highlighted. This story portrays how differences in legal frame structures can deny justice to a victim.
References
Sparknotes. (2019). Caliban . Retrieved from www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest/character/caliban/
Nye, M. (Oct 2016). Discourse on Colonialism . Retrieved from medium.com/religion-bites/discourse-on-colonialism-by-aimé-césaire-793b291a0987
Engan, K. (2016). Caliban and Colonialism in the Tempest . Retrieved from shakespearecomesalivefall2016.wordpress.com/colonialism-and-savagery/
Bartleby research. (2016). Prospero's Relationship with Caliban and Colonialism in "The Tempest." Retrieved from bartleby.com/essay/Prosperos-Relationship-with-Caliban-and-Colonialism-in-P33LWRYVC
LitCharts. The Tempest . Retrieved from litcharts.com/lit/the-tempest/themes/colonization
