Poe's heroes as Villains

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University Bhavnagar

Smt. S. B. Guardy Department of English

Written by: Poojaba G. Jadeja
Roll No.: 20

Year: 2014, Semester: 3rd 

Paper:10: The American Literature

Edger Allan Poe’s Heroes as Villains

Introduction:

Edger Allan Poe is a famous American writer, who is renowned for his ‘horror and mystery’ tales. He is not only short-story writer, but his poetry is also well-appreciated. Even the language of his short-stories is poetic and musical.

Poe’s stories are about murder, revenge, insanity, torture and adventure. His gothic stories are too famous that many modern movies take an idea from his stories. His stories have mystery and secret that reader cannot put aside his interest and reading.

His stories like “Berenice” is horror story about teeth, “The Black Cat” is a tale of a Cat, “The Cask of Amontillado” is a revenge story, in his stories like “ The Facts in the case of M. Valdemar” and “Ligeia”, supernatural elements are described.

The characters of most of the stories by Poe are psychologically ill, suffering from psycho-phobia, split personality, insanity or psychological disorders.

As his stories also present the theme of horror, murder, death, revenge, burial of living person, torture and talking with dead persons, their characters are also not normal human beings. They are not social or emotional but against humanity and unsocial. That’s why, in Poe’s every stories, one cannot find more than five characters. And in the most of the stories, there are only two characters.

Poe also wrote adventure stories, love stories, detective stories but his vast contribution is on horror stories. His horror, mysterious, gothic stories are evaluated, criticised often by many critics.

One critic noted about Poe’s unsocial stories that, the tale is precluded from expounding facts and experiences that are socially important; therefore it deals with the exceptional with something that arrests reader’s curiosity from the start.

Another French critic, M. Brunetiere noticed the social insignificance of the incident upon which the tales are based. He points out that,

“The material for the tale is to be sought in certain peculiarities or variations of passions, which, though psychologically or pathologically interesting are socially insignificant. The incidents are never taken out of the main way of life, but out of its border-things that happen on the margin.”

Poe gives experiences that are on the margin of sanity. And as the critics noted, his characters are also not social but at the margin of sanity, not as normal human beings.

Poe’s characters are generally abnormal and psychologically ill. And because of their psychological disorder, events, which are inhuman, occur. Their neurotic nature becomes reason of the tragic end. Like in the “Tell-Tale Heart” the narrator is suffering from phobia of the old man’s eyes, which leads him to kill the old man.

In many of the stories, the characters are inhuman. They are murders, even they can bury person alive. Their murders are so cruel that it raises fear and terror on the minds of readers. In every story, all the deeds, the characters do, are inhuman and cruel than beasts. For example, the stories like, ‘The Black Cat’, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’, ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ , ‘Fall of the House of Usher’, ‘The Premature Burial’, the characters inhumanly kills another fellow without any valid reason. These stories have murderers as a hero and innocent victims.

As these characters are inhuman and abnormal, Poe’s characters, who wanted to take revenge, have no logical reasons. Only because of very small issues or insults, they killed cruelly others to take revenge. The stories like, ‘The Cask of Amontillado’, ‘The Black Cat’, ‘William Wilson’ and many other stories are revenge stories, in which the narrator or the character murders inhumanly to take revenge of his insult according to his belief.

Poe’s female characters have not feminine emotions or feelings but they are also suffering from illness, split personality and interested in killing their victims. They are also portrayed as horrible, mysterious and scarifying, with whom Poe gives gothic touch to the stories. Stories like, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, ‘Ligeia’ have horrible female characters, who has not emotion of love, pity or soft feelings but psychologically ill and interested in killing other persons.

As Poe’s characters are murderers and criminals, they are immoral. Stories of Poe do not suggest any moral message, but the deeds of the characters are immoral. Even the heroes made victim the persons who are innocent, moral and don’t done anything wrong with the character. The characters have no morality or moral conscience. They have not emotions of love, pity, sympathy for human beings, even for their family members or relatives. Like, in the story, ‘The Black Cat’, the narrator kills his innocent wife. In ‘Tell-tale Heart’, the narrator kills the sane and genuine old man, who never be wrong to him.

These characters are so immoral that they have not ‘Guilt Conscious’. After murdering cruelly, the characters have not feeling of guilt, sorrow for their bad deeds. With psychoanalysis, one can note that, all the characters are affected by their ‘Id’ and have no concern with ‘Ego’ and ‘Super ego’.  So, they seem as inhuman and immoral, without having human values. That is the most interesting and noteworthy characteristic of the characters of Poe’s short stories.

Sometimes, Poe describes supernatural elements in his stories. His characters are so passionate that even death cannot stop them. Poe describes extra-ordinary, supernatural characters in his stories. They are interested in taking revenge even after their death.

So, Poe presented his villains – heroes so passionately, who are men of action, that they can be murderer or bury living person.

All the characteristics suggest that, these characters have no human emotions, morality and sanity, but they are criminals, murderers, anti-social like villains who harmed others just because of their personal neurotic condition or psychological illness.

They have not element of ‘Hero’ but they are anti-heroes and inhuman. So, most of the characters of Poe’s stories are villains – anti-heroes.

• Poe’s Heroes as Villains:

There are some examples of major characters of Poe’s tales, who are in the centre of the story; ‘Hero’ but their inhuman deed made them villains of the stories. These are some examples of stories and characters which has villains as hero.

Montresor (narrator):            (The Cask of Amontillado)

He is the narrator who narrates the story of his friend Fortunado. The narrator cold heartedly murders his friend, Fortunado with walling him alive. The reason of his killing is very silly and illogical. But the narrator Montresor is so passionate and pitiless that he buries his friend behind the bricks without feeling bad or sorrowful for him. He is such a villain like Iago in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ who cannot be recognized by victims as their villains or reason of suffering and death. As he also accepts,

“…to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.”

Unnamed narrator:                       

  (The Tell-tale Heart)

Only because of having fear from pale, blue eyes of old man, he kills cruelly kind and gentle old man. The narrator of this story is a murderer. He not only killed old man but, with cold-heartedly cut the dead body like a beast. He has not a guilt conscious, but as he has psycho-phobia, he cannot bare the sound of heartbeats, which he constantly heard, and accepts his crime.

He is such a villain who has not desire for money or not any reason for killing, still he kills only because of his mental problem, insanity.

Unnamed narrator:                              (The Black Cat)

Narrator is a drunkard and killed his innocent wife and hanged his pet animal-Cat (Pluto) inhumanly. The character or the narrator himself narrated his story of murdering his pet cat and also torturing his wife, killing and burying her on the wall.

The way his noble character changes into villain is described by him. He is so passionate and merciless that he hanged his lovely cat. And because of fear he wanted to kill another cat. Even he is so devil like figure, that he kills his wife without any reason. Having criminal mind, he is intelligent enough to hide his crime and he walled his wife behind the bricks of his room. His character is like ‘Monster’ who has not pity and love for animals or even for humans but habit of killing.

Other characters, which are not presented as hero or central figure, with power of goodness and morality but immoral and with devilish mind are described below…,

Prince Prospero:                                                            

(The Masque of the Red Death)

Though he is a prince, he tries to escape from death like cowards instead of fighting like hero. The character is so fearful that he tries to escape from red death as described in the story. He did not take care of his kingdom, but invites healthy friends from outside. He is a coward, fearful and immoral, even has no values of prince, who has not courage like hero.

Madeline Usher:                           (The fall of the House of Usher)

Woman character, she is suffering from psychological illness. And she tries to kill her twin brother Roderick Usher. Even she return from death to kill her brother, both died at the end of the story. She is the feminine figure, like other female characters of Poe’s story, which has not beauty and love but haunting feelings.

William Wilson:                                                           

(William Wilson)

The character is psychologically abnormal and tries to commit suicide as he understand and fearful with himself. He believes that there are two characters and he tries to kill another character having similar name. He has not elements of normal human beings but his character is with all the vices and gray shade of mind who tries to kill himself, believing as other person.  

Conclusion:

With these examples of characters, we can say that, Poe’s characters have no morality and human values, but they are presented with evil deeds, monstrous figures and criminal minds.

Poe’s most of the tales are psychological, horror, gothic, detective, supernatural, mysterious, they are related to crime and have characters who are abnormal, murderers and suffering from their own mentality.

In American literature, Poe has his own place because of his unique stories. He is famous for his narrative style, technique and use of language. Though his mysterious stories are famous, there is verity of themes and issues in his stories. Human psychology is well presented in Poe’s tales.

It has a power of fascination that one cannot keep aside reading, even the interest cannot move for a moment while reading, because of Poe’s liveliness and power of description.

Critical overview on essay by C. Kannan

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University Bhavnagar

Smt. S. B. Guardy Department of English

Written by: Poojaba G. Jadeja
Roll No.: 20

Year: 2014, Semester: 3rd 

Paper:12: English Language Teaching

Critical overview on 
“Decolonizing teaching Materials and Strategies: Towards an alternative pedagogic”
by C. Kannan

In the essay, “Decolonizing teaching Materials and Strategies: Towards an alternative pedagogic”, C.Kannan presents colonial methods in English language teaching and tries to suggest alternative methods in ELT in India. He finds effects on colonialism in English language teaching in India and objects it. He starts with…

“The colonial paradigm always concentrated on projecting and imposing the attitude of the British.”

He tries to say that, even today after independence of India, in education system colonialism rules. Though the objectives of teaching English changed, a considerable efficiency in ELT has not been achieved.

He clearly says that, pre-independent India had a philosophically sound and psychologically reasonable pedagogic widely practiced with culture specificity. But in the modern times India has not succeeded in establishing an Indian education system based on our forms, our style, and its own ethos.

Kannan discusses the very important point in ELT literature as content of language teaching. He argues that till the learner has not acquired the required language abilities, he cannot enjoy the learning material literature; because the language of literature is a very artistic and not very easy to understand. Because of this strange and complex literature as a learning material or as a content of ELT, this exercise of learning English becomes fertile. So, it is necessary to have, to learn basic language skills to appreciate literature.

Having objection towards colonial contemporary teaching materials and methods, he suggests some different way of teaching English in India with changing methods and materials.

In his essay he presents some alternative pedagogies of teaching English in India without effects of colonialism. He explains that, the contemporary Indian scenario alludes to the socio-cultural milieu and the needs of the nation. He suggests to make change in ELT to modernise India. With giving answers, he defines what Modernization is,

“Modernization is not westernization. It is an attitudinal change of the individual in his attempt to keep the world change.”

Still India depends much on the colonial systems, teaching materials of ELT, even in post-colonial context. He puts his objection about that with his logical views.

In most of the universities, English courses have books of English literature and English masterpieces in India. But the learners are not familiar with culture, context and background. In these materials, there is total ignorance of the ‘Basha’ literature.

It means the learners mother tongue and its literary tradition, present writings are must in teaching materials. Learner’s real life experiences and familiar contextualization must be main chunk of the teaching materials, because the learning materials with unfamiliar culture components baffle young learners. They may experience a sort of ‘culture shock’ and it will leads to ‘stigmatization’.

He points out where the colonialism effects on our education system that, British educationalists impose their cultural forms through learning materials, imperial ideologies become objects of studies with ignoring the nativeness. He writes,

“Perhaps the western education system must have resulted in a ‘liberating influence’ upon the Indians. And this liberating influence was achieved at the cost of rejecting our own identity and way of thinking.”

And he suggests to free from this, improving the existing teaching strategies, there is a need to reconsider the quality of the teacher, teaching materials, learners and environment.

For example:

To wish anyone ‘Good Morning’ is western idea or approach, because of having cloudy weather, they wish Good Morning when the weather is clear. But still we teach students, to start with hi or hello to communicate. Instead of these words, hi, hello or Good Morning, we, in India, should teach to start communication with ‘Namaste’ or other Indian cultural words.

Some suggestions for improving English language teaching, according to C. Kannan are given below:

• Ø  Learning environment with learner centeredness, learner and teacher learner interaction.
• Ø  Proper arrangements of the study materials
• Ø  Teachers must be highly resourceful and creative to innovate new classroom techniques, because teaching is an art and effective teaching leads to effortless learning.
• Ø  The various methods can be replaced by new techniques.

C. Kannan, then, explains the concept of error analysis, Contrastive analysis and Pedagogic analysis.

• Error analysis: Error analysis will be followed by remedial teaching to test the common errors of learners.

• Contrastive analysis: In Contrastive analysis, the basic similarities and contrasts in the mother tongue and the target language is studied.

These two terms are familiar in education contributed by linguistics.

• Pedagogic analysis: Pedagogic analysis is an attempt to analyse the subject matter through the eyes of the learner. It is an endeavour to help the learner in the process of making the learning material into a receivable form.

Pedagogic analysis with special reference to a teaching module in ELT consists of the following major components. According to Kannan, identification of the major and minor concepts is the first component in the module. Like, in a poem, the concentration is in the imagery pattern, figures of speech, and linguistic nuances etc. all these elements which render ‘poetic qualities are to be assimilated by the teacher and the identification of the teaching items is the basic step. Kannan relates this step in Indian context that, as a second language learner, Indian learners need some basic training in phonetics.

Another step is the identification of the functional aspects reflected in the lesson as structures. The next step is preparation of pre-diagnostic test items are made to identify the lapses. It is an attempt to identify the language skills which are to be included.

These stages are followed by comparing and identifying new topics and items aiming at an interdisciplinary approach.

He, further, discusses the problems and difficulties of a learner of ELT. He writes, in a second language communication becomes a near improbability in a teacher dominated classroom. And he openly supports learner centered environment in ELT. He adds,

“The teacher must be active to make students ‘function’ English. Drag the outside reality into the class room and in the speech act try to overcome the communication gap between the interlocutors.”

He, then, explains that, teachers have to relate the study of English to actual needs of the learner insists for a need-based syllabus.  He describes about evaluation of ELT in different times. Like oral approach or situational language teaching associated with the British linguist s during 1980s. The audio-lingual method flourished during the 1050s was derived from the structural linguistics. Communicative language teaching emerged as a method during late 1960s.

He talks about teaching skills, which can improve the professional competency of the teacher. He suggests seven skills for ELT teachers to teach effectively and with new pedagogies and make learner centred classroom.

He accepts about flexibility in ELT, teaching techniques, that any particular approach in ELT without any consideration for the context and specificity is not feasible.

According to him language is a power and discourse both, in colonial period, ELT had the main objective of westernization. There is an inevitable need for demolishing the conventional methods manipulated by the dominant culture.  

And the traditional approaches and objectives of ELT must be refined to balance them with the present needs. To enrich our pedagogical strategies according to current trends and needs of the society, we have to consider the integration of the sensibility of the present society with a clear perspective of the developing world.

He gives importance to productive skills of learners and also presents the idea about phonetic learning. Teaching spoken English with the main objective in India is not a complex process. Because the time has to come to abandon the archaic name ‘received pronunciation’. The concept of general Indian English has become out of context, and in the context of globalization, internal intelligibility is a desirable factor. And for the better pronunciation learning, he points out ‘Functional method’ rather than formal teaching method.

About the debate of literature and language, he says, literary texts and learning materials based on real life situations will create an awareness regarding the strategy of teaching language through literature.

In concluding part he talked about colonialism in ELT and need to change, “During the colonial period the politics and culture of the dominant group were endorsed. The urge to decolonise directly alludes to the need to include alternative discourses instead of the old stereotyped.”

By alternative discourses, he means the popular culture and literature of the marginalized. With different perspective of teaching, we have to reform or reawaken subaltern culture according to Kannan.

He answers to change the form in ELT that, 

“The ELT situation in India can be changed and improved by analysing the entry-level competence and the needs envisaged.”

At the conclusion, he writes, 

“ELT should not be a continuation of the out-dated age-old tradition- should not be a residue of the colonial attitude. A post-colonial attitude must be evolved in terms of ELT.”

He, then, suggests with post-colonial attitude that, “In preparing teaching materials, we have to select and talk about our own literatures, languages and values through English…we still endorse the dominant politics and culture of the mainstream which is leading towards ‘interior colonialism’."

Conclusion:

The essay by C. Kannan suggests some changes in ELT with having post-colonial attitude. The writer also tries to give some good suggestion about teaching strategies and pedagogies which is related to our Indian culture and context without colonial effects.

But the main issue is that the ‘English’ language itself is colonized and if we want to decolonized, we should change not only methods and materials of ELT but ELT itself. Still the writer C. Kannan presents good afford in decolonizing ELT-the subject and it’s technique in this essay, with giving some solutions.    

"Waiting for Godot" with Religious interpretations

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University Bhavnagar

Smt. S. B. Guardy Department of English

Written by: Poojaba G. Jadeja
Roll No.: 20

Year: 2014, Semester: 3rd 

Paper:9: The Modernist Literature

“Waiting for Godot”
 with religious interpretations

• Introduction:

Samuel Beckett is a famous Irish dramatist and novelist. “Waiting for Godot” is his master piece. The play is one of the classic works of theatre of absurd. It is multilayered drama which has many interpretations.

The play seems absurd but with a deep religious meaning. Though the play commonly interpreted within the context of the theatre of absurd, existentialist literature, it is also Christian allegory and also interpreted with religious interpretations.

The play has very strong evidences of theory of existentialism, but still, it can be related with many other religious interpretations. Like, Christian myth of two thieves, waiting for second coming of Jesus Christ, Hindu philosophy and its ‘Avatar’ and other interpretations.

• Christian mythical interpretations:

When someone asked about the theme of “Waiting for Godot”, Beckett is reported to have referred to the sentence in the writings of St. Augustine,

“Do not despair: one of the thieves was saved. Do not presume: one of the thieves was damned.”

The theme of the two thieves on the cross, the theme of the uncertainty of the hope of the salvation and the chance bestowal of divine grace, does indeed pervade the whole play. Two characters Vladimir and Estragon are shown as tramps or thieves. At the beginning, Vladimir refers this,

“One of the thieves was saved. It’s a reasonable percentage.”

And in the act 1, he refers this several times. Even Vladimir is shown talking about repentance. He several times says to Estragon to wait for Mr. Godot and when Estragon asks the reason, he says, Mr. Godot, otherwise punish them!

Beckett, though, wrote these dialogues quite funny and in light mood, it has strong meanings.

“Vladimir: One of the thieves was saved. It’s a reasonable percentage. GogoEstragon: What?
Vladimir: suppose we repented.
Estragon: Repented what?Vladimir: Oh…we wouldn’t have to go into the details. Estragon: Our being born?”

It means Vladimir has faith in the myth and he is craving for salvation. He wants to be one of the thieves, who saved.

In the second act, while passing the time, they are thinking and talking about dead voices, it also seems that they are thinking about their past acts and evaluating their own deeds. Vladimir and Estragon talk incessantly because they want to hear the ‘dead voices’ which explore the mysteries of being and the self to the limits of anguish and suffering.

There is another Christian myth described in the dialogues between the boy and Vladimir. The boy, who looks after the goats is not beaten but, his brother who looks after Mr. Godot’s ships is beaten. This incident refers to myth of two sons of Adam Cain and Abel. There too the Lord’s grace fell on one rather than other without any rational explanation.

Here Godot also acts contrary/similarly to Jesus Christ. It can be interpreted as God’s punishment or nature of giving punishments. And Vladimir also gives reason to Estragon that if they don’t wait for Mr. Godot, he will punish them.

The act of waiting and Vladimir’s dialogue to boy, “Tell him that you saw me” seems that he is waiting for damnation. Even the thought of repentance is also present in the play.  

Thus, the play has very strong effect of Christian ideas of salvation, repentance including its myths.

• Biblical elements in “Waiting for Godot”:

As it has many Christian ideas, it is also related with many biblical elements and symbols. At the beginning of the play, Vladimir asks Estragon, have he read the Bible or not. Throughout the play, biblical, Christian elements are very much presented with the symbols.

The background image of ‘Tree’ has multiple meanings, and religious interpretation see as it is an image of cross where Jesus Christ was crucified. Their waiting also reflects the basic biblical idea of Christ’s returns on the Doomsday.

This play has strong religious connections, as it is also known as religious allegory. As William Mueller observed,

“The human predicament described in Beckett’s first play is that of man living on the Saturday after the Friday of the crucifixion, and not really knowing if all hope is dead or if the next day will bring the life which has been promised.”

• Mr. Godot and Second coming:

 

One popular interpretation of waiting for Godot is the second coming aspect. One meaning of Mr. Godot is none other but ‘God’ and there are many clues and evidences in the play which symbolically says, that Mr. Godot is a symbol for God.

Religious interpretation posits Vladimir and Estragon as humanity waiting for the elusive return of a saviour. This interpretation makes pozzo into the pope and Lucky into the faithful. Another evidence is the title itself; the name ‘Godot’ also proves it. The name suggests ‘God’-OT it must have some significance. And it must be interpreted religious way. It is also seen in the dialogues between Vladimir and the boy.

“Vladimir: (softly) has he a beard, Mr. Godot?Boy: yes, sir.Vladimir: fair or … (he hesitates)… or black?Boy: I think It’s white, sir.”

The personality, Beckett describes is much related with image of Christian God. This description clearly shows that Mr. Godot means God.

Other dialogues between Vladimir and Estragon describe characteristics of Mr. Godot. Let’s evaluate these dialogues.

“Estragon: And if we dropped him? (Pause) If we dropped him?
Vladimir: He’d punish us.Estragon: And if he comes?Vladimir: We’ll be saved.”

It means Mr. Godot will give punishment if they leave and Mr. Godot is saviour also, they will be rewarded, if they wait. As it is already described, the tree symbolises cross where Christ was crucified and they are waiting there.

Throughout the play, the mute character Godot symbolises God, as we are waiting for God – a saviour from our sorrows and sufferings. This uncertain, second coming of God is well presented, who, when, where – questions about God and Godot both are unanswered in reality as well in the play.

• “Waiting for Godot” with Hindu philosophy and ideas:

In Hindu religion, there is also an idea of an ‘Avatar’ for whom people are waiting.  Though the play has not much connection with Hindu religious ideas, it can be interpreted and connected with some philosophical and spiritual ideas as the play is multi-layered.

The concept of ‘Nothingness’ can be interpreted with Hindu philosophy, According to it, the world and everything, every action is ‘Maya’ has no meaning but only ‘illusion’. Other interpretation of Hindu philosophy says, ‘karma’, the act must be done. The dialogue of Vladimir,

“Let us do something while we have the chance….Let us make the most of it, before it is too late!”

This ‘performative’ potency suggests the finally achieved actions means ‘karma’.

There are several other interpretations of Hindu philosophy and spirituality can be possible. The idea of hope as waiting (without dying) is also a Hindu philosophic idea. Though it has no connection with Hindu ideas, it is worthy to be studied with many interpretations.

• Religious dilemma in “Waiting for Godot”:

The play is mostly interpreted as an Existential play. There are many elements which favour existentialism more than even religious interpretations.

But to promote existentialist views and ideas, and to present religious ideas’ irrationality, Beckett presents religious dilemma, counter arguments against religion. It becomes very strong, interesting point of discussion and debate in the play.

The famous myth of two thieves used in the play, is deconstructed by the writer. When Vladimir says, “One of the thieves was saved. It’s a reasonable percentage.” Later he enlarges on this subject. He asks why only one of the thieves is supposed to have been saved and other damned?

He raises questions why only one of four Evangelists speaks of a thief being saved, not other three. So, it cannot be hundred percent true! He intelligently points out that, it is curious fact that everybody seems to believe that one witness. This deconstructing point can be seen in Vladimir’s and Estragon’s dialogues.

Estragon: Who believes him?Vladimir: Everybody. It’s the only version they know.Estragon: people are bloody ignorant apes.

Estragon speaks, criticizes human mentality, whose attitude has been one of scepticism throughout the play.

Beckett, very intentionally, created these two characters- Estragon and Vladimir. Among them Vladimir is shown more intelligent, craving for salvation, moral, religious, and thinker than Estragon.

Estragon seems dumb, irreligious, sleeping-not thoughtful, only craving for necessary things for body but not interested in spiritual thinking.

Two ideas about existentialism and spiritual/religious waiting clashes in the play. When Vladimir says to repent, Estragon asks for reason. Two concept of religious and atheist are put together with these two characters.

Throughout the play, Vladimir is thinking about repentance, salvation, God, Bible and many other religious things. He, very hopefully, waiting for Mr. Godot to come and to be saved. But Estragon is very forgetful, he forgets everything, he has no concern with these religious thoughts.

Uncertainty of God or Mr. Godot is also questioned in the play. Both characters are waiting and passing time without doing anything, but Mr. Godot does not come. It can also be interpreted that, “Nothing to be done” while waiting for god and human being become passive while waiting.

As an existentialist idea, they want to die, and wait for another day with hope. It is quite confusing, they both have hope for God or Godot to come but they find hopelessness or meaningless to wait, so they die.

The play has idea of existentialism as well as religious. And throughout the play, this dilemma goes on. Perhaps, it shows Beckett’s own dilemma as he is atheist.

• Conclusion:

It is strongly believed that the play has ideas of existentialism. But event to support existentialism, writer shows religious ideas. And he also tries to deconstruct it. Consciously or unconsciously, writer presents many Christian myths and Biblical images.

As biography suggests, Beckett knows about all the Christian philosophical, spiritual ideas from childhood. So, the play has many Christian values like repentance, craving for  salvation, faith in God, fear of God and hope for to be saved, and ‘coming of Mr. Godot’. Even Vladimir’s character is full with Christian values like he feeds and helps Estragon as true friend, he wants to help Pozzo and has desire to be saved.

As it is discussed earlier, “Waiting for Godot” has many Biblical, Christian symbols; one of the interpretations of the play is as ‘religious allegory’. But as the play has many interpretations and deep layers, it cannot be final and only interpretation.

“Waiting for Godot” shows the genius of Beckett and has very strong literariness that reader can interpret many meanings out of this small play.

"Black Skin White Masks" General Overview

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University Bhavnagar

Smt. S. B. Guardy Department of English

Written by: Poojaba G. Jadeja
Roll No.: 20

Year: 2014, Semester: 3rd 

Paper: 11: Post colonial literature

Frantz Fanon’s “Black Skin White Masks”: General Overview

 Introduction:

Frantz Fanon was born in Martinique in 1925 and received a conventional colonial education. When he went to France to fight in the resistance and train as psychiatrist, his assimilationist illusions were shattered by the gaze of metropolitan racism.

Out of his experiences of racism came his first book “Black Skin White Masks” (1952), originally titled as “an essay for the Disalienation of Blacks”. Fanon, in this book, defined the colonial relationship as the psychological non-recognition of subjectivity of the colonized.

His next work is ‘The Wretched of the Earth”. Stuart Hall describes this book as the “Bible of the Decolonization movement’. Fanon died in 1961, just as Algeria was winning its independence. But his seminal texts continue to challenge whites to liberate themselves from all forms of psychological domination.

“Black Skin White Masks” is a book about the mindset or psychology of racism. The book looks at what goes through the minds of blacks and whites under the conditions of white rule and the strange effects of that in black people.

The book is his doctoral thesis, Fanon wrote to get his degree in psychiatry. This book is worth reading since Fanon’s understanding of white French racism in early 1950 and it can also helps to understand white American racism in the 2010s.

The book is divided in 8 chapters. In these eight chapters, Fanon talks about psychology of white colonizers and black people’s desire to be like white men. He talks about issue of language, marriage between white and black and psychology behind it, white mindset of ruling, black’s inequality and struggle for human existence. He explains his all the arguments of psychology with real examples of his surrounding.

·         In the first chapter, “The Black Man and language”, Fanon shows that how language can present colonialism, how it can show mindset of black and white people. He says,

“The Negro will become whiter-become more human-as he masters the white man’s language”

He explains it with example that, in Martinique, where Fanon grew, people communicate with dialect Creole. But people saw French better than Creole. They started feeling shame with their dialect. It is not because of scholarly opinion but because of being under French rule.

He noticed that people came back educated from France, they act as if they no longer knew Creole and speak perfect French. He noticed that, it is not because they want to be white (because French is white’s language) or they think that white people are better or something but to prove they are equal.

But even if they speak perfect French, racism does not stop, because white people do not take it normally as other white person. They will say, “Here is a black man who handles the French language unlike any white man today.” as it is surprise for them and even their identity of ‘Black’ cannot be forgettable with their education and knowledge of white’s language.

As Fanon believes that, ‘To speak a language is appropriate its world and culture’. As language is also part of culture, they (blacks), through learning of their language, try to become culturally whiter.

·         The second chapter is about the psychology behind the marriage between white men and black women’ “The woman of colour and the white man”. In this chapter Fanon talks about internalize racism.

According to Fanon, the acts of love and admiration are directly tied to who and what we value. And he gave reasons that why women of colour go after white men, putting down men of their own colour!

Fanon says,

“Authentic love …entails the mobilization of psychic drives basically freed of unconscious conflicts.”

In other words, he cannot seek to love unless he has rid himself, in this case, of his inferiority complex. Fanon explains that, these black women do not truly love white men but they just love their colour. They marry with them to deal with their own hang-ups about race. And it is because the black woman feels inferior.

Secretly she wants to be white and marring white is black girl’s way of doing this. Their racism is so profound that it blinds them to good black man. With marring white person, black woman wants to enter in white world. Mulatto or half girls don’t ever want to marry blacks again. Fanon explains this psychology of black women and their desire to marry whites with real examples in this chapter.

·         The third chapter “The man of colour and the White woman” is about black man’s psychology after being colonized by whites.

Fanon argues that, the nature of the relationship is also rooted in the latent desire to become white. He writes,

“By loving me she [white woman] proves to me that I am worthy of a love. I am loved like a white man. I am a white man.”

Every black man and mulatto have only one thought to be like white to gratify their appetite for white woman, to marry white woman. They started denying their culture and woman and marry white girl, less for love than satisfying their ego and inferiority.

Fanon explains this desire with example of Jean Venuese, hero of a novel “Un home pareil aux autres” by Rene Maran. He is black, but like other Europeans, he falls in love with white woman. He wants to separate himself from his race and wants to marry white… Fanon, very effectively, presents hidden desire of black man to marry white woman.

·         Chapter four, “The so-called dependency complex of the colonized” speaks about projected dependency complex of coloured by whites. This chapter encompasses Fanon’s thoughts surrounding the work of one of his contemporaries, Octave Mannoni, his book “psychology of colonization”

Fanon is primarily concerned with the lack of subjectivity displayed by Mannoni which he believes is responsible for the scholar’s assumption that inferiority complexes are somehow inherent to “primitive” or uncivilized peoples.

Fanon criticizes Mannoni that blacks want to be white because white men discriminate them and they turn them into colonized subject, so because of inferiority complex blacks wants to be white but not because of dependency complex as Mannoni says.

Fanon, many ways, counter argues Mannoni. At the end, he rephrasing his point: that inferiority complex in people of colour is the result of the white man’s arrival and that,

“Mannoni lacks the slightest basis in which to ground any conclusion applicable to the situation, the problems of the Africans in the present time.”

·         “The lived experience of the black man”, chapter five about experiences of racial discrimination of black men. The chapter is about injustice, inequality and struggle for their existence as a human being.

Fanon talks about his experiences and the reasons of their desire to be white. They are suffering because of their skin colour. And it is so powerful that their education, achievements, morality do not effect much.

Instead of being person, an individual, he is as a black man, a Negro, an object, never a man. Some white people feel sympathy or injustice with them but never try to forget racial inequality.

Fanon talks about projected mentality that, “sin is black as virtue is white” without any reasons, black people becomes victim of whites hatred. It’s about struggle for their human existence. Fanon says,

“A feeling of inferiority? No, a feeling of not existing…All those white man, fingering their guns, can’t be wrong. I am guilty. I don’t know what of, but I know I’m a wretch.”

·         The title of the chapter 6 is “The black man and psychopathology”. In this chapter Fanon talks about white man’s mentality and their views about black people. Fanon discusses some points that why white people afraid of black man.

He argues that, because white men have fear that blacks will take white women, Because they have an assumption that black men are sexually passionate than whites. And white women also afraid of black men.

White people also believed that black man are less moral. They think that as they comes from the colour black, they are bad, immoral, dark, evil and dirty and white is a colour of pure, innocence and clean. Black men are seen as little more than animal.

Even we also thought and behave to black man as criminal or bitter, we have fear to make any relationship with them! It’s because of our constructed mentality.

Because of white men’s these mentality and assumptions, black man suffers a lot, even they are morally better than white people. Thus, in this chapter, Fanon talks about constructed identity of black men.

·         Fanon describes his last point in chapter seven “The black man and recognition”. In this chapter Fanon presents mentality of black people of putting their own people down to feel good.

He writes about his people of Martinique, with putting down others, they can feel better about themselves. The reason of their mentality is an inferiority complex. The fault is not of black people but it comes from white rule, which forces blacks to live in a world where their human worth is questioned. Blacks are not in a position to put down white people, so they prove their worth by putting down each other. Like mulatto girl does not want to marry with black or mulattoes feel superior and prove blacks inferior.

Fanon quotes Adler and Hegel and talks the points, they gave. Fanon relates their ideas with blacks of Martinique. He gives argument and reason of their internal fight,

“In place of honest hatred was a false smile which gave blacks nothing to fight against. All they could do was bite their tongue and smile back… still remaining unequal.”

·         The last chapter of this book “By way of conclusion” is, as the title suggests, a conclusion. In this chapter he talks about some solution which can try to remove this inequality and injustice between blacks and whites.

Fanon suggests forgetting past which leads them to superiority and inferiority complexes. White people may feel guilty for their inhuman ancestors and blacks may feel inferior than whites because of their past as a slave. And it also raises hatred to whites. So, Fanon rightly says, not to be prisoners of past, ‘let the dead bury the dead’

He proves his views with example of Indo-china war history. Fanon writes his views on fighting for freedom; he believes that one cannot make others rule over him. He makes very good point at the conclusion,

“I have only one right and one duty; the right to demand human behaviour from the other, and the duty to never let his decisions renounce his freedom."

Conclusion:

Fanon, in the whole book, tries to be analytical without attachment. He talks about black men’s desires to be white with psychological reasons. He never become insulting for blacks and also doesn’t present hatred for white people. But he fairly well describes their psychology of superiority mindset/complex.

Recent example which can prove Fanon’s psychology is great dancer Michael Jackson who tries to become white throughout his life.

 

The points, he describes, have an authentic reasons. He proves his psychoanalysis with his own examples. He shows his outbursts, his burning questions about his projected, constructed identity. Whites represent wealth, beauty, intelligence and virtue, but blacks projected identity is as ‘Niggers’ something to be saved from, to escape, something not to be as they are ugly, uncivilized, immoral, impure and not virtuous.

This mentality is deeply rooted in everybody’s mind. Adds for becoming white suggests success of Fanon’s psychology.

The “Black Skin White Masks” psychoanalytical work by Frantz Fanon is worthy to be studied to understand psychology of blacks and whites both. The work is true to itself and it proves many points without prejudices for whites and without sympathy for blacks.

References :
http://abagond.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/frantz-fanon-black-skin-white-masks/

http://weblog.liberatormagazine.com/2009/11/finger-on-page-frantz-fanons-black-skin.html#.VDv-D_nKtaA