Linguistic imperialism Essay

Linguistic imperialism can be define as the enforce custodyt or imposition of ane diction onto a nonher it tends to be a key tool of the colonialist seeking to mend the O.K.ward societies that they find, slackly to their testify purpose. Thus, issuers much(prenominal)(prenominal) as Friel and Achebe score sought to rectify the tranquillize ever present colonialist perceptions of the west by attacking the expenditure of nomenclature in their societies, for example, Hiberno- English in Translations.Furthermore, it is necessary to analyse the form and structure of the capital texts, for instance, how Achebe and Friel twain manage to structure their texts in such a counselling that it gives a distinctly foreign aesthetic, whilst suave creating a subtly skilful and critical narrative. Also, it is important to look at the literary techniques and devices that argon utilise within Translations and Things F entirely by, for example, spectacular derision (e. g. the refer ence to the potato gypfall in Translations) or symbols resembling Mr. Brown in Things fare Apart, who wager a could- reserve-been harmonious presence among two vastly incompatible cultures.In addition, it is necessary to contrast and compare the primary texts with secondary texts such as Ngugi wa Thiongos The Language of African publications, and analyse how relevant or constructive Things devolve Apart and Translations are in their underlying criticism of linguistic imperialism. Overall, it is a crucial to explore these various threads of investigation to come to an overall conclusion in terms of how Friel and Achebe present the issue of linguistic imperialism and how successful they are.George Steiner, in by and by Babel, writes that Translation exists because men speak different spoken communications (1998, p. 51). He goes on to mind it, by asking Why should human universes speak thousands of different, mutually insoluble tongues? (1998, p. 51), that homo sapiens are basically biologically the same why have we not evolved to speak matchless common language? Steiners study of language and communication concludes that with the death of a language comes the wantonness of cultures and identities Each takes with it a storehouse of consciousness (1998, p.56).This was of consequential influence to Brian Friel and Translations, luminary put one overeout the play. For instance, the various ways in which Friel pictures variant the cartographers Owens not-completely-correct translation of Lancey Maire and Yollands romantic tryst and so forth create the capriciousness that the English language is not compatible with Irish culture. This is an overarching idea that debatees its increase with the Donnelly twins, Friels representation of the Provision IRA within the play i. e. the uncivilised end of Yolland, inferred by the actions of the Donnelly twins, is an echo of 1980s era conflicts.These conflicts were created by tensions calm remaining today, by Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland the Catholics calling for the reunification of Ireland, and Protestants neediness to remain discontinued realistically, these tensions would have not necessarily existed had at that place been no British colonising of Ireland, and Translations has been identified as echoing Friels political spare-time activity in the matters.The lecturer or audience of Translations are bound by Friel to a highly multiform idea of translation and the place of language in a culture similarly, we are do aware of this in Things Fall Apart. One of the most accessible passages that exemplify this goes as fol downcasts When they had all gathered the white man began to speak to them. He spoke through an interpreter who was an Ibo man, though his dialect was different and harsh to the ears of Mbanta.Many wad laughed at his dialect and the way he used words strangely. kind of of saying myself he always said my solelytocks. (Things Fall Apart, p. 136) Subtly, Achebe feeds the ref linguistic perspective alien to most Western culture that Africa was not, and is not, a land full of savages who cannot communicate as well as the Europeans, and rather a variety of different tongues that is not necessarily exactly recognisable from one clan to another.In regards to Translations, Friel has been left relatively unscathed by those in Ireland who may have felt abandoned by Friels artistic decision to employ Hiberno-English as opposed to contemporary Gaelic, whilst twain authors have clearly chosen English as a forte to address linguistic imperialism (using the tool of colonialism against the colonialists). Achebe has been highly criticised for writing in English. Ngugi wa Thiongo criticised African authors who chose English over their native tongue to write in.He asked How did we arrive at this acceptance of the fatalistic logic of the watertight position of English in our literature, in our culture, and in our government? (1995, p. 287) Thiongo goes on to say that as the bullet is to physical subjugation, language was the core of spiritual subjugation (1995, p. 287). To consider Thiongos logic, the reader needs to take into context a passage further on in the essay, which refers to his experiences at a colonial school and the use of his find tongue, GikuyuThus one of the most humiliating experiences was to be caught speaking Gikuyu in the vicinity of the school. The culprit was given corporal punishment three to five dollar bill strokes of the cane on bare buttocks or was made to look a metal plate around the neck with inscriptions such as I AM STUPID or I AM A DONKEY (1995, p. 288) Thiongo is asserting that the use of English was imposed upon many of the African tribes and with it the enforcement of superiority and supposed civilisation to use Gikuyu was to be made to feel inferior and stupid, and to speak English fluently would be the flush of education achievement.A further statement by Thiongo states literary education was now determined by the dominant language darn also reinforcing that dominance. Orature in Kenyan languages stopped. (1995, p. 288). The loss of such orature and its replacement by the English pen word was heavily destructive, according to Thiongo he concludes the essay be acknowledging that human society and culture is formed by the interactions and communication of people, that complex systems of ethics and experience, these systems creating one distinctive society from another.If the means of communication that has developed such a community is, resembling Tobair Vree in Translations roundthing is cosmos eroded (p. 53), or destroyed, because, much corresponding Steiner, that society is lost. To Thiongo, Achebes use of English over his native tongue is, rather than feisty manipulation for the anti-colonialist purpose, actually conducive in destroying that particular culture forever. However, disdain Thiongos clear dissatisfaction at A chebes use of the English language as a general point, this point could be considered moot. earlyish on in the essay, Thiongo quotes Achebe as saying Is it right that a man should abandon his mother tongue for someone elses? IT looks like a dreadful betrayal and produces a guilty feeling. But for me there is no other choice. I have been given the language and assign to use it. (1995, p. 285 citing 1975, p. 62) This is evident in the careful construction and consideration of Things Fall Apart. Achebe has create verbally a novel in which the reader could easily speak up themselves around a blazing fire with an elder of a Nigerian clan, with the story being meticulously recited to them.The euphony of the novel is manipulated in such a way that it becomes less like an English-written novel and more a native cut of orature. For example, Achebe sticks good use of drums in the novel, to create the rhythm of the traditional narrative Just wherefore the yon beating of drums began to reach them the drums beat the unmistakable wrestling dance quick, light and gay, and it came floating on the wind. (Things Fall Apart, p. 41)A further use of language to create an African English is the utilisation of proverbs, which play a central part in emphasising the Ibo culture, as proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten. In addition, Achebe peppers Things Fall Apart with Ibo words this digression is an act of defiance to the colonists who felt they could just hand over Ibo culture (religion, education and so forth). By this, Achebe means to illustrate the barriers of translation, in that there is no suitable word for, as an example, ogbanje, one of those condescending children who, when they died, entered their mothers womb to be born again.Similarly, Achebes conquest to turn the Colonialists language affirm in on itself, Achebe wrote an essay called An Image of Africa Racism in Conrads Heart of trace. Achebe analyses Western views of Africa (such as thos e of that erudite British Historian Regius Professor of Oxford, Hugh Trevor rope-maker (Achebe, 1961)) in stinging rhetoric which delivers the idea of that prolific early anti-colonialist novelists like Conrad were, maybe unwittingly, racist in themselves. Achebe writes Conrad was born in 1857it was certainly not his fault that he lived in a time when the reputation of the nigrify man was at a particularly low level. But there remains still in Conrads attitude a residue of antipathy to vague people Certainly, Conrad had a problem with niggers. His inordinate love of that word itself should be of interest to psychoanalysts. Sometimes his fixation on scurrilousness is equally interest as when he gives us this brief description of a black personA black figure stood up, strong long black legs, motion long black arms as though we might previse them to wave white arms (Achebe, 1961) In this short except, it is noticeable how Achebe associates Conrads conduplicatio of black as sinist er, and potentially in itself, a form of linguistic imperialism in this, it is the fact that the word black (and nigger) has previously been held to have minus connotations or was created for a negative purpose, but both create a reputation of the black man at a particularly low level (Achebe, 1961).Achebe also goes on to say that these psychoanalysts who have already written at length close Conrad fail to recognise his attitude to black people, even in discussion over anti-Semitic values, which but leads one to surmise that Western psychoanalysts must regard the kind of racism displayed by Conrad as absolutely normal (Achebe, 1961) and that this same book of vulgar dash prejudices insults from which a section of mankind has suffered untold agonies (Achebe, 1961) has been described by a serious scholar as among the half dozen greatest short novels in the English language (Achebe, 1961).From this, the audience of this essay can understand that Achebe, in as short a summary as po ssible, suggests that one of the most famous or in this case infamous novellas to be written on the subject of Africa by a European eery epitomises how the English language has been used as Thiongos subjugation of the soul even if Conrads intentions in writing it were not consciously racist, in trying to purvey a certain message he colonised the African peoples by associating them with pejoratives and otherwise negative descriptors.Friel and Achebe are both influential authors for similar reasons they attack subversive, modern perceptions of lost worlds that have in recent years movements like African National Congress in South Africa and the IRA in Ireland sought to revert nation-states to their natural, pre-colonial state. In this, they have both similar and not so similar approaches to literature, and have incorporated techniques to manipulate ideas incorporated in their book. For example, both authors make use of particular styles of writing to mimic the native language whil st writing in the colonial language (i.e. English).In Friels case, this is Hiberno-English, which is a form of Irish that retains its Gaelic lexical structure whilst being spoken in English, for instance, when Doalty says to mitt Hi, Manus, theres two bucks down the road there asking for you (Translations, p. 46) in strict grammatical terms, Doaltys syntax does not make sense in proper English, demonstrating inherent intimacy and deitis. Friel is applying the idea of unbroken Presence of Gaelic to the English language.This application is also a theatrical performance device or conceit whereby Hugh is usually portrayed with an English accent, as he does not use Hiberno-English. Similarly, Achebe put simply, both in vocabulary and sentence structure, he opts for the straightforward instead of the obtuse (Easthope, 1988) and in doing so imitates traditional Ibo storytelling. Another literary device used by Friel and Achebe in their respective texts is their use of symbolism. In T hings Fall Apart, Achebe uses locusts to symbolise the invading colonialists And then the locusts camethe elders said locusts came once in a generation, reappeared every year for vii years and then disappeared for another lifetime. They went back to their caves in a distant land, where they were guarded by a race of stunted men. (Things Fall Apart, p. 51) The to a higher place quote inferences that the locusts are the colonialists, by Achebe cautiously alluding to the race of stunted men that lives in a distant land. Achebe goes on Then quite suddenly a shadow fell on the world At first, a fairly small swarm came. They were harbingers sent to survey the land.And then appeared on the horizon a slowly moving mass like a boundless sheet of black cloud drifting towards Umuofia. (Things Fall Apart, p. 52) In this, Achebes symbolism is clear those like Mr. Brown and sign missionaries were assigned only to convert those African savages into morally correct Christians, and to some ext ent allowed their cultures to live as congruently as possible. It is only with the materialisation of the regulate Commissioner who declares the Ibo people to be in the dominion of our queen, the most powerful ruler in the world that this comes to a head.Achebe foreshadows the jumping ship of characters like Nwoye, by referencing the consumption of the locusts such members of the community have consumed the colonialist culture, in all its forms, including language. unconnected Achebes extended metaphor of the locusts, Friel uses a passing, but nonetheless poignant, subtle symbolic reference to the potato famine. Bridget proclaims They say thats the way it snakes in, dont they? First they smell and then one morning the stalks are all black and limp (Translations, p. 18) with Maire exclaiming fragrancy smell Sweet smell Every year at this time somebody comes back with stories of the sweet smell. Sweet God, did the potatoes ever fail in Baile Beag? There was neer a blight here bu t were all sniffing about for a disaster. (Translations, p. 18) This is symbolic of the rotting Irish culture, and failing language as contextually the potato was the staple foodstuff. The potato famine was not only symbolic, but also highly ironic when Maire says did the potatoes ever fail in Baile Beag? the audience knows fully well that they would.This device, more specifically referred to as dramatic irony, is used often by Friel in Translations, and serves to foreshadow ultimate destruction too. Another use of it is Hughs recital of The Aeneid Such was such was the course such was the course ordained ordained by serving What the hells wrong with me? Sure I know it back ways, Ill begin again. Urbs antiqua fuit (Translations, pp. 90-91) This is doubly ironic, as on the one hand, Hugh cannot depend to fully remember it Latin and Greek are often cite throughout the play by Jimmy Jack and Hugh, both of them themselves being dead languages and cultures.Perhaps in furthe r reference to After Babel by George Steiner, the fact that Hugh cannot remember it is a reflection of Gaelic even clever scholars like him will eventually lose a tongue they have worked so hard to protect. A further projection of irony in Hughs recital is the content of Virgils The Aeneid. The Aeneid is a parallel between the destruction of Carthage, a city on the North African coast, by the Romans and the destruction of Baile Beag by the English.What is highly ironic about The Aeneid, and almost makes this piece of dramatic irony self-parodying, is that The Aeneid was written in the language of those that destroyed Carthage (the Romans). Again, irony is quite prevalent in Things Fall Apart with the most tending(p) example falling, like Translations, at the end of the novel. This is the District Commissioners response to Okonkwos suicide Everyday brought him new material. The story of this man who had killed a messenger and hanged himself would make interesting reading.One coul d almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph, at any rate. (Things Fall Apart, p. 197) This is ironic because afterwards the lengthy and tumultuous tale of Okonkwo and his struggles to not be like his father, the complex hierarchy of elders and the intricacy of Okonkwo and his struggles to not be like his father, the complex hierarchy of elders and the intricacy of their traditions and religion, the District Commissioner feels it can only almost be written about in one chapter, and designates to only a paragraph.This is highly exercise of the failure of the white man to translate the Ibo culture and ability into being a highly complex culture, and instead treats the colonisation of the Ibo people as The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger (Things Fall Apart, p. 197). In conclusion, both Achebe and Friel carefully construct stories using literary devices that serve to recreate their personal inheritance of a rea listic and pitiful community who fall victim to contrary imperialism. In this, they have been able to repudiate colonial superiority in particular in regards to language and colonial ideas of progression.Whilst both portray three dimensional characters in that they are atomistic for example, in Translations, Hughs view of the English is different to Owens which is in turn separate from Manuss and provides a highly explorative analysis of linguistic imperialism and its effect on individuals and the community. To summarise, all of the text referred to in this essay, in their own ways, are deeply critical of the effects of linguistic imperialism, particularly in the context of colonialism and so-called progression.