Sunday, September 19, 2010

The Bastardization of a Culture and its Victim Caliban

       In complete knowledge of stating the obvious, the world is big. In a word enormous. IT is full of varying cultures with their different beliefs and cultures; each one special in its own right, making that culture unique. Yet, in this glorious present day, with the days of Imperialism are supposedly over, why is it that, according to Charles Bressler's Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, "Colonialism is not a thing of the past but continues today-albeit in subtler and less open ways..." Maybe people need to be reminded of the obvious, because this as Bressler says is "...a form of oppression..." and needs to be eradicated.
       This impulse is not as subtle as it is today as it was long ago; these ideals of superiority existed long before our time and as early as there was the feeling of supremacy of another. The beliefs of what is right and what is wrong is spread by its culture as propaganda and as seen in the colonization of the 17th century, goes to infect the cultures of others. What to a people may seem wrong or uncivilized in another may be perceived as being just as civilized. And thus the cycle begins in which there is no real end; a cycle filled with false perceptions, misinformed, interpretations, and the inevitable impressment of a culture to another.
       This is just the case with the character Caliban. This was a man who was forced to adopt the "ways of civilization." And as described in the chapter in Bressler's book, "Forced labor of the colonized..." ensued. Shakespeare in a way both sympathizes with Caliban while also projecting the stereotypes of the era. Caliban is constantly being treated as he is described as the characters, "savage" or "monster", but is someone who in fact only wishes to have his own home back; without any foreign disruptions. And there is the only sympathy we have for Caliban, the kind of sour feeling of the maltreated creature, and the rest turns to stereotypes. Caliban is so quickly turned to saying "I will kiss thy foot. I prithee, be my god." to Stephano (the drunk butler no less), because he gave Caliban a drink of wine or as Caliban recounts "...liquor from the heavens...". That idea that a person can be so taken by the gifts that only a "civilized" world could bring forth is not only stereotypical but also presenting Shakespeare's own beliefs of the natives of the New World, being able to be bought for so little and willingly do anything luxurious from the Old World. And then we have the violent prospects of the "savage" exemplified in Caliban's description of ways to kill his present master. As he speaks to Stephano of what he may do he says the following, "...thou mayst brain him...", "...or with a log Batter his skull...", "...paunch him with a stake..."(to stab into the belly), "...Or cut his weasand with thy knife."(to cut the windpipe of). These suggestions give of this feeling of viciousness and ferocity that can only come from stereotypes.
       The question is will Prospero die because of the actions of Caliban and will Caliban ever be able to reclaim his home?     

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