The Transgression of Boundaries in A Passage to India and Heart of Darkness
Fecha
2017-11-08
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Jaén: Universidad de Jaén
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[ES] J. Conrad y E.M. Forster son considerados autores coloniales y sus obras maestras A Passage to India and Heart of Darkness son criticadas a menudo por autores postcoloniales por consolidar y perpetuar los mitos y estereotipos raciales en los que se basaba el colonialismo. Esta disertación se ha centrado en las críticas al colonialismo que se pueden entrever en ambas obras literarias para determinar cómo estos sobresalientes autores contribuyeron a redefinir la percepción del colonialismo desde la esfera cultural. Los estereotipos coloniales están presentes en los libros, sin embargo, la asociación sistemática del yo con mediocridad, actos abusivos, juicios injustos y segregación racial termina por deshumanizar al yo, no al otro. La civilización se convierte en un agente de destrucción y corrupción y sólo la mentalidad diferente de los personajes transgresores parece apuntar en la dirección correcta: una mente liberal y el deseo de coexistir y aprender del otro.
[EN] J. Conrad and E.M. Forster are considered colonialist writers and their masterpieces A Passage to India and Heart of Darkness are often criticized by postcolonial authors for consolidating and perpetuating the myths and racial stereotypes upon which colonialism rested. This dissertation has focused on the critique of imperialism that can be glimpsed in both literary works to determine how these outstanding authors contributed to reshape the perception of colonialism from the cultural sphere. Colonialist stereotypes are present in the books, however, the systematic association of the self with mediocrity, abusive acts, unfair judgements, and racial segregation, has a dehumanizing effect on the self, not on the other. Civilization turns into an agent of destruction and corruption and only the different mindset of the transgressive characters seems to point out into the right direction: a liberal mind and a desire to coexist and learn from each other.
[EN] J. Conrad and E.M. Forster are considered colonialist writers and their masterpieces A Passage to India and Heart of Darkness are often criticized by postcolonial authors for consolidating and perpetuating the myths and racial stereotypes upon which colonialism rested. This dissertation has focused on the critique of imperialism that can be glimpsed in both literary works to determine how these outstanding authors contributed to reshape the perception of colonialism from the cultural sphere. Colonialist stereotypes are present in the books, however, the systematic association of the self with mediocrity, abusive acts, unfair judgements, and racial segregation, has a dehumanizing effect on the self, not on the other. Civilization turns into an agent of destruction and corruption and only the different mindset of the transgressive characters seems to point out into the right direction: a liberal mind and a desire to coexist and learn from each other.