In Dirlek's attempt to pinpoint the era of postcolonialism in his essay "The Postcolonial Aura", he suggests three definitions: "literal description of conditions in formerly colonial societies [...] "global condition after the period of colonialism" and lastly, "a discourse on the above-named conditions" (563-64). Over the last weeks, we have focused on the last, learning … Continue reading Jam Tomorrow
Category: Postcolonial Studies
Resistance is futile
The word I keep coming back to is assimilate. Like a long ago episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, “assimilate” is not only the command of The Borg, it is, in their mind, the inevitable duty of all species in the galaxy. And in both Pérez-Sánchez and Puar essays, I felt that assimilation was … Continue reading Resistance is futile
It’s not about the head scarf, it’s about who decides the head scarf must be worn.
If this were a film blog, I'd love to talk about the sound design in Persepolis. The ominous sounds of the tanks as they moved in, the wheels of the bicycle as the children chased after it, the frantic footsteps as the young men were chased across the roof; if you weren't wearing headphones while … Continue reading It’s not about the head scarf, it’s about who decides the head scarf must be worn.
None are named “All of You”
Note: I apologize to my classmates for missing last week's discussion. My time management skills apparently had not yet returned from break. I have since forcibly extracted them from the void and, battered as they are, am working diligently to get them ship-shape. Considering the time-stamp on this post, they are still a little...disgruntled. Language is like … Continue reading None are named “All of You”
“Because he’s naked and ashamed”
Your listening for this post: When I read Dr. Clemens' post about this week's reading, I was worried that "the most depressing book they have read" consensus of Nawal El Saadawi's Woman at Point Zero would unduly influence me. It prepared me, in some ways, to build up a wall against what I might find. Thankfully, Saadawi's … Continue reading “Because he’s naked and ashamed”