Cross-Cultural and Ideological Perceptions of the Other in: W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, Chinua Achebe and Assia Djebar

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• PART I: Colonialism and its Legacies of Darkness
• Chapter I: The Irish Colonial Experience
• 1.1. Religious Tensions
• 1.2. The Cromwellian Re-Conquest of Ireland
• 1.3. The Penal Laws
• 1.4. The Act of Union
• 1.5. Catholic Emancipation
• 1.6. The Great Famine
• 1.7. Home Rule, Rome Rule
• Chapter II: Nigeria's Falling Apart
• 2.1. Indirect Rule
• 2.2. Divide and Rule
• 2.3. The Unification of Nigeria
• Chapter III: Algeria's Long Road to Peace
• 3.1. Opposition to Occupation
• 3.1.1. The Sétif Massacres
• 3.1.2. “La chasse à l'Arabe”
• 3.1.3. The Algerian War of Independence
• 3.1.4. The Massacres of October 1961
• Chapter IV: Leopold II's Congo: a Negation of Humanity
• 4.1. The Humanitarian Disaster
• 4.1.1. Rubber Boom, Congo Doom
• 4.2. The Outcry
• 4.3. Post-Leopoldian Era
• PART II: At the Crossroads of Cultures
• Chapter V: 'Barbaric' Others: Why are They not so Blest?
• 5.1. Stereotyping/Othering as a Culture Disease
• 5.2. Scientific Approach to Otherness
• 5.3. The Ideology of English, Belgian and French Colonisations
• 5.3.1. “The White Negroes”
• 5.3.2. Victorian Ethnology
• 5.3.3. The African Mind

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis investigates the cross-cultural and ideological perceptions of the Other in the works of W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, Chinua Achebe and Assia Djebar. The work explores the colonial experience and its impact on the construction of identity, examining the interplay between dominant and marginalized perspectives.
• Colonialism and its legacies
• The construction of the Other
• Cross-cultural perspectives
• Ideological frameworks
• The impact of colonialism on identity

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Part I of the thesis examines the colonial experience in Ireland, Nigeria, Algeria, and the Congo, focusing on the legacies of darkness left by colonial rule. Chapter I explores the Irish colonial experience, highlighting the impact of religious tensions, the Cromwellian re-conquest, the penal laws, the Act of Union, Catholic emancipation, the Great Famine, and the Home Rule movement. Chapter II examines the fragmentation of Nigeria under colonial rule, focusing on the policies of indirect rule, divide and rule, and the eventual unification of the country. Chapter III analyzes the Algerian struggle for independence, focusing on the opposition to occupation, the Sétif massacres, “La chasse à l'Arabe,” the Algerian War of Independence, and the Massacres of October 1961. Finally, Chapter IV delves into the atrocities committed by Leopold II in the Congo, exploring the humanitarian disaster, the rubber boom, the international outcry, and the post-Leopoldian era.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The thesis explores key concepts including colonialism, postcolonialism, identity, otherness, cross-cultural perspectives, ideological frameworks, stereotyping, and the impact of colonialism on literature and culture. The work examines various historical events and figures related to these themes, including the Irish colonial experience, the Nigerian divide and rule policy, the Algerian war of independence, and the atrocities committed in the Congo under Leopold II.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the central theme of this doctoral thesis?

The thesis investigates 'Otherness' and cross-cultural perceptions in the works of major writers like Yeats, Joyce, Conrad, Achebe, and Djebar within the context of colonialism.

How do W.B. Yeats and James Joyce represent the Irish colonial experience?

They explore Irish identity in relation to religious tensions, the Great Famine, and the struggle for Home Rule, often defining 'the Other' through city vs. countryside or Catholic vs. Protestant dynamics.

What is Joseph Conrad's perspective on imperialism in 'Heart of Darkness'?

Conrad exposes the "hollow morality" and atrocities of the imperialist enterprise, particularly focusing on the negation of humanity in Leopold II's Congo.

How does Chinua Achebe's work contribute to postcolonial discourse?

Achebe re-orients cultural discourse by showing the native resistance to oppression and the disintegration of traditional Nigerian society under colonial impact.

What historical events in Algeria are analyzed in the work of Assia Djebar?

The thesis examines the Algerian War of Independence, the Sétif massacres, and the long road to peace as depicted in Djebar's writing.

What are the "White Negroes" mentioned in the Victorian ethnology section?

This term refers to the historical stereotyping and "Othering" of the Irish by the English during the Victorian era, comparing them to colonized African subjects.