Thinking Activity: Representation of the Native in Literary texts; with specific reference to Robinson Crusoe
In the Post colonial discourse, the Foucoultian idea of power and knowledge, is employed to study how the 'universal' texts of the 'universal' language, construct and spread the markers of identity of those involved in the colonial experience; specifically those belonging to the bottom of the power structure. A close reading of the literary texts of the colonial times would reveal the creation of certain archetypal identity constructions; such as 'the noble savage', 'the sympathetic (white) master' whose responsibility is to civilize the uncivilized. so on and so forth. The problem however, lies, not just in the construction of such generalizations, but also in the continuation and culmination of them in the form of ideologies such as Racism. A good example to justify the above arguments is Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, wherein the character Friday represents the native who is black, without a name, without any 'civilized' identity, a...