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Short and Long Term Effects of Colonialism

Colonialism is a popular theme in literature which affects individuals in


many different ways. Two authors that use the theme of colonialism are Brian
Friel in the play Translations, and Derek Walcott in his poems, A Far Cry from
Africa and The Schooner Flight. Colonialism initially creates an
atmosphere of hostility, resulting in physical aggression. In the long term, it
causes a collective loss of personal and cultural identity. Through the use of
character development, language, and the importance of names, Friel shows
the effects of colonialism. Walcott uses well-developed characters who have
culturally diverse backgrounds to display the effects of colonialization.
In Brian Friels Translations, the hostile behaviour exhibited by the Irish
towards the British military quickly leads to physical aggression. This
behaviour is shown when Doalty tampers with the British soldiers theodolite.
He says he does so, Just to indicate a presence (Friel 12). Shortly after
this, a series of events occur: Yolland goes missing, the English camp is set
on fire, and Captain Lancey threatens to kill all livestock and evict the Irish
people from their homes. These rapidly escalating events show that the short
term effect of colonialism is hostile behaviour which quickly leads to
violence.
Doalty is a character that displays the short term effects of colonialism. His small act of
tampering with British soldiers theodolite displays his willingness to oppose the English army.
Close to the end of the story he states, Ive damned little to defend but hell not put me out

without a fight. And therell be others who think the same as me (83-84). Doaltys willingness
to fight for Ireland and to take a stand against the British shows that being under colonial rule
leads to hostile behaviour and physical violence.
Similarly to Doalty, the Donnelly twins display hostile and violent behaviour. The
Donnelly twins are characters that represent the Irish rebellion towards the British rule. At the
beginning of the play, these brothers are suspected of taking two of the soldiers horses. This
form of hostile behaviour quickly escalates as the brothers are suspects in the disappearance of
Yolland. As the English cross over boundaries and colonialize Ireland, Yolland too crosses
cultural boundaries in his relationship with Maire which cause the Donnelly twins to take action
against Yolland. The Donnelly twins violence and acts of rebellion are a short term effect caused
by colonialism.
Doalty and the Donnelly twins both showcase the violence that opposes colonisation,
whereas Captain Lancey displays violence that results from enforcing colonialism. At the
beginning of the play when Lancey is first introduced, he does not display any form of
aggression or violence towards the Irish people. When learning of Yollands disappearance
however, he reveals his aggressive nature by threatening to evict people from their homes and
kill their livestock. This shows that if faced with any opposition, the group of people colonizing
another group will use violence as a means to get what they want and assert their dominance.
Brian Friel uses the characters of Doalty, the Donnelly twins, and
Lancey to show how colonialism, in the short term, causes an atmosphere of
hostility that quickly turns into physical aggression. Both the Irish people and
the English army act in a violent manner because they feel threatened. The
Irish feel that their culture and way of life are being threatened, and the

English soldiers feel that their lives are being threatened after Yollands
disappearance.
Derek Walcotts poem, A Far Cry from Africa, illustrates the violence
that results from colonialism. Walcott uses visual imagery with words such as
bloodstreams and phrases like, Corpses are scattered through a paradise
(Walcott 3-4) to assist the reader in imagining what a horrific scene this is for
people of Africa. Through the word paradise, he gives us a representation
of Africa before colonization. In the next line Walcott writes, Only the worm,
colonel of carrion, cries: / Waste no compassion on these separate dead!
(5-6). Walcott shows the reader a highly violent time when only the worms
who feed on decaying corpses are thriving due to all of the dead bodies. In A
Far Cry from Africa, Walcott displays the amount of violence that results
from colonialism, and how a beautiful land can be torn apart by a nations
greed for more.
In Translations, Friel shows the long term effects of colonialism by the
use of language and names. Through the changing of language and the renaming of towns and landmarks, the Irish people lose their culture and
therefore, their personal identity.
Anglicizing the Irish names of places and landmarks causes a loss of
culture and historic meaning. This is seen with Yolland and Owen during the
renaming of Tobair Vree. Yolland recognises that through anglicizing the
name, they are in essence stripping away the culture and history behind the

name. This conversation seems to change Owens way of seeing names as


he finally speaks up and says, George! For Gods sake! My name is not
Roland! (54). Owen now recognises the value of a name, whereas previously
he states, Owen Roland what the hell. Its only a name (37). Through
Tobair Vree, Yolland shows Owen the importance of a name, and that
changing it strips away the culture and identity associated with it.
Sarah is a character that represents the importance a name has to a
persons identity. At the beginning of the play, Manus is teaching Sarah how
to say her name. After she succeeds Manus says, Now were really started!
Nothingll stop us now! Nothing in the wide world! (3). Manus recognises
that, once Sarah can say her name, she then has an Identity. This is further
shown when Sarah is able to identify herself to Owen. Once she identifies
herself to him, they are able to make a connection through not only their
own names, but also the names of where they are from. Sarahs inability to
state her name to Lancey near the end of the play, creates a lack of identity
for herself. Sarah is representative of Ireland as a whole. Just as Sarah is
unable to state her own name, soon the people of Ireland will be unable to
name their own towns and landmarks in their native tongue. This causes the
historic meaning to be lost in translation which will therefore, cause a lack of
cultural identity.
Derek Walcott displays his own struggle with his personal identity and
culture in, A Far Cry from Africa. He has both African and English heritage,
and says, I who am poisoned with the blood of both. / Where shall I turn,

divided to the vein? (26-27). Walcott comes from a mixed background and
struggles with a mixed identity. He recognises the violence the Mau Mau and
British display towards one another, and is torn between the two. He cannot
identify with any one culture and feels like an outsider in both. In the end,
Walcott remains in a state of confusion. He is not able to successfully align
himself with Africa or England due to a loss of personal identity and culture.
In The Schooner Flight, Walcott further displays the long term effects
of colonialism through Shabine. Shabine is a cultural Hybrid, and does not fit
into the new society of the Caribbean. He loves the island but hates what it
has become, as shown by stating, But they had started to poison my soul /
with their big house, big car, big-time bohbohl, (30-31). In these few lines,
Walcott shows the advancements and corruption that result from British
colonialism. Shabine expresses his struggle with his personal identity by
saying, I have Dutch, nigger, and English in me, / and either Im nobody, or
Im a nation (42-43). Shabine is confused by what he really is and where he
belongs. Just as the schooner is roaming the seas without belonging to a
nation, Shabine is roaming through life without a personal identity or culture
to represent himself. Walcott uses Shabine to show the advancements and
corruption that colonialism brings to a country, and how colonialism leaves
people void of personal identity and a culture to call their own.
Many characters affected by colonialism are not able to reconcile their
past which therefore, negatively effects their future. Both characters in A Far
Cry from Africa and The Schooner Flight struggle with their self-identity

and are unable to reconcile their troubled past. Owen is one character that
does connect with his Irish heritage by explaining the meaning of Tobair Vree
to Yolland. He connects with his countrys history, which helps form his own
identity. Similarly, other characters could reconcile their past and present by
returning to their heritage and discovering their own cultural meanings and
traditions. Connecting with the past assists characters in constructing their
personal identity, which in turn, will positively impact their future.
Brian Friel and Derek Walcott both display the many effects of
colonialism. Hostile behaviour and physical aggression are short term effects,
whereas a loss of personal identity and culture are long term effects of
colonialism. Through different styles, both writers display the many effects
colonialism has on both an individual and a nation.

Works Cited
Friel, Brian. Translations. London: Faber and Faber Limited, 2000. Print.
Walcott, Derek. A Far Cry from Africa. The Norton Anthology of English
Literature. 9th Ed. Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: Norton, 2013.
2854-2855. Print.
Walcott, Derek. The Schooner Flight. The Norton Anthology of English
Literature. 9th Ed. Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: Norton, 2013.
2855-2856. Print.

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