Introduction

Colonial representation relies on political images which are

constructed by the ideas of power and domination over “others.” This
type of representation is “man made”, so colonial representation is a
kind of colonial discourse which creates a false Ideology. Ideology
represents some images, ideas, values which are part of our life and
these ideas, beliefs, values are invisible as well as implicit but this
invisible power constantly governs our life, society and our mind.
Colonial representation is always full of colonizers ideologies and
values. Gayatri Spivak addresses the issue and finds that it also creates
the problem of speaking of name. Representation has a power of
interpretation. It becomes more prominent by representing the
subaltern because the dominant groups always hold the “power over
representation.” The interpretation and the actual meanings of
representation are one-sided, biased and imaginative. It has some
specific meaning which is totally opposite to the real meaning. So
representation of the colonized or the marginalized group is fully
allegorical and typical.

In this dissertation I have analyzed three novels, Robinson Crusoe,

Heart of Darkness and A Passage to India written by Daniel Defoe,
Joseph Conrad and E.M. Forester to show how these authors have
imposed their Eurocentric attitude. In all these novels, the central
theme is racialism: the power of white people (subject) over the
colonized (object). Through these novels white are identified with
purity and perfection. Slavery, mimicry, loss of confidence and identity
crisis enter in the blood of the colonized in this way that
psychologically they cannot come out from the terror of European,
their aggression and greed. Colonized groups are represented in most
of the European writings as a “metaphorical” figure. These
dominant cultural bodies are always represented as shadow. Without
this shadow whites cannot move. But they never realize even believe in
the existence of these people in their life. We see this stand in most of
European literature. The theme and presentation of these novels are
also different but at one point the authors of these novels are
presented their same mentality that the society is divided into two
groups- one is powerful (Self) and another is powerless and inferior
(Others).

Robinson Crusoe is an excellent adventure story since its

publication in 1719; both the novels and the hero have become popular
to everyone especially to the children. The surface of this novel tells
only an adventure story, but a conscious reading of the novel shows
that colonialism is technically presented underneath the storyline
where issue such as race, power identity formation and so on are
presented from a colonial perspective. This chapter will show some
important aspects related to representation of colonialism, which are
usually ignored by people.
Robinson Crusoe is not just an adventurous fiction, it is a
story in which a European man gradually masters his own compulsion
and extends his control over a huge, indifferent, and hostile
environment. The protagonist of the novel is a typical colonial
character. He sets on a distant Caribbean island to establish his own
colony, his own civilization and his own culture. Defoe deals with
colonialism by portraying a wonderful fictional picture of an
adventurous man, who gradually becomes a master over an island and
establishes his own colony.
In Robinson Crusoe representation of colonialism is clearly
reflected through the relationship between the colonized and
colonizer, representation of a colonized land and people, and
representation of colonialism from the viewpoint of trade, commerce
and buildings empire. Robinson Crusoe is known as an allegorical
novel. Religiously this novel asserts a kind of “spiritual journey” of the
protagonist, economically it is a story for the expansion of the trade
and from psychological perspective Robinson Crusoe deals with an
alien. But this chapter will try to demonstrate the extent to colonialism
which shapes the novel.
Crusoe is the representation of a colonial figure and colonial
mind in this fiction, and Friday is a symbol of all those natives who
were dominated in the age of “European imperialism”. Friday is so
obedient, grateful and faithful to Crusoe that he never realizes that this
man, who saved his life, is not only helps him from his good will but
his main purpose was to make him a devoted slave. Crusoe and Friday
live harmoniously on the island, but the methods with which Crusoe
enslave Friday also link him to colonial history.
“Discovery” and “Adventure” is an important aspect of
colonialism and a major theme of any colonial novels. “British
identities are mapped, through the figurative imagery of the hero, in
the geography of his adventure” (Child, 122). Crusoe’s eagerness to
discover other lands and people makes him a perfect explorer and his
ideology is the ideology of colonizers. If we analyze his whole
adventurous journey it seems that Defoe represents Crusoe as a typical
European bourgeois, “rational”, “religious” and “mindful” of his own
profit. His trip on a merchant ship refers to his capitalist tendency.
Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe actually reveals his political and economic
view relating to colonialism. In colonialism, geographical exploitation
works behind economic success. It is a process by using the natural
resources of others countries, colonizers are established new markets
for extension their culture beyond its national borders. It is clearly
reflected that the voyages of Robinson Crusoe demonstrates the
“economic aspect of colonialism” and his character represents
imperialistic attitude of a European man, who wants superior position
to authorize or to dominate others. During eighteenth century British
people consider themselves as the greatest trading country in the
world. For their commercial success since they are trying to establish
their colony in the distance island