Thursday, January 29, 2015

How Neo Classical Literature Abhors Oppression

Thursday, January 29, 2015

How Neo Classical Literature Abhors Oppression 



It should be noted that there is no how there will be colonialisation without oppression, which can be in any form. Abhors , as used in the context of the question is to mean 'desist' or 'hate'.

Examining the biography of Daniel Defoe, writer of 'Robinson Crusoe'‎, it is clear that he occupied an adviser position to the government of that time. One of the things he was hailed for is principle of mutually.

From the historical perspective, ‎the essence of neo-colonialism is that the state which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside (recall that though Friday behaved like a Sovereign, he was still under the control of Crusoe in Robinson Crusoe)‎. (You can expand on this too).

However, ‎slavery, being a normal part of everyday life in the 1700s when Robinson Crusoe was written, is treated as simply a fact and not a moral issue. Early in the book Crusoe himself is captured and sold into slavery, but is treated well and is able to escape; from this, he takes the position that he cannot stand to be made to serve, but does not apply this attitude to other slaves.

When Friday appears on the island, Crusoe initially treats him as a child-like savage, but soon discovers that Friday is as innately intelligent as himself, and is both impressed and somewhat humbled. While he continues to treat Friday like a servant, he does not treat him as a slave; in fact, Crusoe's initial defense of Friday against the cannibals is indicative of his personal convictions.

Friday, a native of a nearby island rescued from cannibal captors by Robinson Crusoe. He proves to be an apt pupil and learns how to participate in his rescuer's life and labors. He learns to speak English and becomes a friend and companion, as well as a fellow laborer. This is not the case during colonisation. Colonial masters are loyal to their country ‎and not the colony. Friday wasn't  kill nor oppressed. Thus, that is an instance of abhoring oppression.

Apart fro‎m the relationship between Crusoe and Friday, the Portuguese Captain also portrayed anti-oppression. ‎ He is also used to show that there is reward for not being oppressive. He did not capitalise on the fact that he helped Crusoe. 

The Portuguese captain is presented more fully than any other European in the novel besides Crusoe, more vividly portrayed than Crusoe's widow friend or his family members. He appears in the narrative at two very important junctures in Crusoe's life. First, it is the Portuguese captain who picks up Crusoe after the escape from the Moors and takes him to Brazil, where Crusoe establishes himself as a plantation owner. Twenty-eight years later, it is again the Portuguese captain who informs Crusoe that his Brazilian investments are secure, and who arranges the sale of the plantation and the forwarding of the proceeds to Crusoe. In both cases, the Portuguese captain is the agent of Crusoe's extreme good fortune. In this sense, he represents the benefits of social connections. If the captain had not been located in Lisbon, Crusoe never would have cashed in on his Brazilian holdings. This assistance from social contacts contradicts the theme of solitary enterprise that the novel seems to endorse. Despite Crusoe's hard individual labor on the island, it is actually another human being—and not his own resourcefulness—that makes Crusoe wealthy in the end. Yet it is doubtful whether this insight occurs to Crusoe, despite his obvious gratitude toward the captain.

Moreover, the Portuguese captain is associated with a wide array of virtues. He is honest, informing Crusoe of the money he has borrowed against Crusoe's investments, and repaying a part of it immediately even though it is financially difficult for him to do so. He is loyal, honoring his duties toward Crusoe even after twenty-eight years. Finally, he is extremely generous, paying Crusoe more than market value for the animal skins and slave boy after picking Crusoe up at sea, and giving Crusoe handsome gifts when leaving Brazil. All these virtues make the captain a paragon of human excellence, and they make us wonder why Defoe includes such a character in the novel. In some ways, the captain's goodness makes him the moral counterpart of Friday, since the European seaman and the Caribbean cannibal mirror each other in benevolence and devotion to Crusoe. The captain's goodness thus makes it impossible for us to make oversimplified oppositions between a morally bankrupt Europe on the one hand, and innocent noble savages on the other.


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‎Focus: This piece is to give an area view and not the specific answer.‎ Other books such as 'Beggars Opera' can also be used as it shuns malpractices by government officials and oppression of the masses. 

Note: Some content in this material are sourced from -  eNotes, Sparknotes

Answer prepared by: SDK... Oye @newstrawl

Written by

Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner

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