Colonialism has passed over for centuries. Since 1815 to 1914, European colony extended from 35% to 85% of the earth surface. The giant colonizer countries were Britain and France. All continents were explored, especially Asia and Africa. Said in his book Orientalism (1978) states that colonialism can be defined as the conquest and control of other people’s land and goods or against the natives and territories of the colonies. It is about the dominance of strong nations over weaker ones. The strong nations see that its material interest and affluence require that it expansion outside its borders. Besides, colonialism can be interpreted as a system that a nation maintains such control, the condition of being colonial and an idea, custom, practice peculiar for a colony.
Although colonialism has ended with the independence of the colonized country but the effect are still consciously or unconsciously felt by them. Indonesian belongs the one who felt colonialization by Dutch. The time of colonialism was ended but now when Indonesian know there still Java complete book collection in Yogyakarta Palace and only particular people can enter that room, it is prove the effect of colonialism never ended, the fear of Indonesian influenced by their previous experience, Indonesian feel the suffering from a lost still running. Or when some Javanese claim Kejawen as astray tenet, some other Javanese question the process of the Javanese mind set and how their traditional religion falls apart even claimed as astray tenet. Those are the case that colonialism is still consciously or unconsciously running in colonized mind, heart and hand. Those are the cases which strike us into a deep analysis of colonialism.
Gandhi in her book Postcolonial Theory (1998:3-4) states postcolonialism is a decisive temporal marker of the decolonizing process, implied the chronological separation between colonialism and aftermath. It involves engagement with the experience of colonialism, past and present effect in ex-colonial society. The focus of postcolonialism is the condition under the imperialism and the condition after colonialism.
Another definition that comes from Slemon in The Post-colonial Studies Reader (1995) who states postcolonial as the name for a condition of natives longing in post-independent national groupings and as the need, in nations or groups which have been victims of imperialism, to achieve an identity uncontaminated by universalistic or Eurocentric concepts and images. Colonialism undeniably calls up a degree of suppression. But more often than not, and in the case of all of the novels to be discussed, this oppression takes the form of a mostly unconscious cultural assimilation an unknowing indoctrination of the colonialist’s beliefs upon their colonized persons. In some instances, the assimilation is purposefully imposed. Teaching Christian religious beliefs, as one example, obviously involves a purposeful spreading of ideas to the indigenous population.
Ashcroft in his book Post-Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts (2007) states that postcolonial discourse or postcolonialism will never be obsolete and the history of colonialism will remain attached on both colonized and colonizer mind. The word postcolonial refers to colonialism awareness, in particular European colonialism since 16 Century has substantially changed the world. Postcolonialism is study or critical theory which tries to reveal the negative effect caused by colonialism. Besides, postcolonialism is a critical tool to see how the symbols of culture, society and economy are driven to the interests of the dominant class.
Postcolonialism begins from the very first moment of colonial contact as a discourse of oppositionality which colonialism brings into being. It is also regarded as nation or the group imperialism victim who needed to achieve an identity uncontaminated Eurocentric concept and images. The pioneers of postcolonialism like Edward Said, Franz Fanon, Homi Bhabha many others, concerned themselves with the social and cultural and effect of colonization.
Childs in his book An Introduction to Post-Colonial Theory (1997:4) states text which are anti-colonial, which reject the premises of the colonialist intervention might be regarded as postcolonial. This following is Gandhi’s statement about postcolonialism.
“... postcolonialism can be seen as a theoretical resistance to the mystifying amnesia of the colonial aftermath. It is a disciplinary project devoted to the academic task of revisiting, remembering and, crucially, interrogating the colonial past. The process of returning to the colonial scene discloses a relationship of reciprocal antagonism and desire between colonizer and colonized. (Gandhi, 1998:4)
Childs (1997) states postcolonialism is one of specific post-modern intellectual discourse that consists of reactions to, analysis of and the cultural legacy of colonialism. This is a theoretical approach which focuses on the effect of colonialization direct and after. It is a tool of examining an unconsciously changed culture through its literature, including the relationship between the changed and the changer, the oppressor and oppressed, colonizer and colonized. Postcolonialism is a study of the interactions between European nations and the societies they colonized in the modern period. The European empire is sway over more than 85% of the entire globe by the time of the First World War and having consolidated it is control over several centuries. It involves engagement with the experience of colonialism, past and present effect in ex-colonial society. The focuses of postcolonialism are the condition under the imperialism and the condition after colonialism. The materials affect subjugation under imperialism and after. The word postcolonial refers to the consciousness of colonialism that is substantially changing the world.
The colonialists oppress the people by subjecting them to foreign values. Christian religion is a means of subjecting people to a cultural hegemony, then, the conquest leads to the domination of people. The existence of religion is the basic agent of cultural hegemony and the way planting the British moral principles. After British success colonize the Igbo people’s mind through Christianity, it will be very easy to them continue the process of colonialism through politics and economy. Therefore, Christianity becomes the fundamental aspect in British colonialization.
Through reding literary work, we can learn about the history of colonialism. For me, it is much more interesting rather than reading historical book. We can get much more data about culture and colonialism. The unique of poet’s language makes the reader dip into understanding and strucks in mind and herath. However, literature is a picture of an event, values, and norms agreed upon society. Literature that presents a picture of life and life itself is partly made up of social reality. In this context literature is not something that is autonomous, stands alone, but something closely related to the circumstances of the work environment was born (Wellek & Warren, 1993: 109). Literature is the mirror of human life that portrays human feeling, though imagination and perception which can be viewed based on personal judgment.
Literature is one of important aspects in human life, an important media to reflect the realities that happen during the colonialism. From postcolonial point of view (Gandhi, 2001) a literary work always reveals the product of social, it reflects the condition of the society, reflects the awareness of the condition of colonial era and spirit to fight the injustice. Literature is about oppression and healing response, the textual endemic of colonial battle. Postcolonial literature is also a critical analysis in a form of literary work by writers who are aware of postcolonial condition. The writers of the colonized country question postcolonial experience in their works. Through postcolonial literary work the we can find the impact of colonialism and the resistance of it. It is a result of the interaction between imperial culture and the complex of indigenous cultural practices which shows the clash of the local culture.
In the colonial era, some countries led by Missionaries. They are fundamental agent in colonial era, because in the past, people are religious and everyday life conected to their traditional religion (in practices, ceremonies, moral, values and soon). Hans Kung in Chidili (2007:329) states that religion is a believing view of life, approach to life, way of life, and therefore a fundamental pattern embracing the individual and society. Colonialization through religion becomes the fundamental method in Igbo case, because wherever the Africans are, there are with their religion. Max Weber and Emile Durkheim viewed religion as a central theory of society. Ajayi in his book Christian Mission in Nigeria 1841-1891 (1965) says religion is an affair of the community so intimately bound up with its way of life that a change of religion necessarily involves a change of culture and the development of a new conscience. Such us Christian mission is used as a tool of foster hegemony to the religion and culture of Nigeria. Through this method obviously involves a purposeful spreading of ideas to the indigenous population.
Refferences:
Ajayi, J. F. Ade. 1965. Christian Mission in Nigeria 1841-1891: The Making of a New Elite. London: Longmans.
Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffith, and Helen Tiffin. 1995. The Post-Colonial Studies Reader. London: Routledge.
Ashcroft, Bill, Gareth Griffith, and Helen Tiffin. 2000. Key Concept in Post-Colonial Studies. London: Routledge.
Childs, Peter and R.J. Patrick Williams. 1997. An Introduction to Post-Colonial Theory. London: Prentice Hall.
Ejizu. Ch. I. 1987. “Liminality in the Contemporary Nigerian Christian Religious Experience.” Mission Studies. Vol. IV: 4-14.
Ekechi, F.K. 1971. “Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 1900-1915.” Journal of African History. Vol. 12: 103-115. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gandhi, Leela. 1998. Postcolonial Theory. Australia: Allen & Unwin.
Loomba, Ania. 2000. Colonialism/ Postcolonialism. London: Routledge.
Said, Edward W. 1979. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books.
Sugirtharajah, R. S. 1998. The Postcolonial Bible. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.
