Category: Thesis

This Blog primarily discusses the continuation of the postcolonial context, exploring some characteristics of postcolonial cultural colonization, such as opacity, permeability, and introducing further discussions on textual analysis of postcolonial cultural colonization through the lens of “Imperial Rewrites: Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Postcolonial Literature.”

• In postcolonial literature, the analysis of anti-conquest narratives examines the identity politics, social and cultural perspectives of the colonized subjects at the grassroots level, as well as their resistance to the culture of the colonizers.
• Postcolonialism, distinct from post-colonialism, signifies a focus on the ongoing impacts of colonization across periods and geographical regions. This can be understood as a resistance of the local to the colonial influences.
• Postcolonial literary theory reexamines colonial and postcolonial literature, with a particular focus on the social discourse shaping and producing literature between colonizers and the colonized.
• Regarding Said’s analysis of colonial discourse. Another colonial discourse theorist, Homi Bhabha, has developed many new terms and key concepts in this field, such as hybridity, the third space, mimicry, difference, and the ambivalence of colonial identities.
• Mohammed Saleh Eldeen Madiou, in his article “The Death of Postcolonialism: A Prolegomenon,” argues that postcolonialism as an academic study and critique of colonialism is a “bleak failure.” This is because, from a temporal perspective, colonialism is in the past, but the impacts generated by colonialism still persist.
• Textual analysis and the interpretation of postcolonialism proposed by Homi Bhabha are similar in concepts. “Imperial Rewrites” uses these theoretical frameworks to understand how postcolonialism acknowledges the continuous existence of the effects of colonization on the colonized, effects that cannot be eradicated from oppressive systems.
• Authors debate the relationships in postcolonial works, studying the powerful force of words acting on the texts of postcolonial literature. They demonstrate how these texts constitute a radical critique of Eurocentric language and literary concepts. And them point out that literary theorists and historians now recognize that fusion may have been a goal pursued by one nation’s government to rule over another, whether culturally, politically, or in postcolonial literature. Authors consider cultural hybridity and fusion an essential component of all postcolonial literature.
• Two Strategies in Postcolonial Writing: “Abrogation” and “Appropriation”:
• Appropriation:
• Describing the reconstruction of the center language, reshaping the language to give it new usage. It is a process of conveying one’s spirit using a non-native language (a non-indigenous language). All postcolonial literature is considered cross-cultural because it attempts to bridge gaps through the processes of abrogation and appropriation. Appropriation is seen as the most influential strategy in postcolonial writing.
• Repositioning of Texts (Liberation of Postcolonial Writing):
• The liberation of postcolonial writing involves the repositioning of texts. Authors argue that how culture shapes and determines the reader’s understanding of the text.
• Crossroads of Postcolonial Discourse:
• Local theory and postcolonial interpretations (“appropriation” encounters difficulties):
• Emphasizing the examination of the “appropriation” issue. All postcolonial nations still possess widely disseminated indigenous cultures locally. However, due to the rapidly changing times of language and the tremendous influence of today’s media on ordinary language and cultural practices, the issue of appropriation encounters difficulties.
• The Future of Postcolonial Literature:
• The translation of literary texts from colonial countries into world languages such as English is a topic of frequent debate. The meaning and value of literature are complex issues. Authors not only contemplate what should enter the canon but also consider which texts should be classified as literature. Many texts have changed with the addition of authors. Simultaneously, from a linguistic perspective, traditional forms of expression and English forms inherited through colonization make one reflect on what should be classified as literature.

Conclusion:

It can be seen that postcolonial literature is a continuation of postcolonial characteristics. Combining Homi Bhabha’s features of postcolonialism, including hybridity, enunciation, the third space, mimicry, cultural difference, etc., postcolonial literature can be viewed as a concrete analysis of specific postcolonial methods applied to texts. This article believes that many techniques of postcolonial literature can also be used to describe the representation in postcolonial films, providing arguments to strengthen the analysis of the Aladdin film.

Post-Structuralism or Deconstructionism

• The most evident difference between post-structuralists and their structuralist predecessors is their abandonment of the simplistic methodological approach of structuralism. They challenge structuralism’s claim of being a meta-language capable of interpreting all texts and believe that a neutral, all-knowing perspective outside a text is impossible. Post-structuralists advocate for the infinite play of signifiers and believe that reading methods play a crucial role in the infinite play of signifiers.

Derrida and Deconstructionism

• Derrida proposed a method he called deconstruction to read Western philosophy. In general, deconstructive reading presents that a text should not be interpreted as the communication of a single author conveying an obvious message but should be read as a manifestation of conflicts within different cultures or worldviews.

• A deconstructed text will exhibit many simultaneously coexisting viewpoints, often conflicting with each other.

There is a similarity in the context descriptions of Derrida’s deconstructionism and Homi Bhabha’s postcolonialism. Both criticize structuralism for overly simplifying generalizations, akin to the stereotyping of racial essentialism and fixity in postcolonialism, which involves describing people and things in language and fixing them in an unchanging framework.

In the context of postcolonialism, whether it is people or cultures, they are changing, although it is non-continuous. People and cultures are continually evolving due to the impact of things and people from more cultural backgrounds.

Derrida’s Differance

• Definition of Differance: Differance is a free play or display of differences that continually generates, it is the source of differences, it is an originary differance, but this source is imperfect and complex. (Similar to a book having an original version before multiple translations, a term evolving with new meanings during its development)
• Derrida believes that differance is a cryptic unconscious domain; it is not rationalistic, phenomenological, with clear consciousness, but an unconscious or subconscious free play activity, like Nietzsche’s will to power, Freud’s subconscious, it is an unconscious or subconscious free play activity. (This is similar to how a narrator’s interpretation or a reader’s understanding can spread or be understood in the “originary” or “translated” form in the unconscious domain.)
• Expansion of the Noun ‘Differance’: It has two meanings, 1. Temporal delay, 2. Difference.
• Characteristics of Differance: In the differentiating activity of differance, one of the binary oppositions will become the differance of the other; it is both the differance of the other and the result of difference. It is, on one hand, a free play activity of differences produced in temporal delay and, on the other hand, the result of differences.
• Common Relationship Between Differance and Enunciation: Differance, due to the generation of ever-changing signifying relations or, in other words, the movement that produces signifying relations, is more likely to play a role in the creative process of the text due to the ambiguity and ambiguity of written symbols.

Summary:

Differance is not a word or symbol referring to a meaning and truth present in an existing presence because it belongs to the cryptic realm. Language, in the playful activity of differance, generates and creates itself. It is no longer dominated by logocentrism, that is, it is no longer limited and dominated by normative human restrictions, allowing people to lose the domination of flesh-and-blood emotions and freedom; it is the opposite of essentialism. Homi Bhabha emphasizes the postcolonial features and characteristics, and these discourses are similar to Derrida’s deconstruction of differance. The term ‘differance’ represents the development of a primordial content in the unconscious and subconscious activities, altering its original meaning. The former is a purposeful, politically charged enunciation that, in the incomplete understanding of cultural backgrounds, may overtly or covertly mix one’s understanding in interpreting content. The latter is the enunciation of an “originary” in the unconscious domain, but in the process of enunciation, the content has already changed. Both involve the divergence of the originary, but one might be conscious, and the other is unconscious.

Homibhabha’s Postcolonialism Theory ‘The Location of Culture’、

• Hybridity：Emergence of New Cultural Forms in Multiculturalism
• Contradictory State: Contradictory State in Hybridity

• The contradictory state makes the hybridity of intrinsic cultural identity and colonizer’s cultural identity possible.

• Colonial Signifiers (Colonial Symbols), contradictory because the image is not ‘original’ due to the repetitive actions constructing the symbol; nor can it be congruent because it defines its differences.

• Development of Colonial Symbols

• Colonial differences, traumatic scenes of culture or race, make the eye of power return to ancient images or identities to regain their meaning.

• The presence of colonialism remains contradictory, creating a split between its original and authoritative appearance and the expression of repetition and difference. （Characteristics of the Third Space）

Hybridity, Iteration, and Translation:

• Hybridity shows how culture is manifested through the processes of iteration and translation, where the meaning of culture is handed over to the other through these processes.

Scope of Hybridity:

• Hybridity is a dual, concealing imagination, simultaneously existing in at least two places. Hybridity is no longer only related to immigrant populations and border towns but is also used in the flow and interaction of culture.

Cultural Differences, Interpretation, and Stereotypes

Cultural Differences

• Definition of Cultural Differences (not accurate enough): Viewing culture as the meeting place of two or more cultures, where most issues arise, is an inferential construction, not, and is a process of constructing “knowledgeable” inference.
• Interestingly, cultural differences are discovered and recognized through expression. Cultural differences are an identity process. The possibility of this difference and expression can reflect/liberate cultural symbols from the confinement of racial typology because obstruct the circulation and expression of “racial” signifiers.

• Signifier: A sign with a specific meaning that can evoke associations with specific objects or concepts.
• Stereotype: An essential aspect of colonial and postcolonial discourse is its reliance on the concept of “fixity” in constructing the Other.
• Fixity implies repetition, rigidity, and an unchanging order, stereotypes rely on this fixed concept, creating an “identity.”

Enunciation:

• Definition of Enunciation: A cultural expression that occurs in the third space, an act of expression.
• Characteristics of Enunciation: Since culture is never @pre-given, it must be spoken out. Moreover, this also refers to the transmission of culture mentioned in post-structuralism, which is dynamic and even changes around the viewer’s perspective. Thus, it can be understood that this subtly influences the audience, whether it is the ‘original’ story or the retranslation of the interpreter.
• Role of Enunciation: Culture is not fixed, and even the same symbols can be appropriated, translated, historicized, and reread.
• Examples of Enunciation: The Aladdin myth has been translated into multiple versions, remade, and retold. The narrative, tone of expression, and multiple cross-language translations show the varied results of cultural transmission (whether subtle or significantly changed).
• Two Dimensions of Colonial Discourse Evident in Enunciation: The dimension featuring invention and mastery, and the dimension featuring replacement and fantasy. This “identity” created is an author-driven narrative.

The Third Space

• Definition of the Third Space: The third space is a fuzzy area that develops when two or more people, two or more cultures interact.
• Homogenization, Unifying Forces, and Maintaining Vitality of the Third Space: The third space challenges our historical sense of cultural identity, assuming it is homogenous, a unifying force, authenticated from a primitive past, and maintained in the national traditions of the people.
• Characteristics of the Third Space: This contradictory discourse area, as a place of interpretative discourse conditions, “replaces homogenous, sequentially written Western narratives” by “disrupting temporal interpretations.” (This point is not yet well understood. It means the third space is a non-cohesive, non-temporal space.)
• Association Between the Third Space and Enunciation: “The system of cultural narrative is constructed in the antagonistic and contradictory interpretative space.” Cultural differences that occur in the expression of film narratives also manifest in the third space, where differences between viewers and “interpreters” become apparent.

This blog, analysis terms from Homi Bhabha’s “The Location of Culture,” elucidates that the content of postcolonialism features hybridity, a state of multicultural amalgamation arising from the hybridity of inherent identity and colonizer’s cultural identity. Hybridity encompasses the processes of iteration and translation, elucidating how cultural meaning is substituted and conveyed. Moreover, postcolonial discourse includes cultural differences, interpretation, and stereotypes, influencing the constitution of postcolonialism. Cultural differences occur within the third space, a blurred area emerging when two or more cultures interact, and through enunciation (translation, appropriation, historicization), cultural differences are discovered and recognized through expression. The contextualization of postcolonialism, especially in describing how hybridity is presented, will contribute to the analysis of the 1992 and 2019 versions of Aladdin, interpreted and presented in the third space.

This blog primarily revolves around Said’s ‘Orientalism’ and discusses how to identify colonialism’s representation in Aladdin. It summarizes two characteristics of Orientalism in the work: first, essentialization and stereotyping, and second, placing the colonized as ‘Other,’ on the margins and in opposition. It also explores some Aladdin-related content, such as colonialism in popular culture and romantic colonialism.

Orientalism:

• Said and Orientalism:

• Feature 1: Essentialization & Stereotyping

• The Western world essentializes these regions, portraying them as stagnant and underdeveloped, creating a false view of Eastern culture for study, portrayal, and replication to serve the European monarchy of that time. Said criticizes contemporary scholars who, from an outsider’s perspective, still interpret Arab and Islamic cultures with stereotypes. This fabricated view of Eastern culture forms Western stereotypes and biases, portraying the East as always backward, primitive, and mysteriously strange.

• Feature 2: Othering, Marginalization, Opposition

• Orientalism others the East, marginalizes it, and positions it as the opposition to the West, shaping the Western fantasy of the East. This is used to highlight the superiority of Western culture, achieving European subjectivity and cultural identity. Stereotypes of these Eastern worlds directly or indirectly rationalize Western imperialism and colonialism, reinforcing the idea of Western culture’s superiority over Eastern culture’s inferiority. Representations of the them include hostility, focusing on the threatening and abominable nature of the Other, such as tyrants, fundamentalism, terrorism, etc., portraying Eastern males as corrupt and demonized objects (Stereotyping). Exoticism emphasizes the attractive aspects of the Other (Stereotyping), portraying Eastern women as submissive and adorned with exotic charm.

Exploration of Orientalism Works:

Orientalist Paintings:

Orientalist paintings depict mythic and fantastical scenes unrelated to the real world.

Orientalism in Popular Culture: (Stereotypes in Aladdin Movies)

Movies, some influential images, reflect the continuation of Orientalism, especially in American films. Many blockbuster American films, such as Disney’s Aladdin, showcase Western stereotypes of the East, portraying major heroes from the Western world and often depicting villains from the East.

Romantic Colonialism:

Travel experiences of artists and European elites brought back travelogues and exaggerated stories to the West, sparking a strong interest in various exotic things. Romantic Orientalism combined the geographical locations of Africa and Asia, famous colonies, and indigenous characters, folklore, and philosophy, shaping the literary environment of colonial exploration. The original story of Aladdin, initially translated by a French writer, is not discussed here in terms of colonialism, but through translation, information loss has occurred. There is evidence of loss through missing translated words and the inability to fully express the original meaning in some indigenous languages during translation.

Conclusion: One manifestation of Orientalist features is the essentialization and stereotyping of the colonized. I categorize them together because both terms describe things as stagnant, without development, providing a fixed description without considering cultural value or physical changes. This rough generalization is inaccurate, and essentialization and stereotyping leave the colonized hundreds of years behind, based on impressions from folk stories or visits to the local area. This solidified stereotype, unfair treatment of current ethnic representations, can lead to dissatisfaction among ethnic groups. Another feature of Orientalism is the Othering, marginalization, and opposition of the colonized. I categorize these three terms together because they all place the colonized as the ‘Other’ in opposition to ‘us,’ even employing exoticism, mystification, and demonization. This also stems from the exaggeration of the stereotypes they hold, as Said believes, as a political tool to showcase Western superiority and suppress the culture and people of the Eastern region. Building on the overall reaction to colonial culture in the previous discussion on postcolonialism and how to define discrimination in Eastern culture will further contribute to advancing research.

This blog will begin to explore the previously proposed potential fields. We start with postcolonialism, aiming to understand what colonialism is, the definitions within postcolonial studies, the objectives of postcolonialism, and methods to identify colonial characteristics.

Postcolonialism:

• Postcolonialism seeks a better understanding of colonial life from the perspective of the colonized, based on the assumption that colonial rulers are unreliable narrators.

What is Postcolonial Studies?

On a deeper level, postcolonialism examines the social and political power dynamics that sustain colonialism and neocolonialism, including the societal, political, and cultural narratives surrounding colonizers and the colonized.

Postcolonialism (or postcolonial studies) often represents an ideological reflection against colonialist thoughts and can be seen as a response and deviation from colonialism.

• Extension: This article aims to focus on the impact of postcolonialism on the cultural narratives of the colonized from the ideological aspect of colonialist thoughts.

What is Colonialism?

• Colonialism is described as the “extension of civilization,” ideologically proving the racial and cultural superiority of the Western world over the non-Western world.
• “The sacred establishment of natural harmony among the world’s humans is possible because each person in the imperial colonies has an assigned cultural identity, social status, and economic role.” (@Essentialization @Stereotyping @Objectification)

• Extension: This section, along with stereotyping and demonization in Orientalism, can be used as evidence in the character setting and dubbing of Aladdin’s lamp in 1992.

Postcolonial Identity: Postcolonial theory suggests that individuals in decolonized regions develop a postcolonial identity based on cultural interactions between different identities (cultural, ethnic, gender, and class), each endowed with varying degrees of rights by colonial society.

By gaining a rough understanding of what colonialism is, comprehending postcolonialism as a reaction and resistance to colonialism, and grasping general methods for identifying postcolonial features, one can understand how to identify the content featuring postcolonial characteristics. However, for a deeper analysis of the features in Aladdin’s lamp film, I believe it is necessary to delve specifically into Orientalism to glean more information about postcolonialism.

This blog will delve into the process of identifying the main theme for exploration, discovering potential areas of interest, conducting the initial examination and discussion of the topic.

Initial Thesis Title: What does cultural hybridity mean in the 2019 version of Aladdin’s film?

Possible Directions within the Topic:

1. Orientalism
2. Postcolonialism
3. Deconstruction

Postcolonialism and Poststructuralism (Deconstruction):

• In the broader category of postmodernism, we find the postcolonialism and poststructuralism (deconstruction).

Exploration of Postcolonial area:

• Homi Bhabha
• Context of Postcolonial Literature
• Postcolonial Culture

Deconstruction:

• Jacques Derrida

Orientalism:

• Edward Said

Existing Similar Topics: An analysis of the Aladdin films from 1992 to 2019 has been extensively discussed, critiquing elements of Orientalism and on the other hand praising the promotion of positive values. However, I intend to explore why dissatisfaction persists despite improvements between these two film versions. I aim to investigate how discrimination in colonial or postcolonial contexts is defined, drawing insights from postcolonial and Orientalist features.

The influence of the 1992 film on the 2019 hybrid is also worth exploring:

1. The persistence of cultural hegemony
2. Resistance and conflicts within colonized communities
3. The phenomenon of deculturalization in the work

Issues in the Chosen Topic: The limitation of this topic lies in its focus primarily on analyzing the 2019 version of the Aladdin film. However, I propose expanding the analysis to include earlier versions, even the original one. This extension will aid in understanding the phenomena arising from the evolution of versions and contribute to a deeper comprehension of the elements within the hybrid.

Conclusion:
The title of the paper will be more generally changed based on the content of the text. However, it is not clear where the specific field of inquiry will be, so for now, with questions, priority will be given to understanding and developing deeper aspects of Orientalism, postcolonialism and deconstruction.

Introduction:

Before developing into the thesis, I examined the materials provided by my thesis mentor, Nigel Mairs, outlining the methods of defining and testing research topics. I believe revisiting and analyzing this section is imperative, and I intend to continuously reference and analyse these materials throughout the writing process, particularly when uncertainties arise.

Consequently, I have outlined and summarized the key points from these valuable materials, which I consider crucial guidance for my thesis:

• Prioritizing the assessment of ideological content in academic literature involves focusing on authority, fairness, avoiding biased viewpoints, and considering contemporaneity. Evaluating information during the writing process is crucial, spanning various stages of the paper. Academic research demands authoritative, credible, fair, up-to-date, and relevant sources. Writing requires cautious, thoughtful language use, precise analysis closely tied to the argument, and detailed point-by-point examination.

• Ensuring the authority of sources in academic retrieval is essential. For example, books from university libraries and publications from reputable companies are considered academically credible. It is vital to examine the inner pages or back cover of academic sources to determine their recognized academic credentials.

• Every piece of writing has a certain perspective. In academic writing, the goal is to present a case or offer a new viewpoint. Examples of writing perspectives include feminism, Marxism, post-colonialism, support, or opposition to consumerism.

• Examining whether an author’s extreme or biased viewpoints exist remains a critical judgment point in retrieving articles. Academic books must be products of balanced and thorough research. Several key points outlined on the website of the American University Library (http://www.library.american.edu) include avoiding emotionally charged information, unverified evidence, ignoring the other side, using personal or irrelevant attacks to eliminate the opposition, relying on stereotypes, excluding minority voices, presenting illogical arguments, and depending on unexplained or unverified statistical data.

• A well-rounded paper must involve contemporary ideas on the selected topic. If the project has a historical context, consider contemporary interpretations and the current cultural background of the topic. Journal articles are likely to be key resources, and understanding current ideas should be researched for the development of these ideas/practices.

• In conclusion, during the writing and retrieval process, it is essential to avoid extreme biases, stereotypes, and to ensure fairness, authority, and contemporaneity in citing sources, aiming for a fair and rational discussion of the issues.

Some tips:

1. Accumulate extensive notes, formulate a plan, and establish the structure for developing arguments.
2. Avoid relying solely on chronologies for constructing the thesis.
3. Take thorough notes from readings, but avoid depending on them for constructing the plan.
4. Edit out irrelevant material to maintain a clear theme.
5. Categorize and annotate main sections and chapters.
6. Exercise caution to avoid leaving an impression of hasty or careless thinking. Maintain clarity and conciseness in the text, carefully considering word choices and symbols. The use of the first person requires particular attention.