Discussion Questions for Group 1

 

Consider the following questions for comparing the film clips to our readings from the Norton Anthology.

Compare the incident George Orwell describes in "Shooting An Elephant" to the Khartoum Massacre. What do both incidents reveal about the fears and desires that often motivated British colonialist actions (particularly colonial violence)?

Compare the reaction of the Savoy actors to African culture (in Topsy-Turvy: Reaction to the Khartoum Massacre) with Derek Walcott's own divided response to his mixed cultural heritage as an African subject of the British Empire in his poem, "A Far Cry from Africa." How does Walcott feel about the violence of both cultures?

Consider the symbolism of the holy relic in Salman Rushdie's "The Prophet's Hair." How would you compare the sacred vial with the corset in the scene "Japanese Costumes" as symbols of cultural tradition? What do the two symbols suggest about the nature of cultural traditions for both the British and Eastern societies? "The Prophet's Hair" is a fable about what ensues when native traditions are denied, "stolen," or subsumed by the traditions of encroaching cultures. According to Rushdie's story and the Topsy-Turvy scenes, what are the consequences of the clash of Eastern and Western traditions?