A Far Cry from Africa by Derek Walcott and A Passage to India by E. M. Forster - Literary Analysis Essay

Introduction

Literature offers an avenue through different media and platforms that are used for expression of personal feelings and views of the society. While one artist may choose a particular medium to communicate their views concerning the society, others may opt to address a different issue using the same medium or a different platform. The difference in the platform used by an artist should be relevant in the process of passing the message from the artist to the audience. However, there exist cases where artists may use different platforms to convey their intended message only to realize the similarity in the information shared. Thus, the artists communicate based on similar themes that seem to touch specific aspects of the society, hence, the artist feels a tagging to address the issue. The rot in the society as a result of either the cultural breakdown or the poor politico-economic environment may offer a critical theme for discussion.

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A Far Cry from Africa is a poem by Derek Walcott, set in the post-colonial era where the author talks about the aftermath and effects of the colonial activities (Gale 234-237). As an in-between, Walcott stands at a fair ground where he can talk about the ills committed by the both sides of the divide without showing any signs of bias. He looks from the perspective of an outsider because of the characteristic mixed blood that defines him hence mixed culture. The poem is a cry for help where the author feels the need to belong but is prevented by his mixed blood. He cries about his separated loyalties as concerns his identification with Britain as well as Africa, thus, a cultural instability. However, as an artist, Walcott is presented with the best ground to stand on while admonishing the British and African culture for the ills they committed. He accuses the British for the African cultural derailment. On the other hand, the Africans are accused of abandoning their culture and embracing the British culture as observed in the aftermath of colonialism. Still, the British are credited for introducing Africans to technology and their literary tradition, concepts that the author still do not wish to abandon despite his loathing for the impacts of colonialism on African culture.

A Passage to India is a literary prose written by E. M. Forster. The narration in part one revolves around the city of Chandropore, an ancient city a long River Ganges. It is a depiction of the interaction between the British colonizers and their Indian subjects, hence narrates the fate of the people caught between the politico-cultural conflicts of the modern world (Forster and Sherman 134-138). The chapter titled Mosque gives the description of the politico-economic rot in the city that exists on the edges of River Ganges. The river ceases to be holy when it shares its edges with Chandropore, a decrepit place surrounded by rot and filth from not only rubbish but also corpses. However, standing from a distant raised ground Chandropore assumes a different look. The city is surrounded by gardens of flowers hence contributing to the beautification. It depicts a forest with huts scattered sparsely in the surrounding. The River Ganges appears to wash the magnificence of the city.

The two texts offer a bleak perspective of the surrounding environments. Derek Walcott's poem portrays the rot in the post-colonial environment as a result of the colonization and the interaction between Africans and the British. The author expresses his confusion in choosing the culture to identify with based on the perspective he gathers in the environment he interacts with. He feels the need to identify with one culture but is not ready to let go of the other. He identifies a black African and wishes to identify with the roots of his ancestors. However, he feels a tagging by the British technological advancement as well as the English language and the literary tradition. He expresses his dilemma in the line, "African terrain lifestyle and favours the English language and literary tradition." His quest to identify with one culture is futile because he expresses a disappointment at the end of the poem, "How can I face such slaughter and be cool? /how can I turn from Africa and live?" (Gale 236-237) On the other hand, A Passage to India also expresses a loathing for the politico-economic loathing in the city of Chandropore. The rot is visible in the way the city is situated and the slow rate of development experienced. However, the prose, unlike the poem, gives a better perspective because the narrator decides to focus on the city of Chandropore from a different perspective. Unlike Walcott, E. M. Forster gives the audience a clear alternative from the rot in the city.

In the literary prose by E. M. Forster the rot of River Ganges is an indication of the extent of the rot in the city of Chandropore, resulting from the interaction between the British and the native Indians. The river ceases to be holy when it intersects with and exists side by side with the city. The River Ganges is considered to be a holy and binding because of its sacredness. The river is thus worshipped, known to the people as goddess Ganga. However, the literary piece depicts the rot in the society, a portrayal that once a rot exists it affects all facets of life in the society. Derek Walcott uses the same concept in presenting the concept of colonialism and its aftermath in Africa. A Far Cry from Africa narrates of the impacts of colonialism and the consequences. Despite his inability to identify with one culture the poet shows the pain he experiences in attempting to express the pain of Africans using the Whiteman's perspective of things. The two texts meet the intended purpose of communicating the impact of colonialism not only on the natives but also the colonizers.

Conclusion

The impacts of colonialism were not only felt by the natives but also the British colonizers. Both parties were exposed to socio-cultural changes as a result of their interactions. Thus, the cultural interaction led to a series of both negative and positive feedback for both the colonizers and the colonized. While it is evident that the colonized experienced more suffering from the coming of the British, failing to acknowledge the technological as well as the literary advancement by the British translates to an incomplete analysis.

Works Cited

Forster, E.M., and Martin Sherman. A Passage To India. A&C Black, 2014.

Gale, Cengage Learning. A Study Guide for Derek Walcott's "A Far Cry from Africa". Gale, Cengage Learning, 2016.