The Tempest, so tempting to read.

So as I am trying to contain myself on how happy I was to spend my day reading The Tempest and Postcolonialism excerpts, my allergies decided to distract me. Benadryl was given to me by my lovely grandmother who did not inform me that it would make me drowsy. I fell asleep. Nice. I just thought everyone should know.


The contrast between Caliban and Colonization was very easy for me to find. In the article, "Cultural Studies," by Charles Bressler, I found that Frantz Fanon commented something that caught my attention and I think it relates to Caliban very well, he comments, "As a result of colonialism (the other-that is, any person defined as "different from") [suffers] "psychic warping" often causing what Fanon describes as "a collapse of the ego." Were forced to speak the language of the colonizer, the colonized either accepted or were coerced into accepting the collective consciousness, therefore indentifyng blackness with evil and sin and whiteness with purity and righteousness." As Prospero is bashing Caliban for everything that he is saying to him, Caliban says, "You taught me language, and all I can do is curse. Damn you for teaching me your language!" I think that this is a very typical thing, Prospero came and influenced Caliban to let him explore his island, an unknown territory, and try and convert him and teach him his own ways and then later on Caliban regreted everything he let Prospero accomplish, because Prospero later turns on him calling him "savage" and other rude names. Caliban had to accept and not try to reject any order that was givin to him because he was made into the person he was by Prospero.  Later on in Act II, Caliban meets Trinculo and Stephano and he assumes that they are spirits sent to "torture" him and adds "You havent hurt me much yet, but you will soon, I can tell by your trembling." The whole "collapse of the ego" ties in when Caliban thinks they are a "gift from God" and wants to serve them. It's kind of like WOW, be your own person. I dont think he can comprehend that because really he has served along someone pretty much his whole life. I also dont think that being called a monster, savage, stinky fish, or creature boosts his ego either. Trinculo and Stephano make him "kiss the Bible" which is referring to their whatever type of alcohol they are consuming, and Caliban adds that he will "fish for [them] and get [them] plenty of firewood. The tyrant im serving now can go to hell!!" So he is pretty much willing to get bossed around by two drunk men who dance around together?


In the cultural studies article there is also a comment that follows, "As diverse as these topics appear, they draw attention to postcolonialism's major concern: highlighting the struggle that occurs when one culture is dominated by another." Caliban is pretty much a one man band, his culture is adapted to whatever influences, better yet, WHO influences him. He is taken advantage of and dominated. All he knows is to serve and no one is on his side to defend him. He agrees to most of what is told of him and lives to serve. He is the "Other." Im looking forward to seeing how his character folds out along the course of the play.  


Id like to add one last quote from the "Cultural Studies," article, "How one treats people who are so defined does not really matter, they said, because many Westerners subscribed to the Colonists idealogy that all races other than the white were inferior or subhuman. These subhumans or "savages" quickly became the inferior and equally "evil."


Caliban is singled out, thus him being a subhuman that is treated like crap just because Prospero is a real malicious induvidual. Everyone other than Prospero and Miranda are not worthy. Hopefully things change.