Colonialism

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Joseph Conrad (1857–1924)

Although he stands as a towering figure in modern English literature, Joseph Conrad was born with Polish roots. Entering the world on December 3, 1857, in the heart of Ukraine as Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, he anticipated that the name 'Conrad' would glide more easily off the tongues of his English readers—those for whom he crafted his tales. Tragedy struck early in his life; at just four years old, he lost his father to Russian forces over nationalist pursuits for Poland. By the tender age of eight, both parents were gone, leaving his uncle to guide his upbringing. Seeking new horizons, Conrad enlisted with the British navy in 1880 and was embraced as a British citizen by 1886. It was during a poignant journey to the Belgian Congo in 1890 that he gathered the dark insights and imagery that would breathe life into his iconic novella, Heart of Darkness, serialized at the dawn of the new century. This work stands as a cornerstone both of colonialist narrative and of the modernist movement. Conrad's literary legacy also boasts significant novels such as The Nigger of Narcissus (1897), Lord Jim (1900), Nostromo (1904), and Under Western Eyes (1911). His writings are often perceived as a scathing critique of colonial powers, particularly when juxtaposed with the works of Rudyard Kipling, his contemporaneous counterpart in the realm of colonial literature. Scholar William York Tindall acknowledged Conrad's unique stance in "producing many novels and stories that without being imperialistic are colonial." Yet, postcolonial voices like Chinua Achebe have starkly criticized him, labeling his portrayal of Africans as "savages" as inherently racist. Despite receiving the offer of a knighthood in 1924, Conrad declined, passing away from a heart attack in England later that year.

Isak Dinesen (1885–1962)

The literary world knows her as Isak Dinesen, yet she was born Karen Christentze Dinesen on April 17, 1885, in the pastoral landscapes of Denmark, mere miles from Copenhagen. Her early life was shadowed by her father's tragic suicide when she was ten, but she continued to flourish within the comforts of her family's estate, secure in her upper-class status. Her creative spirit was honed through arts and crafts, and she ventured into storytelling as a young adult, debuting with three ghost tales in her native Denmark before embarking on a new chapter in British East Africa in 1914. That year, she wed her cousin, Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke of Sweden, and they settled on a Kenyan coffee plantation. Their marriage dissolved after seven years, marred by infidelity and syphilis. Yet, Dinesen claimed stewardship of the farm, drawn by the liberating allure of African life, which she embraced for another decade before returning to Denmark in 1931. Her writings soon painted vivid canvases of her African experiences, with works like Out of Africa (1937) and Shadows on the Grass (1960) capturing her romanticized view of the continent and its people. Her narrative prowess extended to other realms, as seen in the short story "Babette’s Feast" (1958), which was later transformed into an award-winning film by Gabriel Axel in 1986. Sydney Pollack's cinematic adaptation of Out of Africa in 1985, starring Meryl Streep as Dinesen, garnered multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Her death on September 7, 1962, left behind a legacy veiled in the dual perception of a colonial figure with either a patronizing or empathetic lens towards Africans. Twice she was considered for the Nobel Prize in literature.

E. M. Forster (1879–1970)

Born on the precipice of a new year, January 1, 1879, Edward Morgan Forster entered the world under the artistic eyes of...

(This entire section contains 1366 words.)

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his father, a painter and architect, and his mother, Alice (Lily) Whichelo Forster. The loss of his father at the tender age of two led to a nurturing upbringing under the careful watch of his mother and great-aunt Marianne Thornton, who ensured his development was well-tended. Forster's early education journeyed through various preparatory schools before he found his intellectual home at Cambridge in 1897, where he began to carve his literary path. While his initial publications emerged during his university days, it was not until 1910 that Forster captured the public's imagination withHoward’s End, a novel dissecting the intricacies of class and culture in Edwardian England. His travels to India in 1912 sparked a fascination that deepened further during his return in 1921 amidst India's burgeoning nationalist movement post-1919. There, Forster served as a secretary to a maharajah, and the vibrant and complex backdrop of India inspired his seminal work, A Passage to India (1924), imbued with the philosophies and nationalistic fervor of the region. This masterpiece cast a long shadow, leaving Forster apprehensive about producing a follow-up of equal merit, and thus marked the end of his novel-writing. He remained an influential member of the Bloomsbury Group, a coterie of modernist thinkers and creatives, including luminaries like Virginia Woolf. Although Forster's sexual orientation was a closely guarded secret during his life, his posthumously published novel Maurice openly explored homosexual themes. Forster's chapter concluded on January 7, 1970, in Coventry, England.

H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925)

In the quaint village of Bradenham, Norfolk, England, on the 22nd of June in 1856, the adventurous spirit of Henry Rider Haggard was born. At the tender age of nineteen, he ventured across seas to the captivating lands of South Africa, where he served in the colonial ranks for half a decade. Eventually, Haggard returned to the bustling streets of London, leaving behind his colonial duties to embrace the world of law. However, it was the enchanting tales of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island that ignited a spark within him, compelling Haggard to craft his own thrilling sagas of adventure. Over time, he penned more than thirty novels, with King Solomon’s Mines (1886) standing out as a glittering gem among them. This novel soared to commercial heights, perhaps buoyed by the clever stratagem of multiple anonymous reviews concocted by Haggard and his ally, Andrew Lang, to champion the book. The tale ushered in a series of South African escapades helmed by the daring white hunter, Allan Quatermain.

Yet, it is perhaps She (1887) that remains his magnum opus, introducing the enigmatic She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, a phrase that echoes even today. The narrative weaves the tale of a mesmerizing, yet perilous Arab goddess that challenges a white adventurer, a character some regard as a precursor to the iconic Indiana Jones of Raiders of the Lost Ark fame. Haggard’s camaraderie with Rudyard Kipling reflected their shared perspectives on indigenous cultures, often portraying white protagonists as gallant explorers amidst the mysterious allure of black men and women. Haggard's life came full circle on May 14, 1925, but his legacy lingered on with the posthumous publication of his autobiography, The Days of My Life, in 1926.

Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)

Rudyard Kipling entered the world on December 30, 1865, amidst the exotic vibrancy of Bombay, India. His father, the esteemed curator of the Lahore Museum, inspired the opening scene of Kipling's renowned novel, Kim (1901). For five years, Kipling thrived in the warmth of his British parent's care, until the tides of life carried him to England for his education. By 1882, Kipling had returned to India, this time wielding a journalist’s pen, documenting life in the northern landscapes of the subcontinent for seven years.

His journeys then whisked him across the vast British Empire, touching lands such as South Africa, Rhodesia, Australia, and New Zealand. In the course of his travels, he married the American Caroline Balestier and briefly resided in America, during which his short stories began to garner acclaim. As he returned to England, his fame as a literary figure had already taken root. Among his cherished works are those that spoke to the youth, including The Jungle Book (1894–1895) and Kim. Beyond these, Kipling’s oeuvre expanded with story collections and his own life’s tale in Something of Myself (1934).

Yet, much of Kipling’s writing unfolded amidst personal turmoil; a brush with influenza nearly claimed his life, and his beloved daughter Josephine succumbed to the same illness at just seven years. His poignant poem, "The White Man’s Burden," published in 1899, encapsulated his views on Imperialism and race, echoing through much of his work. Kipling’s life story reached its end on January 18, 1936, when he succumbed to an intestinal hemorrhage in London. Today, he rests in the hallowed Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey, enveloped in the legacy of his literary contributions.

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