The Self And The Other: Stufy Of The Grass Is Singing By Doris Lessing

This paper explores the inevitable alienation of white settlers (British settlers) who regard the native and the land as the Other. Since the native and the land are to some extent inseparable in Lessing's African fiction, this paper treats the land as an indispensable part of the white and the native conflict. Beginning with introducing the Self and the Other in colonial Africa. This paper first elaborates on the relationship between the native and the settlers by analyzing British settlers. The first group demonizes the native and therefore is seized by great or irrational fear for the latter. Mary and stereotyped white women such as Mrs. Quest and Mrs. Carson make the representatives of this category. Surrendering the self to the Self, her racial identity, Mary cannot face Moses'look and her natural emotions despite the fact that Moses remains the last interest in her life. Its vital significance in Lessing's African fiction is vividly demonstrated by the examples of Marston's changing roles of the Self and the Other in The Grass Is Singing and of Lessing's elaboration of the white and the native relationship. The following parts of this paper will mainly focus on the topic of "Ecological Colonialism". In Lessing's African fiction, the land is regarded as the Other by the colonizer who conquer and rape it, but the bush symbolizes the native revenge on the white settlers, which make the white women fear, fragmentation and nervous breakdown. To some extent the land represents earth mother or native women who try her best to prevent white men's ambition from raping and gaining more natural resources from her. It also makes those romantic white farmers who hope to realize their fortune breakdown.