Confrontation Between Colonialism And Nationalism

Henry Rider Haggard is an Englishman most remembered today for his literary achievements,and Nada the Lily,an "all Zulu" historical story,is acclaimed as one of his finest African romances.Inspired by Nada the Lily,John Langalibalele Dube,the first president of the South African Native National Congress,wrote the first novel written in the Zulu language Jeqe,the Bodyservant of King Tshaka.These two novels construct almost the same period of Zulu history,but they present two different representations.By comparing the two novels,this thesis attempts to reveal Haggard's imperial ideology through the lens of Dube 's defense of nationalism.Based on the postcolonial theory of binary opposition,this thesis compares the two novels from three aspects:ethnography,religion,and femininity.In the aspect of ethnography,Haggard,in Nada the Lily,Orientalizes the Zulus as a savage people with doomed fate.Dube,in Jeqe,the Bodyservant of King Tshaka,deconstructs Haggard's representation by portraying the Zulus as a civilized people who will become great again.From the perspective of religion,Haggard stereotypes the Zulus as ruled by evil witchcraft.Dube deconstructs Haggard's stereotyping by depicting healing divination as the legacy of traditional Zulu culture.In the respect of femininity,Haggard demonizes the Zulu women as the cause of the fall of the Zulu nation,and feminizes South Africa by sexualizing the South African landscape.Dube deconstructs Haggard's construction by portraying the South African women as worthy members of families and society and their love as loyal and nourishing.Through his representation of the Zulus,Haggard constructs the binary oppositions of civilized vs.savage,mortal vs.cruel,scientific vs.superstitious,rational vs.irrational,sensible vs.emotional,masculine vs.feminine,the Self vs.the Other,and the West vs.the East,so as to justify colonialism.Dube confronts Haggard by reversing these binary oppositions,so as to promote nationalism.Through the examination of Nada the Lily and Jeqe,the Bodyservant of King Tshaka,this thesis reveals the different purposes that Haggard and Dube aim to achieve and the different ideologies they represent.Haggard,through his Orientalist construction of the Zulus,manifests his imperial ideology and racist attitude towards the colonized.He attempts to blame the Zulus themselves for the fall of the Zulu nation,thus excusing the British's responsibility.Dube defends nationalism by deconstructing Haggard's representation of the Zulus.In his version of the representation of the Zulus,Dube aims to establish national identity and unity of the South African people to overthrow British colonization and grow into a great nation.Colonialism serves the interests of European colonists and so does nationalism the interests of the Zulu people.