An Anthology Of Colonial And Postcolonial Short Fiction

by Baldwin, Dean; Quinn, Patrick J.

• ISBN13: 9780618318810
• ISBN10: 061831881X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-07-28
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

This anthology offers a balanced approach to colonial and postcolonial literature through a rich tapestry of short stories by both British colonizers and affected indigenous people. Organized by region, the compelling stories reflect the evolution of colonialism from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. Students explore the insights and emotions on both sides of the imperial fence, while learning about the hardships and triumphs of the colonial experience. A thorough pedagogical apparatus includes historical introductions, author headnotes, and reading questions that provide students with tools to approach each selection in an informed manner. Students come to appreciate how fiction both supported and questioned the basis and results of colonialism. Three general introductions--"Defining Imperialism and Colonialism," "The Colonial and Postcolonial Short Story," and "Postcolonial Theory: A Primer"--help students understand British colonialism, apply postcolonial theory to short fiction, and put the anthologized stories into historical and literary context. Short stories from eight regions cover works from England and its colonies across the globe: Ireland, Canada, the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Regional introductions thoroughly interweave history and literary history to help students delve into each region's short fiction with the background they need. A wide representation of authors introduces students to internationally recognized authors such as Chinua Achebe, Margaret Atwood, Jamaica Kincaid, Salman Rushdie, and Keri Hulme, as well as lesser known but equally important writers--all of whom wrote their stories originally in English. Author headnotes place the writers in postcolonial context and provide informative biographical information. Questions following each reading selection encourage students to think critically about the stories and discuss them with peers. Explanatory footnotes help students to grasp unfamiliar regional references and colloquialisms within the short stories.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Contexts	p. 1
Defining Imperialism and Colonialism	p. 2
The Colonial and Postcolonial Short Story	p. 5
Postcolonial Theory: A Primer	p. 8
Stories	p. 19
England	p. 21
Introductory Essay	p. 21
"The Beach of Falesa" (1882)	p. 30
"The Man Who Would Be King" (1888)	p. 77
"Heart of Darkness" (1899)	p. 104
"At the Great Durbar" (1897)	p. 167
"Justice" (ca. 1901)	p. 178
"The Kings of Orion" (1902)	p. 185
"Pearls and Swine" (1915)	p. 202
"A Hanging" (1931)	p. 215
"The Child of Queen Victoria" (1933)	p. 220
"The Old Chief Mshlanga" (1951)	p. 248
Ireland	p. 259
Introductory Essay	p. 259
"Wildgoose Lodge" (ca. 1830)	p. 263
"Eveline" (1914)	p. 278
"Going into Exile" (1929)	p. 283
"Guests of the Nation" (1931)	p. 292
"A Belfast Woman" (1980)	p. 302
"Everything in This Country Must" (2000)	p. 313
Canada	p. 319
Introductory Essay	p. 319
"The Painted Door" (1939)	p. 328
"One-Two-Three Little Indians" (1963)	p. 343
"A Class of New Canadians" (1973)	p. 352
"Bring Forth a Wonder" (1980)	p. 359
"The End of Summer" (1985)	p. 368
"Griff!" (1985)	p. 375
"Digging Up the Mountains" (1985)	p. 390
"Sans Souci" (1989)	p. 403
"The Age of Lead" (1991)	p. 412
"Something Happened Here" (1991)	p. 423
The Caribbean	p. 433
Introductory Essay	p. 433
"The Cricket Match" (1957)	p. 442
"My Fathers Before Me" (1958)	p. 446
"The Day They Burnt the Books" (1960)	p. 452
"Triumph" (1965)	p. 458
"The Night Watchman's Occurrence Book" (1967)	p. 464
"Blackness" (1983)	p. 471
"To Da-duh, in Memoriam" (1985)	p. 475
"Do Angels Wear Brassieres?" (1986)	p. 483
"Ballad for the New World" (1994)	p. 492
"Canada Geese and Apple Chatney" (1997)	p. 499
"The Old Men Used to Dance" (1998)	p. 508
India/Pakistan	p. 513
Introductory Essay	p. 513
"The Cow of the Barricades" (1947)	p. 521
"Peshawar Express" (translated by K. S. Duggal) (ca. 1950)	p. 525
"The First Party" (1953)	p. 533
"The Cobbler and the Machine" (1959)	p. 538
"A Horse and Two Goats" (1965)	p. 546
"Miss Sahib" (1968)	p. 560
"Studies in the Park" (1978)	p. 572
"Clothes" (1990)	p. 581
"The Courter" (1994)	p. 592
"Serahbai's Story" (2004)	p. 609
Africa	p. 629
Introductory Essay	p. 629
"The Green Leaves" (1968)	p. 642
"Two Sisters" (1970)	p. 649
"Shadows on the Wall" (1972)	p. 661
"Girls at War" (1972)	p. 665
"Minutes of Glory" (1975)	p. 678
"The Wind and a Boy" (1977)	p. 688
"Africa Kills Her Sun" (1989)	p. 695
"Amnesty" (1991)	p. 704
"Effortless Tears" (1993)	p. 711
"I'm Not Talking About That, Now" (1996)	p. 715
Australia	p. 729
Introductory Essay	p. 729
"The Union Buries Its Dead" (1896)	p. 739
"The Drover's Wife" (1896)	p. 742
"Happiness" (1915)	p. 749
"The Tractor" (1941)	p. 760
"A Hedge of Rosemary" (1967)	p. 772
"A Person of Accomplishment" (1972)	p. 778
"The Drover's Wife" (1975)	p. 788
"War Crimes" (1979)	p. 793
"Lizards" (1994)	p. 816
New Zealand	p. 823
Introductory Essay	p. 823
"Christmas Day in New Zealand" (1870)	p. 831
"The Ngarara" (1901)	p. 849
"How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped" (1910)	p. 856
"The Making of a New Zealander" (1940)	p. 860
"The Whare" (1944)	p. 865
"School Picnic" (1947)	p. 873
"The Whale" (1972)	p. 883
"One Whale, Singing" (1975)	p. 890
"Parade" (1975)	p. 899
"Meat" (1982)	p. 906
Text Credits	p. 911
Subject Index	p. 915
Index of Authors and Titles	p. 923
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