TEXT 1: T.B. Macaulay: ”Minute Upon Indian Education” (1835)
Questions for analysis
- 1) For what purpose was the East India Company required to set aside a sum of money by the Act of Parliament 1813?
- 2) According to Macaulay, which fundamental decision needs to be made?
- 3) ”I have never found one among them (i.e. orientalists) who could deny that a single shelf of a good European Library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia” (p. 38). Characterise Macaulay’s view on the culture and languages of India.
- 4) Why is it necessary for the English to teach Indian people a foreign language?
- 5) Explain Macaulay’s view of Britain as ”a nation of high intellectual attainments” (p. 40) and its responsibility in terms of educating the Indian people.
- 6) Sum up the main points of his conclusion (p. 42).
- 7) Why is it necessary for the English to form ”a class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect” (p. 42)?
Post-reading and perspectives
- 1) T.B. Macaulay played a major role in reforming Indian education but also held firm imperialist views. Identify examples of his view in the text and comment.
- 2) Look up and explain the term ”Macaulayism”. To what extent can this term be related to the memorandum?
- 3) Compare the view on education in ”Minute Upon Indian Education” to the view on imperialism in Kipling’s poem ’”White Man’s Burden” (text 2).
Language and structure
- What characterises a memorandum as a text? Give examples.
- In what way can this be said to be a formal text? Give examples.
Written exercise
- Write a letter to the editor in which you discuss using English as the language of education in Denmark.
Social science
- Why has this text become a defining document in the debate between orientalists and Anglicists in Britain in the 1830s (see chapter 1.3)?
- How can this text be related to the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 (see chapter 1.3)?
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TEXT 2: Rudyard Kipling: ”White Man’s Burden” (1899)
Questions for analysis
- 1) How are the natives described in Kipling’s poem? Give examples.
- 2) What is the white man expected to do?
- 3) Sum up the “burden” of the white man. To what extent can it be seen as a burden?
- 4) Which view on indigenous people does this poem convey?
- 5) To what extent can this be said to be an imperialist poem?
Post-reading and perspectives
- 1) Some critics read the poem as a parody, defending Kipling’s style of writing. Is this a feasible interpretation?
- 2) Other writers have published parodies as a literary response to Kipling’s poem, ex. ”The Brown Man’s Burden” (1899) and “The Black Man’s Burden” (1899). Look them up and compare them to the original version.
- 3) Relate the view on imperialism in ”White Man’s Burden” to that of Orwell’s essay ”Shooting an Elephant” (text 3) and “Minute Upon Indian Education” (text 1).
Language and structure
- What sets a poem apart from a text in prose? Give examples of characteristics.
- What is the effect of using verbs in the imperative?
Written exercise
- Write a short essay in which you either defend or criticise Kipling’s thoughts on imperialism.
Social science
- In what way does ”White Man’s Burden” reflect Jingoism, an extreme form of patriotism, which was present in British society in the late 1800s (see chapter 1.3)?
- In addition to Kipling’s view, which other arguments were used to legetimise imperialism (see chapter 1.3)?
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TEXT 3: George Orwell: ”Shooting an Elephant” (1936)
Download glossary to text 3
Questions for analysis
- 1) Why does Orwell feel that his situation is “perplexing and upsetting”?
- 2) The episode with the elephant is described as “a tiny incident in itself, but it gave me a better glimpse than I had had before of the real nature of imperialism”. What exactly does the incident tell Orwell about imperialism?
- 3) How does Orwell look upon the Burmese, and how does he describe them?
- 4) Establish the pros and cons of shooting the elephant. Why does Orwell decide to kill it?
- 5) “When the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys.” Explain.
- 6) Why does Orwell feel so disgusted with himself?
- 7) Why does Orwell describe the long drawn-out agony of the dying elephant in such great detail? Do you find any symbolic overtones in this description?
- 8) Based on this text, what is Orwell’s view on imperialism?
- 9) Would you call “Shooting an Elephant” a short story or an essay? Explain your choice.
Post-reading and perspectives
- 1) The essay is largely based on George Orwell’s own experiences in the Imperial Police in Burma. How does this reflect in the text?
- 2) Compare the view on imperialism in ”Shooting an Elephant” to that of Kipling’s poem ”White Man’s Burden” (text 2).
- 3) Relate the metaphor of the dying elephant to the events surrounding Indian independence and the end of the British Empire in general.
Language and structure
- Account for the use of metaphors in the text and discuss the effect.
- Find examples of Indian-English terms and explain Orwell’s choice of words. Why does he use words like these?
Written exercise
- Discuss the choice of genre: What is the difference between a short story and an essay?
- Write a brief text in which you describe a rather complex incident or situation, using an extended metaphor.
Social science
- Explain the term “imperial overstretch” and discuss to what extent Orwell’s ”Shooting an Elephant” can be read as an example of this (see chapter 1.3).
- How did Britain attempt to avoid the consequences of “imperial overstretch” (see chapter 1.3)?
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TEXT 4: M.K. Ghandi: ”Hind Swaraj” (1909)
Questions for analysis
- 1) Explain the role of the Reader and the Editor, respectively.
- 2) Which reasons are given to drive the English out of India?
- 3) Explain the imagery of the tiger.
- 4) Explain the comparison between “Consumption” and “Civilization” (p. 48).
- 5) According to the Editor (Gandhi), which consequences has the English-built railway had for the Indian people and India as a nation?
- 6) Sum up which kind of Indian Home Rule (Hind Swaray) Gandhi is in favour of?
Post-reading and perspectives
- 1) Comment on the composition of the text. Why did Gandhi choose a dialogue to convey his message?
- 2) Relate the text to Gandhi’s role within the Indian independence movement.
- 3) Compare Gandhi’s view on Indian Home Rule to that of Jawaharlal Nehru in text 5.
Language and structure
- Give examples of stylistic features that characterise a dialogue.
Written exercise
- Continue the dialogue with the Editor (Gandhi) by adding yourself as another participant. What would you tell him? Which questions would you ask?
Social science
- How did Gandhi try to implement his vision of Indian Home Rule in the struggle for independence, as described in chapter 1.3?
- Discuss Gandhi’s vision of Indian Home Rule and whether this was a realistic option (refer to chapter 1.3).
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TEXT 5: Jawaharlal Nehru: ”How Britain Ruled India” (5/12 1932)
Questions for analysis
- 1) According to Nehru, who is responsible for the troubles of India?
- 2) How does he define “the machine of the new imperialism” (p. 50)?
- 3) Which solution does Nehru propose?
- 4) How was Indian industry affected by British rule?
- 5) Nehru accuses Britain of having strengthened feudalism in India (p. 51). How does he argue?
- 6) Likewise, how can Britain be said to help “religious conservatism” in India (p. 51)?
Post-reading and perspectives
- 1) Comment on the genre: Why did Nehru choose a letter to convey his message on a public matter such as the struggle for Indian independence?
- 2) Compare Nehru’s view on Indian Home Rule to that of M.K. Gandhi (text 4).
- 3) Compare Nehru’s views with those of his daughter Indira Ghandi. Which role in Indian politics did she later play?
Language and structure
- Genre: Is this text actually a letter? Find examples of stylistic features and discuss.
Written exercise
- Write Indira Gandhi’s response to her father’s letter. In the light of later events, would she agree with him?
Social science
- Nehru accuses Britain of having prevented the growth of machine industry and industrialisation in India, but which reasons would Britain have for hindering this process (see chapter 1.3)?
- Which consequences did the British decision to prevent the growth of machine industry have for India’s economic growth (see figure 1.6, chapter 1.3).
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TEXT 6: Jawaharlal Nehru: ”A Tryst with Destiny” (14/8 1947)
Questions for analysis
- 1) Divide the speech into sections and give each section a headline.
- 2) Characterise Nehru’s point of departure – how does he introduce the relevance of his speech?
- 3) In Nehru’s opinion, “Freedom and power bring responsibility” (p. 52). Explain.
- 4) Comment on the use of the “past” vs. the “future” in the speech. How has the past shaped India and which challenges lie ahead of the country, according to Nehru?
- 5) Who does Nehru refer to when talking of “our brothers and sisters who have been cut off from us by political boundaries” (p. 54).
- 6) Find and explain references to the Indian independence movement and Mahatma Ghandi. What is the effect of using them in the speech?
- 7) Characterise the end of the speech (p. 55).
Post-reading and perspectives
- 1) Relate the title of Nehru’s speech to the use of a similar phrase in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Democratic National Convention Speech in 1936. Why did Nehru choose these words?
- 2) Compare the speech to the main elements of the Indian Independence Act 1947.
- 3) To what extent does the speech reflect Nehru’s view on Indian Home Rule (text 5)? You may also want to compare it to M.K. Gandhi’s views on independence (text 4).
Language and structure
- Make a rhetorical analysis of the speech, focusing on the three types of rhetorical proof and the use of rhetorical devices. Give examples from the text.
Written exercise
- Write a speech, celebrating the 70th anniversary of India’s independence in 2017.
Social science
- Discuss the background of Nehru’s speech in the light of Indian Partition (see chapter 1.3).
- How does Nehru’s speech reflect the important task of “nation-building” and India’s future challenges, as described in chapter 1.4?
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