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Solibo Tempest Colonial Themes In Essay

The different understandings of the world are indicative of differences in class just as they are a cause for racism, and again the characters of Solibo Magnificent have found a way to work in this system rather than resisting it. In addition to systems of class distinction and outright racism, other instances of general discrimination can be found throughout these texts. The Tempest has only one character that is necessarily female (Ariel is somewhat ambiguous), and the way she is treated along with her degree of disenfranchisement seems to suggest a definite gender discrimination at work. Miranda seems to sense this to some degree, and ultimately takes some agency in her romance with Ferdinand, whereas the musician described early in Solibo Magnificent is seen in a discriminatory light that shows no promise of changing: he is treated a certain way and even called a certain name because of "his notorious oral attentions to bottles of Neisson rum," yet the crowd continues to insist things from this man, and he simply puts up with it (10).

One of the more poignant moments in the beginning of the Tempest comes when Caliban recounts the way in which he was initially treated kindly by Prospero, saying, "and then I loved thee, / and showed thee all the qualities o'th' isle, / the fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile" (I, ii., 399-401)....

This is much the same as many native tribes, that initially showed Europeans the lay of the land and the means of survival in a very cooperative way, but were eventually subjugated or wiped out, and is a direct comment on colonialism and its potential buses. By the time Solibo Magnificent was written, colonialism had already taken hold, and though the characters of this novel seem aware of this difference they do not chafe under it in the same way that Caliban does. This suggests that the differences of the colonial powers and the indigenous population have come to be taken for granted; generations of subjugation and the status quo have killed off thoughts of resistance.
Literature does not always paint the most beautiful picture of humanity, but then literature does not necessarily strive to be beautiful. Above all else, good literature strives to be true and accurate in its portrayal of human beings individually and humanity collectively. The Tempest and Solibo Magnificent both presents truths about colonialism and its effects on people, and the different historical perspectives reflect the amount of change that has occurred in these areas.

Works Cited

Chamoiseau, Patrick. Solibo Magnificent. New York: Anchor.

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Accessed 16 March 2011.

http://www.enotes.com/tempest-text

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Works Cited

Chamoiseau, Patrick. Solibo Magnificent. New York: Anchor.

Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. Accessed 16 March 2011.

http://www.enotes.com/tempest-text
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