Analysis Of The Text 'Had Long Ago Been Conquered'
Essay
As is conventional, the citizens of an imperial state are often satisfied with the notion of sovereign cultural superiority, this not by natural happenstance, but because “[they] were meant to”. The author, among citizens of Antigua, inadvertently allowed the subtle invasion of her cultural heritage by the English. As a result, the author’s childhood was consumed by English culture, considering “the shoes [worn] to work would have been made in England, as were [the] khaki shirt and trousers, [the] underpants and undershirt, [the] socks and brown felt hat”. Presumably, this inevitable realization by the author, that she “had long ago been conquered” by the autocratic English culture, develops a unique juxtaposition of past and present.
Which, in essence, is the act of contradistinction between tones in the context of the past versus present.
In the context of the past, the author demonstrates a rather positive tone towards the influence of English culture on her life. As a representative member of an imperialistic state, the author grew up with a concrete schema, one which illustrates an England that is a “source of myth and the source from which [people] got [their] sense of reality, [their] sense of what [is] meaningful, [and their] sense of what is meaningless”. The author progressed through childhood with the perception of England as “a very special jewel”. This indoctrinated perception of England, in the authors past, is juxtaposed with her evolved perception of England, in the authors present.
In the context of the present, the author demonstrates an evolved tone, exhibiting bitterness towards England and its culture. The author metaphorically confirms that England is “a special jewel”, however, “only special people [get] to wear it”, and “the people who [get] to wear England [are] English people”. The author’s bitterness towards England is not exclusive to its conceptual nature, but also applies to its influence on her childhood. As a child, the author was trained to eat food the English style, “but [she] knew then that [she] enjoyed [her] food more when [she] ate it with [her] bare hands, and [she] continued to do so when [her mother] wasn’t looking”.
As is conventional, the citizens of an imperial state are often satisfied with the notion of sovereign cultural superiority, this not by natural happenstance, but because “[they] were meant to”. The author, among citizens of Antigua, inadvertently allowed the subtle invasion of her cultural heritage by the English. As a result, the author’s childhood was consumed by English culture, considering “the shoes [worn] to work would have been made in England, as were [the] khaki shirt and trousers, [the] underpants and undershirt, [the] socks and brown felt hat”. Presumably, this inevitable realization by the author, that she “had long ago been conquered” by the autocratic English culture, develops a unique juxtaposition of past and present.
Which, in essence, is the act of contradistinction between tones in the context of the past versus present.
In the context of the past, the author demonstrates a rather positive tone towards the influence of English culture on her life. As a representative member of an imperialistic state, the author grew up with a concrete schema, one which illustrates an England that is a “source of myth and the source from which [people] got [their] sense of reality, [their] sense of what [is] meaningful, [and their] sense of what is meaningless”. The author progressed through childhood with the perception of England as “a very special jewel”. This indoctrinated perception of England, in the authors past, is juxtaposed with her evolved perception of England, in the authors present.
In the context of the present, the author demonstrates an evolved tone, exhibiting bitterness towards England and its culture. The author metaphorically confirms that England is “a special jewel”, however, “only special people [get] to wear it”, and “the people who [get] to wear England [are] English people”. The author’s bitterness towards England is not exclusive to its conceptual nature, but also applies to its influence on her childhood. As a child, the author was trained to eat food the English style, “but [she] knew then that [she] enjoyed [her] food more when [she] ate it with [her] bare hands, and [she] continued to do so when [her mother] wasn’t looking”.