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Reverse Acculturation: a Literary Theme
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 April 2024
Extract
The concept of “acculturation” is closely linked to the history of European colonialism. In spite of all efforts to endow it with a “neutral” or “positive” meaning, the term has never meant anything other than the subjection of indigenous cultures to Western civilization in all its forms.
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- Copyright © 1986 Fédération Internationale des Sociétés de Philosophie / International Federation of Philosophical Societies (FISP)
References
1 The history of the term "acculturation" is given in the book by Gérard Leclerc, Anthropologie et colonialisme, Paris, Fayard 1972.
2 The most complete indictment of the devastating effects of European colonialism was made by Aimé Césaire, Discours sur le colonialisme, Paris, Présence Africaine 1955.
3 Tzvetan Todorov, La conquête de l'Amérique-La question de l'Autre, Paris, Ed. du Seuil 1982, p. 48.
4 Ibidem, p. 201.
5 Ibidem, p. 202. The following quotations are taken from the same work, chapter entitled "Typologie des relations à autrui" (pp. 191-207).
6 Ed. Robert Laffont. Re-edition. Presence Africaine 1976.
7 Yaounde, published by CLE.
8 Paris, Alexis Redier 1933, p. 18 ff.
9 Nendeln (Liechtenstein), Kraus Reprint 1973. See my article, "Von der Kolonialliteratur zu den ersten afrikanischen Romanen in französischer Sprache-Das Problem der Authentizität", in Franzosisch heute 2 (1985), pp. 113-125.
10 Nini, mulâtresse du Sénégal, in Trois écrivains noirs, Paris, Présence Africaine 1954 (Special issue of the review Présence Africaine), pp. 291-426, 2nd ed., 1965.
11 Paris, Juilliard 1956; Presses Pocket 1970.
12 Paris, Juilliard 1956; Coll. 10/18 1974.
13 Paris, Plon 1954; Presses Pocket 1975.
14 Quoted from Presses Pocket edition, p. 37.
15 Jean-Claude Blachère, Le modèle nègre-Aspects littéraires du mythe primitiviste au XXe siecle chez Apollinaire-Cendrars-Tzara; Dakar-Abidjan-Lomé, Nouvelles éditions africaines 1981, p. 3 ff.
16 Ibidem, p. 11.
17 Ibidem, p. 13.
18 Many similar accounts are being published in pocket book editions in the collection "Terre Humaine", directed by Jean Malaurie (Presses Pocket).
19 Benoît Verhaegen, preface (p. 6) to the autobiographical account by Maximilien, prince of Béthune-Hestigneul, Un Eden africain, Brussels, Edition Complexe (distr. P.U.F.), 1978.
20 Le Partage des eaux, translated from the Spanish by René L. F. Durand, Gallimard, coll. folio, No. 795.
21 Michel Tournier, "Vendredi", in Le Vent Paraclet, Paris, Gallimard 1977, coll. folio, No. 1138, pp. 211-237.
22 Ibidem, p. 227.
23 Ibidem, p. 229.
24 See the article by Michael Kötz, "Meuterei gegen sich selbst-Die Bounty, der neue Film und der mit Marlon Brando von 1962", in Frankfurter Rundschau, 10 mai 1985, p. 21. The literary model for the film is the novel by Richard Hough, Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian.
25 Histoire du guerrier et de la captive, in J. L. Borges, Labyrinthes, translated from the Spanish by R. Caillois, pp. 67-79.
26 Benedetto Croce, La Poesia, Bari, Laterza 1966, p. 81, p. 269 ff.
* He renounced his beloved family, so much did he love us, esteeming that this land of Ravenna was his own.
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