Study: M. A. Sem. 4
Subject: 14 - African Literature
Topic: Meaning of Barbarians and Civilized and note on the conflict between Civilization and Barbarians?
Department of English MKBU.
Guide: Dr. Hinaba Zala
Assignment, by Prinjal Shiyal
◆What is the meaning of the "Barbarians" and "Civilized"? Write note on the conflict between 'Civilization' and 'Barbarians'?
● "Waiting for the Barbarians" novel by J. M. Coetzee and this novel published in 1980. This text demands the contextual study because there are many major historical events connected. Like, Civilization, Colonialism, Marginalization and so on. On various occasions civilized man has found himself marching side by side with men at lower levels of social and cultural development. The great civilizations were accustomed to compare themselves quite favorably with these barbarian neighbors. In this novel two main conflicts; 1. Barbarians
2. Civilized
Simply we can say that Barbarians means a member of a people not belonging to one of the great civilizations for example Greek Roman Christian many people think that barbarians are minor and lower class because raise their voice against the Empire or government. Political power don't want to to give them any chance to to become terrorist. Barbarians word itself in negative term for European white culture. They think that barbarians are marginalized uncivilized and uneducated. They don't have any freedom to live their life freely end get education and choose their choices. Barbarians are those who lives simple life and they haven't any type of choice for themselves. Barbarian is an insulting word for a person from an uncivilized culture or a person with no manners. Barbarians aren't known for their etiquette. Those barbarians back in ancient times they were always invading and pillaging and generally unleashing their fury on the more "civilized" Greeks and Romans. Generally civilized society think that barbarians are black marginalised and they haven't any identity existence but accept that they are the part of our society or country. Barbarians word itself is a marginalised by civilized society. Civilization make them very minor lower class or poor they haven't any importance in capitalist society.
Civilized means at an advanced stage of social and cultural development. Their two terms civilized and uncivilized and that's why people make binaries for other peoples through these terms. "A civilized society"similar to enlightened educated advanced form of society e developed country cultured and it's totally opposite terms of uncivilized and barbaric. We can say that civilized means politically they are on high position and well mannered people.
Simply one sentence true we make distance for example, "I went to talk to them and we had a very civilized conversation" So that is the difference between civilized and barbarians. That's why we have to type of binaries for each and every people some are feel superior and some are feel inferior in our society. Someone who is cultured and polite person who know what is his future end career and his choices but it happen when he was in civilized society. A civilized person make their own choices to live their own life. A Civilized group of people is carrot characterized by being socially and technological advanced because they have education. They know how to live their life and how to control emotions. There are more rational rather than emotional two types of choices, either they choose their traditional statues and beyond that they have choices to make own way of life and new and rational way of life.
in the waiting for the barbarians there are many characters who haven't any identity and without identity they leave their own life and they blindly follow government and constantly do their work is a faithful servant or worker. But it is necessary to do that why they don't raise their voice against tu authority? Civilized society and barbarians both are vice versa but when we think what is the reason behind it? I think 'colonialism' is one reason for that and n people are blindly follow colonizers their masters. J. M. Coetzee's Novel "Waiting for the Barbarians" is one of the best novel depend on the imperialism, colonialism, and so on. I think there are many characters who live without identity but can we say that why they accept their identity as nothing but something as driven by their masters. For example the Magistrate and Barbarian girl protagonist characters of the novel. They leave as it is but whenever magistrate and Barbarian girl understand each other then magistrate feel that there are no any things like barbarians or civilized people and then magistrate tries to help her but, it will be come resistance for white culture and then there is him and punished so there are no such things like barbarians but it is term given by white culture or colonisers in this novel. So how can we judge others through our own mind how people are driven by power quality education and many more. I think here reply one theory orientalism by Edward said, this book give us many information about civilization, idea of East and West, cultural conflict, languages, power and politics, education and so on. Orientalism book is very useful for better understanding astram off uncivilized or barbarians, and conflict between East and West countries, occident and Orient etc.
Orientalism by Edward Said:
Edward Said argues that the Europeans divided the world into two parts; the east and the west or the occident and the orient or the civilized and the uncivilized. This was totally an artificial boundary; and it was laid on the basis of the concept of them and us. The Europeans used orientalism to define themselves. Some particular attributes were associated with the orientals, and whatever the orientals weren’t the occidents were. The Europeans defined themselves as the superior race compared to the orientals; and they justified their colonization by this concept. They said that it was their duty towards the world to civilize the uncivilized world. The main problem, however, arose when the Europeans started generalizing the attributes they associated with orientals, and started
portraying these artificial characteristics associated with orientals in their western world through their scientific reports, literary work, and other media sources. What happened was that it created a certain image about the orientals in the European mind and in doing that infused a bias in the European attitude towards the orientals. This prejudice was also found in the orientalists and all their scientific research and reports were under the influence of this. The generalized attributes associated with the orientals can be seen even today.
◆The conflict between the ''Civilization'' and ''Barbarians'':
Civilization and Barbarians both are vice versa in my own point of view because, when I see in the context of the "Waiting for the Barbarians" than I find there are connection between both. But, no any similarity and both has its own importance. Actually, white people or colonisers are think that Barbarians are not civilized and educated. Barbarians are marginalized by them and they never give them freedom for their choices and freedom of live free life. Civilization is the term for those who have political power, well education, Social status, high-class position, valuable personality and as a leader.
Barbarians are live without identity and they follow rules by governments, who have their own importance as authority.Civilized man, with his urban institutions, his agrarian way of life, his technological and economic sophistication, and his conspicuous literary and plastic artistry, conceived of himself as superior to these other folk with whom he some times competed for domination of the richer parts of the world. Long before the ancient Greeks invented the word ‘Barbarian’ to describe the Scythians and other peoples who differed from them in not subscribing to the ideals of Greek culture. Barbarians are marginalised and without knowledge their life and blindly follow their master's rules. For example, The Magistrate and Barbarian girl both are protagonist characters in the novel but, Colonel Joll who have their own position to see both as a Barbarians. And he has permission to punish all are looking like barbarians and he was one who belongs to Empire. C. Joll have his own choices to follow their order and he was not emotional but, more rational compared to the Magistrate. He was punished other people like, Fisher man, Farmar, Magistrate, Black girl, and other native peoples. There are important is "power & politics" rather minority and native peoples. So, I think this is the one major difference between the Barbarians and Civilization.
Conclusion:
The "Barbarians" and "Civilized" both are part of colonialism. J. M. Coetzee's Novel Waiting for the Barbarians. White settler political ideology in South Africa has traditionally seen itself as the embodiment of some form of "civilization" against the threatened "barbarism" of African majority rule. Here, term use in the context of "white civilization." And Barbarians as native African people and thery are without education, civilization and marginalised. So, this is the conflict between the''Civilization''and''Barbarians''.
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Word counts:
1, 517
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