Interrogating otherness with reference to selected Australian and Caribbean texts.

While it is commonly expected within the society today that every person should have the right to assert his or her difference by choice, there are numerous examples that display otherwise – where one may be defined by their differences indiscriminately. For an individual to be different in any way...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chan, Xiao Yi.
Other Authors: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Format: Final Year Project
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/50695
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
Description
Summary:While it is commonly expected within the society today that every person should have the right to assert his or her difference by choice, there are numerous examples that display otherwise – where one may be defined by their differences indiscriminately. For an individual to be different in any way, be it cultural or otherwise, should not indicate that he or she is inferior. This undersirable manner of perceiving an individual is most noticibly evident in how one may unconsciously (or consciously) ‘Other’ an individual. This essay examines the constitution of the non-hegemonic Other, interrogating the different facets of this concept as well as that of the colonial discourse on Othering. It will also attempt to map the journey through which one may resist and challenge the undesirable effects of Othering – drawing its textual references mainly from Australian and Caribbean literature, namely Doris Pilkington’s novella Rabbit Proof Fence, Sally Morgan’s autobiography My Place and Olive Senior’s short story Arrival of the Snakewoman.