Guest Lecture by Prof. Balaji Rangnathan

Hello Reader ! 

Welcome to my blog!

Here I want to Share my view on following topics. So let's start our journey of learning together...

                                                  According to my point of view Department of English more ahead in organization of various movie screening,expert-guest lecture and academic events rather than other departments. Same I attended guest lecture by Prof. Balaji Rangnathan on Post colonial studies during 19 Aug. to 21 Aug. 2019. This session divided into three days. Nowadays He also serves as a Ph.d guide in Central University of Gujarat.

• First day ( 19th August, 2019 ):-

                                              First of as a tradition of Department of English we all are warmly welcome of Prof. Balaji sir then for the further introduction given by Prof. Dilip Barad sir. Balaji sir has good method off teaching who involved students through discussion and arguments. He started first day his lecture with definition of Colonialism, Imperialism then Post- colonialism. He also talked about Frantz Fanon's work ' Black skin White Mask '. This text also represented post colonial mind of society through skin color.

• "Black Skin White Mask ":-

                                                 Here I don't want to talked with details about the text but I try to put some point of overview. This text divided in eight Chapters... :-

1) The Negro & Language ( Discourse ):-

- Phenomenon of Language

- Black-man's two Dimensions

- Creolism

- Forcefully speak French

2) The Woman of Color & the White man:-

- Relation between Woman color and European

- About Authentic love

- I am white man...I am black man...

- Realization of lack

- Hate demands existence

- Questions of the saving Race

3) The Man of color & the White Woman:-

- Acknowledge not ass black but as a white

- Form of Recolonization

- Hegel and Master slave relation

- " I marry white culture, white beauty,white whiteness..."

4) The So- called Dependency complex of Colonial people:-

- How black skin people face problem in Community ?

5) The fact of Blackness:-

6) The Negro & Psychology :-

7) The Negro & Recognition:-

- Negro is Comparison

- Structure of Comparison

- Self Evaluation with ego-ideal

8) By way of Conclusion:-

- Self of supersaturation

- Concerning past

- Context of time

- Content maximum but expression minimum.

                                                At the end of the first day we know more about Frantz Fanon and ' Black skin white mask ' and we know more about his historical knowledge also. He deeply explain about how white has fear of black and black craves to be white and  different language of white - black but at the end of the lecture I felt that desire never chose skin color.

• Second Day ( 20 Aug. 2019 ) :-

• Edward Said:-

- Professor of Literature at Columbia Uni.
- Founder of Post-colonial studies
- Known for his book ' Orientalism '
- Famous for Orientalism & Occidental-ism

• Orientalism :-

- Orient of Chateaubriand & Nerval
- Orient from European invention
- Constructing Image,idea,personality,experience...
- Orientalism began from India
- Vico's observation
- Qualification of Orientalism
- Relation between Occident & Orient
- Distinction between Pure& Political Knowledge

• 'A Tempest':-

- Two alterations:- 1) Ariel- a Mulatto Slave, 
                                2) Caliban- a black Slave
                         
- An Addition:- Eshu- a black devil god
- Geology in a tempest
- Age of exploration
- Search of new world
- Problem of Identity, Colonialism
- Differences and Similarity between ' A tempest' and ' The Tempest '
- Post colonial voice through language like as,

" Ariel :- Master, I must beg you to spare me this kind og labor.

  Prosparo:- ( Shouting ) Listen, Listen good,There's task to be performed...

  Ariel :- You have promised me my freedom a thousand time and I am still waiting...."

- Marseillaise & Subaltern
- Colonial master
- Dominant language like as,

" Caliban:- Uhuru !

 Prospero :- What did you say ?

 Caliban:- I said, Uhuru...

- Order Language:

" ...an Old vulture with a scrawny neck..."

Prospero:- What would you be without me ?

                                                 At the end of the second Session We learnt about Orientalism and A tempest. Here one thing notify that How western look at middle east, history of Palestine...etc. He also shared different between both work and how Shakespeare's work helped to better understanding of post colonial studies. Another thing is that how Aime Cesaire's re writing leads us the attention of scholars.

• Third day ( 21 Aug. 2019 ):-

• Imaginary Homelands:-

                                                      'Imaginary Homelands' is a collection of essays written by Salman Rushdie covering a wide variety of topics. In addition to the title essay, the collection also includes "'Commonwealth Literature' Does Not Exist".Salman Rushdie's “Imaginary Homelands” is an essay that propounds an antiessentialist view of place.( Wikipedia )

                                                       During the last day Balaji sir talked on 'Imaginary Homelands' and Salman Rushdies essays. In that way he almost threw more light on diaspora,state and nation. He added that How people look Salman Rushdie nowadays and those days. Here I put some key point...

- Diaspora
- Approach approach conflict
- Migration & colonial period
- Globalization & Multi multiculturalism
- Idea of Community
- Reflection of Rushdie's mind & self
- Mirror of Nostalgia
- Colonial Capture past
- Nostalgia and memory

• Feedback & Method:-

                                                I want to say with honestly that It was nice experience for me under his teaching learning process. He has good way of discussion & interaction methods. If I am not wrong that he has deep knowledge of history and even master of each topic because when  I asked one question at that time he explains me various with example of past and current also. I like one of the thing from him that he speaks English with proper pronunciation & fluent way and also frank personality which noticeable thing from him. I notify one another thing that I need to lack of reading of original text for interaction with him. So Here I haven't qualification to give him any Metaphor but although If I have to use Metaphor & buzzword  for him that he is Soul of " Extreme of knowledge" like Dr. Faustus.

                                                In nutshell I would like to thanks Prof. Dilip Barad sir for arranging this guest lecture and thanks to Prof. Balaji sir for inspiring  us new way looking flow of knowledge and once again thanks for spending precious  your time.

Thank you...