The Social Mission of English Literature and Colonialism

Abstract

This study sets out to demonstrate that the emergence and rise of the discipline of English literature was moulded by the colonial mission of civilizing colonial subjects in India and educating the middle class in England. The former one that is the civilizing mission was an adaptation of the content of English literature to the administrative and political imperatives of British colonial rule in India while the latter the educating mission was in turn proved to be support education of English middle class for social and political control in domestic affairs. In order to realise this aim English literature had to prove its own existence among its other traditional social institutions or rivals such as religion, and philology. The emergence and rise of English literature in England and overseas also demonstrate the ways of establishment of the new attempts and experimentations in colonies which could not be put into action in England before.

Keywords

• Literature,English literature,colonialism,Indian literature,English education

İngiliz Edebiyatının Toplumsal Misyonu ve Sömürgecilik

Abstract

Bu çalışma İngiliz edebiyatı disiplininin ortaya çıkması ve yükselişi, Hindistan’daki sömürge vatandaşlarını uygarlaştırma ve İngiltere’de orta sınıfın eğitilmesi amacına matuf olarak şekillendiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Birinci işlev için İngiliz edebiyatının içeriği Hindistan’daki İngiliz sömürge yönetiminin idari ve politik ihtiyaçlarıyla uyumlu hale getirilirken; ikinci işlev olarak iç kamuoyunda toplumsal ve politik kontrolü sağlamak amacıyla İngiliz orta sınıfının eğitilmesi gündeme gelmiştir. Bu hedeflere ulaşmak için İngiliz edebiyatı, din ve filoloji gibi yerleşik toplumsal kurumlar ve rakipler arasındaki yerini ve varlığını sağlamlaştırmaya gereksinim duymaktaydı. İngiliz edebiyatının İngiltere ve denizaşırı ülkelerde ortaya çıkışı ve yükselişi, aynı zamanda daha önce İngiltere’de yürürlüğe konulamayan yeni girişimlerin ve deneyimlerin yerleşik hale gelme biçimlerine de işaret etmektedir.

Keywords

• Edebiyat,İngiliz edebiyatı,sömürgecilik,Hint edebiyatı,İngiliz eğitimi

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