Final Reflections

I was surprised that I connected, as much as I have, with works centered around historical systems of representation. I typically shy away from texts of this nature. This course’s selection of works impressed me in that many furnished personalized, relatable portrayals of individuals affected by imperialism. I became drawn into the characters’ narratives and thus interpolated, too, in the historical backdrops without which they would be nonexistent.

The works that stood out to me most were Kazuo Ishiguro’s A Pale View Of Hills and Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist. 

I was completely fascinated by the unstable psychological state of Ishiguro’s protagonist. Through her remembrances, blurred by pain, I could feel a bit of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings' residual damage. The unconventional format of Hamid’s novel, reminiscent of a diary, hooked me. Due to his employment of the second-person address, I was not only implicated in the narrator’s anti-American stance, but felt I was the direct receptacle of his absorbing, private account. 

This course pushed me to think and question critically. I really enjoy being challenged in this way. This course did an excellent job of illuminating the inherent imbalance of colonialism, and the frustration that accompanies disproportionate representation. We approached the structural inequalities that have colored the life experiences of so many from often over-looked perspectives. I think it is absolutely necessary for young people to be taught of the world's injustices, past and present. I am grateful for the opportunity to round table about cross-culturally relevant themes with instructors and other curious peers.