In The Manner Of Water Or Light Analysis

Words: 1024
Pages: 5

George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” and Roxane Gay’s “In the Manner of Water or Light” evaluate the effects of imperialism during the Age of Colonialism in both the eastern and western hemispheres, respectively. Through these narratives, Orwell and Gay focus on two opposing perspectives, the colonizers versus the colonized. Similarly, however, both authors use vivid imagery to support the representation of imperialism in each piece. The decision for both authors to focus on the illustration the words create serves as the bridge to connect the contrasting perspectives. Together, these authors reveal how imperialism warps the individual morals of both the conquerors and the conquered, or rather, the whites and the colored, and how pain can …show more content…
“If she smells sweetness in the air, she purses her lip and sucks on her teeth, shaking her head,” (51). Sugarcane is representative of the grandmother’s life because it is an iconic crop harvested by slaves, and sweet smells serve as a trigger for the grandmother to remember her past nightmare. The nightmare was the 1937 Parsley Massacre, where she became a victim of rape and thousands of fellow slaves were murdered. “My grandmother still hears the dying screams from that night. She remembers the dull, wet sound of machetes hacking through flesh and bone. I do not know the intimate details, but my mother was conceived,” (54). Gay uses the sounds of the screams and hacking machetes to stress how the massacre impacted the grandmother’s life, both physically and emotionally. Because of imperialism, the grandmother was forced to submit herself to her conquerors, which resulted in her sacrificing her moral character for her family’s …show more content…
Understanding the effects of imperialism on both sides of the conquest provides the reader/audience with knowledge beyond the obvious outcomes colonialism has proven to create throughout history (i.e., suppression, cultural changes, etc.). Without illustrations, such as that of Orwell’s, to acknowledge the transformation of characters during the age of colonialism, part of a crucial element of history would be lost. Moreover, Gay’s use of vivid imagery accurately describes the numerous symbols used to convey pain and suffering both throughout this family’s and the world’s histories. Although it may take years or even decades, through the darkness, there is