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RE: JV and China

From: Garmt de Vries <G.deVries~at~phys.uu.nl>
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 08:58:53 +0100 (CET)
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>

> Actually through many of his works I had the feeling, that even though a
> great writer, Verne was a racist. He was positive about colonism everywhere,
> all colonists appeared brave and benevolent, not did he shed a single word
> about the misery that colonism brought to the native people.

Didn't he?

Read for example "La Maison a Vapeur". The Sepoy leader Nana Sahib is the
bad guy here, but Verne also decribes the atrocities committed by the
English.

Read "Mistress Branican", an unfortunately little known novel, the second
part of which is set in Australia. Verne makes a strong point about how
the aboriginals will be exterminated by English colonialism.

Read "Le village aerien", which ends with a slightly sarcastic remark
about the 'colonisation competition' between Western countries.

I am not saying that Jules Verne always stood up for the victims of
colonisation, but to say that "he was positive about colonism everywhere"
is a bit too strong.

Best regards,
Garmt.
Received on Mon 06 Jan 2003 - 10:00:41 IST

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