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Re: RE: JV and China

From: <Rfbagby~at~aol.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 14:25:15 -0500
To: jvf~at~Gilead.org.il (Jules Verne Forum)

And of course Capt. Nemo in MYSTERIOUS ISLAND turns out to be an Indian opponent of the British Raj. (It was easier for Verne to see the flaws in the British Empire than in French colonies, but the point is there.)
RF Bagby
In a message dated 1/17/2003 9:32:16 AM Eastern Standard Time, Walter J Miller <wjm2~at~nyu.edu> writes:

>Dear Garmt and All:  I think that in both the Intro, the Notes, and the text of THE MIGHTY ORINOCO (due out from Wesleyan U Press any day now!) you'll find that Verne did shed a tear or two for the victims of colonialism.  Like most intellectuals of his time, he was in conflict about the relations between colonialism-and-"progress".  Walter James Miller
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Garmt de Vries <G.deVries~at~phys.uu.nl>
>Date: Sunday, January 5, 2003 11:58 pm
>Subject: RE: JV and China
>
>> > 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
>> secondpart 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 Sun 19 Jan 2003 - 21:28:19 IST

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