Towards a New Oceania ( B Ed English )
'Towards A New Oceania' is an
essay. It is written by Albert Wendt. Through this essay Albert mainly focuses
on the cultural diversities found in New Oceania. It tries to reflect the
change of culture and its impact on education, architecture and diversity. The
author speaks from nationalist points of view. He feels that colonizers have
deformed all the aspects such as culture, education, architecture and valued
heritages in the islands of Oceania. He attacks the colonizers for polluting
and deforming them. He has kept some questions at the beginning of his writing
in order to arouse interests in readers to get the main points of the text.
1.Culture: The author thinks that there was no fall, golden age,
revolution in the cultures of Oceania island. These cultures were corrupted by
colonialism. He does not advocate their pre-Papalagi culture of Golden age. It
means that he does not want revival of the past cultures but the creation of
the new cultures free from colonialism. The author views that there is much
racial discrimination between different ethnic groups and it was promoted by
the colonizers. The author views that no national culture is homogenous because
each culture has its sub cultures. The life-blood of any culture is the diverse
contributions of its varied sub-cultures. Therefore, all the societies in
Oceania are multi-cultural.
2.Education: The writer has mentioned a poem entitled "Education
kidnapped" composed by Rupertake Petaia from Western Samoa to show the
features of colonial education. The author mentions that the poem is remarkable
which aptly describes colonial education system. He views that the basic function
of education is to promote conformity, obedience and respect in order to make
the learners complete their roles the society has determined. It has to culture
humankind. The writer feels that the colonizer's education systems are not
programmed to educate the people for development but to produce manpower that is
needed in the colonizer's administrative mechanism. Colonizer's wanted to make
the people of Oceania sellers of the cheap raw materials and buyers of their
expensive manufactured goods. Colonizer's education systems are beneficial for
the elite groups, not for the common people of Oceania. Their education systems
make the people of Oceania passive without confidence, self-respect and
productivity.
3.Architecture: The writer's views that a frightening type of Papalagi
architecture is invading Oceania. Papalagi architecture is soulless although it
is of multi-storied impressive buildings which are air-conditioned. The writer
feels that Papalagi architecture is not only soulless but also soul destroying.
He views that the buildings have been constructed of the dead materials. He
feels that Papalagi architecture is like quicksand into which the people of
Oceania are drowning willingly. The writer feels that all the countries in
Oceania are accepting Papalagi architecture without questioning; it is the most
frightening aspect. They are copying Papalagi architecture. The writer feels
that it is failure to understand reality.
4.Diversity, a valued heritage: Each society in Oceania islands
processes cultural, political, social and economic diversity. Similarly, these
societies are multilingual. These valued heritages have been affected by
colonialism. Likewise, sculptures and carvings which are unique heritages also
badly affected by colonialism. Despite political barriers between the
countries, there is interflow of different aspect. The writer feels that self –
expression is pre- requisites to self- respect. Therefore, valued heritages are
found to be flourishing after decolonization emerged.