Vorschlag B1

Empire and identity

Dieser Vorschlag bezieht sich auf Hanif Kureishi: My Son the Fanatic.

Der vorliegende Vorschlag enthält in Aufgabe 3 alternative Arbeitsanweisungen.

Outline the older and more recent factors that have shaped the author’s identity. (Material 1)

(30 BE)

Relate the author’s sense of her identity to that of different characters in the short story “My Son the Fanatic”, taking attitudes towards being British and experiences as immigrants into account.

(40 BE)

Choose one of the following tasks:

“An apology is not about holding British people today literally responsible for the acts of some in the past. When Britain is having to redefine itself, an apology would signal that the British government takes its history, and its moral responsibility to prevent similar future atrocities, seriously.” (Material 1)

Taking the quotation as a starting point, assess the importance of an official government apology regarding colonial acts (like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre) for a contemporary definition of British identity.

(30 BE)

3.2

As a student spending a semester abroad at a British university, you take part in an online discussion about the British Empire sponsored by the University of Exeter’s Centre for Imperial Global History.

Taking the statistics (Material 2) into account, write a blog entry discussing whether the British Empire should be a source of pride or shame.

(30 BE)

Material 1

Avani Lal: Violent legacy of Empire forces British Asians into an identity dilemma (2019)

Last month, the 100-year anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Punjab, north

India, reignited the bitter debate about Britain’s colonial legacy and its responsibility to

apologise for past atrocities. Now that the centenary has been and gone, we must remember

the struggle for adequate recognition for colonial atrocities is an ongoing and pressing

concern.

On April 13 1919, Indian soldiers under the command of the British General Reginald Dyer

shot and killed at least 379 colonial subjects who had gathered on the Sikh and Hindu

religious festival of Vaisakhi. Britain has not apologised for this atrocity.

This issue dominated conversations around the centenary this year and was a prominent

topic in a television documentary marking the anniversary of the massacre. In the

documentary, one of Gen[eral] Dyer’s descendants showed admiration for their ancestor,

angering many viewers. Since then, a letter has circulated on social media from another of

the Dyer family to the journalist Sathnam Sanghera, who presented the programme, offering

a private apology.

As a young British woman with Punjabi heritage, remembering the massacre and confronting

the lack of an apology raised a conflict for me. It was Indian troops – my ancestors –

shooting their own, but at the command of a nation that I now identify with. The centenary

made me realise that this 100-year-15 old violence forces me, and other ethnic minority

citizens of former colonial powers, into an identity conflict today.

While Mr Sanghera’s documentary managed to educate many British viewers on this

significant historical event, some noted that the film was more of a journey of self-discovery

than a historical piece, and some criticised the film for granting disproportionate airtime to

Gen[eral] Dyer’s family. Critics also highlighted Mr. Sanghera’s westernised pronunciation –

even of his own name.

All this, they argued, was evidence of a colonised mind – an outlook where any feelings of

cultural inferiority, a legacy of the Empire era, have been internalised.

Some Punjabi friends accuse me of the same thing: I pronounce my name “A-var-née”, they

argue it should be “Uhv-uh-nee”. In identifying with this “colonised” pronunciation, I

sometimes feel like a traitor to my heritage, to my own British Asian community and to the

ongoing process of decolonising our intellectual, social and political worlds. While a

reasonable discussion about language should be welcomed, (perhaps Mr Sanghera should

have said “Gurdwara” not “Sikh Temple”, for example), making individuals feel like outsiders

to their own community should not. My heritage is Punjabi and I am proud of this. Yet,

because of how I say my name, some claim that I am not Punjabi enough.

For others, I am not British enough either – whatever that means. While at school, I vividly

remember being instructed by teachers to explain the Hindu festival of Diwali to my

majority-white classmates. This well-intentioned but clumsy move forced me to confront my

“otherness” before I was even aware of it. Recently, on a bus, I was told to “go back to where

I came from”.

Remembering the massacre has forced me to recognise this struggle between the different

aspects of my identity.

Something must change. Britain must own responsibility to prevent similar future atrocities,

seriously its past, good and bad, and understand how that shapes its present and future.

Perhaps an apology would be a step towards this. An apology is not about holding British

people today literally responsible for the acts of some in the past. When Britain is having to

redefine itself, an apology would signal that the British government takes its history, and its

moral responsibility to prevent similar future atrocities, seriously.

Rather than glorifying Empire, British schools need to talk about it openly, truthfully and with

genuine remorse for events like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. According to YouGov’s–

such an education might help millions of ethnic minority Brits more peacefully reconcile

different aspects of their identities. 2016 poll, about 44 per cent of UK citizens are proud of

Britain’s colonial history. But we all need to understand this period of global history better

Finally, the many and varied British Asian communities in the UK, like many other ethnic

minority communities, need to accept that individuals will interact with our shared heritage

differently and to view this without judgment. Embracing diverse points of view will continue

to strengthen our already strong and warm communities.

These changes will not miraculously put an end to the internal conflict I find myself in.

However, they may help me peacefully attempt to reconcile the different parts of my identity

[…].

In the meantime, please call me “A-var-née” because that feels right for this British Asian.

Avani Lal: Violent legacy of Empire forces British Asians into an identity dilemma, in: Financial Times, 23.05.2019, URL: https://www.ft.com/content/5a20fede-7baf-11e9-8b5c-33d0560f039c (abgerufen am 30.04.2022).

Material 2

Andrew Defty: Are attitudes towards the Empire changing?, in: Who Runs Britain?, 08.03.2021, URL: https://whorunsbritain.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2021/03/08/are-attitudes-towards-the-empire-changing/ (abgerufen am 30.04.2022).

Similar to YouGov, Ipsos MORI is a market research company that carries out surveys of public opinion.

Numbers in percent.

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Note:
Our solutions are listed in bullet points. In the examination, full marks can only be achieved by writing a continuous text. It must be noted that our conclusions contain only some of the possible aspects. Students can also find a different approach to argumentation.

Avani Lal's identity is a blend of historical legacy and contemporary experience. In "The Violent Legacy of Empire Forces British Asians into an Identity Dilemma," (2019) her story reflects the complicated interplay of past and present that has shaped her sense of self. This study explores the factors that have shaped Lal's identity

Introduction

author's Punjabi heritage ties them to this colonial history, where British soldiers under General Reginald Dyer killed hundreds of Indians during a religious festival
Avani Lal's ancestors were Indian soldiers who participated in the massacre under British command. This creates an identity conflict for the author, as they are tied to both the victims and the perpetrators of the atrocity
author's pronunciation of their name and the differences in language usage illustrate the impact of colonization
his experience of explaining their cultural traditions and festivals to their white classmates highlights the sense of "otherness" they experienced while growing up
this highlights the author's struggle to balance their Punjabi heritage with their British upbringing

Main Body
Older factors

the recent 100-year anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre brought the issue of colonial atrocities to the forefront of public discourse
television documentary presented by Sathnam Sanghera engaged a broad audience and triggered debates about historical events, perspectives, and the handling of such sensitive topics
the author's interaction with this documentary influenced their understanding of their identity and the complexities of colonial history
Lal's reflection on being an ethnic minority citizen in a former colonial power highlights the ongoing struggle to reconcile multiple facets of identity
he advocates for a more open and remorseful approach to teaching colonial history in British schools $\rightarrow$ this reflects the desire for acknowledgment, education, and reconciliation to address the impact of colonialism
he calls for acceptance of diverse interactions with shared heritage within ethnic minority communities
this demonstrates a contemporary shift towards embracing various viewpoints and experiences, emphasizing unity within these communities.

More recent factors

in summary, the author's identity has been shaped by historical factors such as colonial crimes, her ancestral involvement, and cultural influences
recent developments such as the centennial of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and discussions in the media have further influenced the author's understanding of her identity and highlighted the ongoing struggle to reconcile her heritage and upbringing in the context of colonial history and contemporary society

Conclusion

"My Son the Fanatic" is a short story by Hanif Kureishi that deals with themes of cultural identity, immigration, and the clash of generations.

Introduction

Parvez embodies the struggles of an immigrant trying to adapt to British culture while maintaining his cultural roots
similarly, the author's sense of identity as a young British woman with Punjabi heritage reflects a similar struggle
both Parvez and the author are caught between their cultural origins and the British society they are a part of
they are striving to find a balance between the two worlds, even if it means facing conflicts and challenges in their personal and family lives.

Main Body
Parvez

Ali, Parvez's son, represents the generational divide in terms of identity
he rejects his father's attempts to assimilate into British society and questions his own identity as a British Pakistani
his transformation into a religious fanatic shows his disillusionment with the Western lifestyle and his desire for a more traditional Pakistani identity
this contrasts with the author's perspective, which grapples with her dual identity but does not resort to extremism
her perspective highlights the complexity of the identity struggle Ali is going through and the different paths individuals can take when facing these challenges.

Ali

Bettina, Parvez's German girlfriend, embodies an outsider's perspective on British society
She sees the immigration experience through a different lens, viewing it as an opportunity for cultural exchange
Her free-spirited attitude towards life contrasts with Parvez's struggles and Ali's extremism
While the author's perspective doesn't directly mirror Bettina's, her experience as a British woman with Punjabi heritage could share some similarities in terms of navigating multiculturalism and finding a place within a diverse society

Bettina

Mrs. Minhas, a family friend and fellow Pakistani immigrant, holds more traditional values and a stronger connection to her cultural heritage
she questions Parvez's assimilation into British society and Ali's apparent abandonment of their roots
while the author's perspective doesn't align completely with Mrs. Minhas', the idea of feeling a tension between embracing one's heritage and fitting into the host society resonates with both the author and this character

Mrs. Minhas

in "My Son the Fanatic," the characters' attitudes towards being British and their experiences as immigrants vary, reflecting the complexity of the identity struggle
while the characters' situations and choices may differ from the author's, there are underlying themes of cultural identity, assimilation, and conflict that parallel her own sense of identity as a British woman with Punjabi heritage
the story's exploration of generational differences and the clash of values sheds light on the author's own experience of grappling with her identity in a multicultural society

Conclusion

3.1

The quoted passage highlights the nuanced significance of an official government apology for colonial acts like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and its impact on contemporary British identity.

Introduction
Referring to the quote

an official apology acknowledges the violence committed during the colonial period, shows understanding for the pain and suffering inflicted on colonized peoples and conveys its moral responsibility for past actions
such an admission is crucial to a contemporary British identity that values transparency, honesty, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable historical truths
demonstrates that Britain is committed to upholding ethical standards and human rights in the present and future

Main Body
Acknowledgment of Historical Wrongdoing and Moral Responsibility

issuing an apology demonstrates national integrity by owning up to historical mistakes
this act can foster a sense of national pride by highlighting Britain's capacity to learn from its history and improve itself
a British identity that values growth, self-awareness, and humility is reinforced through such actions
it enhances Britain's international reputation by showcasing its commitment to addressing past wrongs
this resonates with a modern British identity that seeks to engage positively with the international communitys

National Integrity and Enhance International Standing

provides an opportunity for a comprehensive discussion of colonial history in schools and society
this education equips future generations with a nuanced understanding of their nation's past, promoting critical thinking and empathy
a contemporary British identity values an informed citizenry that can engage in constructive conversations about complex issues

Education and Historical Understanding

reflects a commitment to inclusivity and respect for the diverse identities that make up modern Britain
it recognizes the experiences and perspectives of those affected by colonialism, fostering a sense of belonging for all citizens and acknowledging the multicultural fabric of contemporary British society

Diverse and Inclusive Identity

in conclusion, an official government apology regarding colonial acts is important for shaping a contemporary British identity that values acknowledgment, responsibility, reconciliation, and growth.
such an apology aligns with the values of transparency, empathy, and inclusivity that characterize a modern British identity and contributes to a more informed and unified society.

Conclusion

3.2

Navigating the Complex Legacy: Should the British Empire be a Source of Pride or Shame?

Title

as a student spending a semester abroad at a British university, I recently had the opportunity to engage in a thought-provoking online discussion about the British Empire, thanks to the University of Exeter's Centre for Imperial Global History
the conversation centered around the question of whether the British Empire should be viewed as a source of pride or shame
this question has gained significance in recent years, with shifting attitudes reflecting a society grappling with its historical legacy

Introduction

in Andrew Defty's research on the "British Empire as a source of pride or shame 2014-2020," it's evident that public attitudes are undergoing transformation
the statistics suggest that there has been a gradual decline in the number of people viewing the British Empire as a source of pride, coupled with a slight increase in those who consider it a source of shame
an interesting development, moreover, is that the votes of those who are neither have increased over years (2016-2020)
this evolving mindset is a testament to the ongoing dialogue about historical imperialism and its impact on modern perceptions

Main Body
Attitudes Towards the Empire: A Changing Landscape

considering the British Empire as a source of pride, one must acknowledge its significant historical achievements
empire brought advancements in trade, technology, and governance to regions across the globe
played a pivotal role in shaping the modern world, leaving behind infrastructure, legal systems, and even the English language as lasting legacies
conversely, the imperial conquests and exploitation of native populations are painful truths that cannot be ignored
the empire's legacy includes atrocities, economic exploitation, cultural suppression, and a profound disruption of indigenous societies
critics of pride argue that acknowledging these wrongdoings is essential to ensuring a comprehensive understanding of history and its ongoing implications

Pride vs. Shame

changing attitudes toward the British Empire reflect a society coming to terms with its past
rather than opting for pride or shame, it makes sense to strive for a more nuanced understanding
universities and institutions play a critical role in fostering this understanding through open dialogues, research, and education
engaging with history allows us to learn from our past, acknowledging both the positive and negative aspects, while striving for a more inclusive and empathetic future

Moving Forward: Learning and Acknowledgment

in conclusion, the question of whether the British Empire should be a source of pride or shame cannot be answered objectively
the legacy of empire is a complex mix of achievements and injustices that require a nuanced approach
by engaging in informed discussions, we can come to a fuller understanding of history and its impact on society today

Conclusion

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