Jean Rhys short-story “Pioneers, Oh, Pioneers” takes place on the Caribbean island Dominica at a time, when it was still a British colony. It is a story about aman called Mr. Ramage who buys a house on this island, marries a native girl and starts to behave so unconventional that the other people in the city become askant, spread rumours about them and pursue him. Under that pressure he probably commits suicide. Though the last-mentioned aspect is not said exactly it is most likely. The setting of the story is influenced by both, the environment and representatives of British colonialism and the nature and the wilderness of the Caribbean island itself. Rhys probably chose this exotic setting for two reasons: the accentuation of the unnaturalness and the declining power of British colonialism and for the reprocessing of her own childhood memories
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Setting as Accentuation for the Unnaturalness and the Declining Power of the British Colony
3 The Setting as a Tool for the Reprocessing of Childhood Memories
4 Conclusion
5 Bibliography
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this work is to analyze the function of setting within Jean Rhys' short story "Pioneers, Oh, Pioneers" to illustrate the inherent conflict between British colonial presence and the Caribbean environment. The central research question examines how Rhys employs geographical and environmental elements to mirror both the decay of colonial power and the author's own childhood memories and personal experiences with colonial structures.
- Analysis of settings as "visual fields" and "scenes of action"
- The symbolic representation of the decline of British colonial authority
- Contrast between European societal habits and the hostile Caribbean nature
- Autobiographical intersections between the author's biography and the narrative
- The role of the landscape in reflecting social and racial tensions
Excerpt from the Book
2 The Setting as Accentuation for the Unnaturalness and the Declining Power of the British Colony
The first motive for Rhys choice of the setting was probably her intention to describe the crucial differences between British-colonial elements and the Caribbean surrounding. In her short-story she uses comparisons, distinctions, symbols and transformation of the setting to emphasize the fact that Dominica’s colonization was never really successful, neither through England nor through France, the former occupying force of this island (Angier 1990: 4). With her description of the places and elements she tries to show that European people are out of place in this Caribbean surrounding, in spite of all the things and habits they brought from their former home to feel more comfortable. The reader gets the feeling that Dominica’s wild nature is going to recapture what the colonialists take from it. A closer look at the locations and objects will show how Jean Rhys accomplishes this effect. According to Ströker’s and Hoffmann’s approach of analysing a narrative setting (Haupt 2004: 70) the places in Jean Rhys’ story are related correlatively because she uses them to show the contrast between colonial and Caribbean elements. In correlative relations particular attention is given to the differences between the single places and the values that are represented through them (Haupt 2004: 79). In this case the values of a small white European society and a majority of afro-Caribbean inhabitants.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the short story by Jean Rhys, outlines the plot regarding Mr. Ramage, and establishes the importance of the Caribbean setting in relation to colonial influence.
2 The Setting as Accentuation for the Unnaturalness and the Declining Power of the British Colony: This chapter examines how the author uses descriptive elements and specific locations to symbolize the failed and unsustainable nature of British colonial rule in Dominica.
3 The Setting as a Tool for the Reprocessing of Childhood Memories: This section explores the autobiographical parallels between the author's life in Dominica and the narrative, arguing that the setting serves as a medium for the author to process her early experiences with colonialism.
4 Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, confirming that the setting functions both as a critique of colonial power and a personal reflection of Rhys' own background.
5 Bibliography: This section provides a list of all academic sources and literature used for the analysis of the story.
Keywords
Jean Rhys, Pioneers Oh Pioneers, Dominica, British Colonialism, Setting Analysis, Literary Studies, Postcolonial Literature, Autobiographical Elements, Caribbean Literature, Nature, Social Conflict, Narrative Analysis, Roseau, Imperial Road, Cultural Identification
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on a setting analysis of Jean Rhys' short story "Pioneers, Oh, Pioneers," investigating how the environment reflects colonial decline and personal memory.
Which central themes are explored?
Key themes include the clash between colonial civilization and the Caribbean wilderness, the decline of British power, and the integration of autobiographical experiences into fictional settings.
What is the core research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate that the setting in the story is not merely a backdrop, but a functional narrative tool that underscores the instability of the British colonial presence.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, specifically incorporating concepts by Ströker and Hoffmann regarding narrative settings as "visual fields" and "scenes of action."
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body discusses specific locations like "Market Street," the "Imperial Road," and "Spanish Castle" to illustrate colonial non-conformance and the destructive power of nature.
What keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as colonial decline, Caribbean setting, Jean Rhys, autobiography, and narrative symbolism.
How does the author connect the story to Jean Rhys' personal biography?
The author identifies parallels between the character Rosalie Cox and Jean Rhys' childhood, as well as the connection between Dr. Cox and the author's father.
Why is the "Imperial Road" considered significant in this analysis?
The road is identified as a symbol of the pretentious strength of the British Empire, which ultimately fails and becomes an allegory for the decay of colonial rule.
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- Sebastian Flock (Autor:in), 2013, A Setting Analysis of Jean Rhys’ "Pioneers, Oh, Pioneers", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/346859
