REVISE – The mission of the coloniser #647811

STEP 2 Focus on the terminology

Read the terms and select the ones used in the passage to refer to the colonised people.

A:

savage

B:

heathen

C:

half-child

D:

slaves

E:

wild

F:

ignorant

G:

primitive

H:

tawdry

I:

sullen

J:

uncivilised

Revise

Scelta multipla

STEP 4 Think further and prepare for your test: white and black

Read the passage taken from John Buchan's novel Prester John, in which the protagonist David Crawfurd defends the British colonial control of South Africa and expresses imperialist world views. Decide if the statements are true or false. Then look at the prompts and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.

PROMPTS:
- Refer to the box 'The white man's burden' in 'All about Rudyard Kipling' in your textbook to further explore the implications of imperial work.
- Refer to STEP 3 to compare Kipling's portrayal of the natives to that of John Buchan's.
- Robinson Crusoe is often considered the prototype of the English coloniser. Draw parallels between Crusoe and Friday's relationship and that of David Crawfurd and the natives.

A:

Crawfurd defines imperial duty as a self-sacrificing responsibility that is not rewarded with material gain.

B:

The passage claims that racial difference is defined by contrasting moral capacities.

C:

Crawfurd states that Britain should colonise only African territories.

D:

Crawfurd believes that doing imperial work has made him more empathetic towards colonised people.

E:

The reference to the natives' mental capacity shows actual understanding and respect.

Revise

Vero o falso

STEP 3 Language and representation

Read the text about the representation of the colonised people in the passage and complete it with the words given.

Kipling views the colonised peoples through a strongly negative lens. They are framed as children and devils, suggesting they are neither fully ________ nor human. Unlike the supposedly ________ colonisers, they are also seen as unable to ________ their emotions and behaviour. The third stanza ends with the statement that colonised peoples are examples of ________ and violence, and this dehumanising ________ is used to justify the need for imperial rule.

Revise

Posizionamento

STEP 1 Focus on the structure

Reorder the following statements as they appear in the passage. Write the correct numbers (1-5) in the gaps.

The work of the empire is described as hard physical labour at the expense of white men's lives. ________
The colonised peoples are described in negative and dehumanising terms. ________
Imperial rule is said to bring material improvement, such as reducing hunger and disease. ________
The colonisers are told to act with patience and control their behaviour. ________
The 'best' men are sent abroad to serve and manage the colonised populations. ________

Revise

Completamento aperto