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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

mission literature, imagination, German, colonial texts

College

Humanities

Department

Germanic and Slavic Languages

Abstract

Late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century mission literature differs from most colonial texts, due to the missionaries’ treatment and focus upon the “native” population. Yet, most literary critics believe that Catholic and Protestant mission literature—particularly texts in African and Polynesian island missions—share the same roots and literary forbearers as colonial literature during the time period of 1860-1939. Colonial literature holds the ideas of nationalism, imperialism, white superiority, social Darwinism, and justification for taking land. Thus, most literary critics view mission literature as products of Colonialist writers. Despite the negative reception, all missionaries were not solely focused on conquering and destroying the native cultures. On the contrary, these missionaries attempted to actually record the native languages, such as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s praise for German missionaries who saved the Swahili language from being eradicated by fellow African tribes and practices. These missionaries also helped to institutionalize and save some native practices connected to boys’ and girls’ initiations, pregnancy, marriage and death. Although most missionaries (and even colonizers) were not necessarily bound by a desire to conquer the native peoples for the mere purpose of attaining more land and simply destroying cultures, missionaries were and are often viewed negatively because several missionaries during this time period attempted to physically and symbolically destroy local religions and deities. Consequently, the other missionaries have been overlooked due to the actions of these few missionaries, and my project has been to counter the current avoidance of studying these Catholic and Protestant missionaries and their literature.

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