Content Details | NUML Online Research Repository

Title ASSIMILATION AND SURVIVAL: COUNTER HEGEMONIC PERSPECTIVE IN SELECTED NATIVE AMERICAN DRAMA

Author(s) Mr. Waseem Ahmad

Abstract ABSTRACT Thesis Title: Assimilation and Survival: Counter Hegemonic Perspective in Selected Native American Drama Throughout the history of the United States of America, the social relations between Euro-Americans and Native Americans remained unpleasant and uninviting. The investigation has brought forth the striking grievances of the Native Americans against the mainstream White American society in response to the underestimation of power of the Native American culture, identity and history. The factual data consulted and analyzed during this qualitative research has invariably confirmed the execution of the U.S. government’s policies of the Native Americans’ removal such as forced assimilation and Congressional Acts during the 19th and 20th centuries. Meanwhile, the blend of historical references and the chosen text of the selected Native American playwrights proved that the Native Americans went through the unappealing phase of forced assimilation through Indian boarding school education that started in 1879. It made the survival of Native identity and culture difficult, influencing the Native American drama to seek respectful way of acculturating the Native Americans. In the light of 1990s theory of Survivance that establishes intimate relationship between literary and non-literary texts, the researcher found it convincing that the selected plays of the last quarter of 20th century are based on the Natives’ historical struggle of survival amidst White Americans’ desperation for assimilation. Going through the plays like “Body Indian” and “The Indolent Boys,” the sufferings of the Native Americans demand the White American’ political, social and financial generosity in order to win the Natives who are found to be engaged in preserving effectively their native culture and identity. In the meantime, the findings of the present research summon the dejected Native Americans to honor their ever-present instinct of survival and steadfastness during perplexing scenarios.

Type Thesis/Dissertation PhD

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2020-06-11

Subject English Linguistics

Publisher

Contributor(s)

Format

Identifier

Source

Relation

Coverage

Rights