ENG364Y1 Study Guide - Comprehensive Final Exam Guide - Narcissism, Lydia Davis, Fantasy
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Lecture 1 autobiography of an ex coloured man september 29th. Wbe dubois: the problem of the 20th century is the problem of the colour line. White europeans developed a theory of race as a justification for colonialism. To justify it as a natural civilizing process. Race becomes world defining with the start of trans atlantic oceanic travel. When they crossed the ocean, differences between people became more sudden. In american, conversations about race must always be tied to slavery. Slavery was the bedrock of the american economy for 200 years. Slave owners began to develop a quasi scientific theory of race to religiously justify their actions. First usage of the word white was in 1691. There was the hope that racial categorization could explain psychological, biological differences between people. This theory is called racial essentialism the belief that races have certain fixed properties that explain both differences in appearance and cultural sensibilities.
