Graff 1
Chamberlain Graff
Instructor Andrew Winslow
ENGL 101 109
08 December 2004
Cover Sheet for: Revised Cultural Analysis Assignment
Purpose: To analyze three post-colonial tropes in Science Fiction shows from recent Award-Winning TV shows that were also critically acclaimed despite poor ratings. Revised Thesis: “Science fiction TV shows that emphasize exploration typically address a post-colonial anxiety that attempts to recognize the complex culture clash between peoples when they meet; namely, the more foreign and strange the ‘colony’ the more changed the explorer becomes – even to the point of the explorer becoming completely isolated and stranded due to the journey.”
Audience: I’m really trying to write for other sci-fi fans, and yes, my fellow internet dorks who share webspace discussing our admiration for the ways that sci-fi shows attempt to address real-world issues in the realm of the fantastic. To be persuasive, I’ll need to speak on their level, which isn’t hard considering I’m a fan too. Basically, I’m going to treat the material as serious and recognize it as an attempt to be dramatic instead of goofy or silly.
Context: The three shows I looked at were Farscape,Earth 2, and Sliders. Each won several awards and approached their themes with only slight variations. Earth 2 depicted a group of human colonists on an alien planet, but closely parallels the history of early American pilgrims. In contrast, Farscape depicted a single human thrust into the other side of the Galaxy, but in contrast to colonizing, he in fact becomes colonized to the point where he cannot return home. Lastly, Sliders depicted a group of travelers going to
Stance: Very non-aggressive. I’m mainly arguing that the shows are effective at trying to complicate the idea of colonization and critique some basic assumptions of post-colonial theory. I will however also argue that the shows may also add to the misconceptions of colonization.
Revisions Made: During the course of writing this paper, I’ve had to start over a few times. The biggest revision was to rewrite the thesis, and add the segment on post-colonial theory, which I’d never worked with before. In addition, I cleaned up my paragraph organization by flipping the first third of the paper on Earth 2 toward the beginning. The rest of the revisions were about how I used E2 as the touchstone for the other shows, by establishing the baseline themes there, and emphasizing that the other shows modified them.
Revisions I’d make with more time and energy: I never got to finish reading Edward Said’s Orientalism, or any thing else on post-colonial theory except for what I found online. What I found was fascinating, and it gave me the argument for my paper, so I would’ve like to continue.
3 Questions for the reader: First, though Farscape has some colonial themes, what do you think about how I tied it together with the others? With Sliders I’m more concerned that I’m not paying it enough respect. What do you think? Lastly, what do you think about my application to culture? I’m not 100% that I showed how these shows perpetuate cultural cycles. What would you add or suggest?
Acknowledgements: I would like to thank the academy . . . heh, heh. No really, I want to thank Jenna (Hartman) and Bobby (Danziger) who read through my original drafts. I would also like to thank my tutor, Trish McBride for all of her help. Lastly, I want to thank Edward Said for his interest and compassion in looking at culture conflicts . . . and for unselfishly publishing a book that I could use to pass my English 101 class.