Mapping the Past - Assignment Example

Picturing the Past
Analyzing the image
On reading the Pears’ soap advertisement, one is immediately drawn to the words ‘cleanliness, lightening the white man’s burden, brightening the dark corners of the earth as civilization advances, among the cultured nations it holds the highest place.’ The context within which these words are used implies that it is the white man’s burden to lighten up every corner of the earth that they consider blackened by the black man as he has not achieved cleanliness. They seek to do this using Pears’ soap which exemplifies civilization amongst the cultured nations. (Picturing the Past)

These words are brought to life from the picture in the advertisement. We see a ship that appears to have docked and is unloading cargo which is Pears’ soap, and another picture showing a black man crouching in front of a white man with a bar of soap by their side. It is implied that the white man has brought in the soap to help the black man achieve cleanliness which is the mark of western civilization. This can also be seen from the picture of the white man who seems to have washed his hands in a very clean bathroom. He is meant to epitomize cleanliness that is the mark of the white man’s civilization. (Picturing the Past)

Non-Europeans are referred to as ‘dark corners’. The white man is said to use the soap to brighten the dark corners of the earth; which they consider their burden, as civilization advances. This refers to non-Europeans who are supposed to be receiving civilization by being made clean. The picture of non-Europeans that is presented in the advertisement is one who is inferior to the white man, crouching before him to receive the gift of civilization, Pears’ soap. (Picturing the Past)

Connection
The phrase ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ can be related to this advertisement because both the phrase and the image portray the white man as superior and the helper to Non-Europeans. This is because these are God-like traits that the white man is assuming in trying to ‘lighten their burden’, i.e. make everyone like them, which is also a God-like trait as he made everyone in his own image. (Picturing the Past)

The white man’s burden is to bring cleanliness to the whole world by lightening up the dark corners of the earth, and the use of Pears’ soap will enable everyone who uses it to achieve cleanliness. By accepting to use the soap, Non-Europeans will be accepting the white man’s ways and in the process lightening up the dark corners of the earth. (Picturing the Past)

Analyzing the map
 Britain occupied Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Northern and Southern Nigeria, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, British East Africa, British Somaliland, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Bechuanaland, Union of South Africa, Swaziland, and Basutoland.
 France occupied Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, France West Africa, Ivory Coast, French Equatorial Africa, and Madagascar.
 Germany occupied Kamerun, German East Africa, German South-West Africa, and Togoland.
 Italy occupied Libya, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland.
 Portugal occupied Portuguese Guinea, Angola, and Mozambique.
 Belgium occupied Congo Free State.
 Spain occupied Spanish Guinea.
Only Liberia and Ethiopia maintained their political independence.

Connections
They also wanted to gain access to an untapped market that had a wealth of resources and a ready market for their products which would enable them easily trade and gain economic power. Some of the countries also wanted to establish their own homes where they could settle away from their countries of birth. (Mapping the Past)

Cecil Rhodes: From Confession of Faith
Cecil Rhodes states the superiority of the English race as the justification for them going out and acquiring more territory to expand their empire in the world. As they spread out and own more of the world, he states that the world would be a better place because it would have “more of the best, the most human, most honorable race the world possesses.” He also states that Anglo- Saxons are “the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for the human race.” (Rhodes)

He admires the fact that British society is cultured and always seeks to impart their culture to those people who lack it for the betterment of the world. He also admires the fact that the British always bring in more employment to any region that falls under its rule and that they are a peace-loving people who seek to bring an end to all wars. (Rhodes)

He mentions the Anglo-Saxon race and the uncivilized race. He states that the Anglo-Saxon race has a duty as the most superior race to go out into the uncivilized territory with the aim of bringing civilization to the uncivilized races of the world. (Rhodes)

The secret society proposed by Rhodes would have as its purpose the furtherance of the British Empire, bringing the whole uncivilized world under British rule and the recovery of the United States so that the Anglo-Saxon race would become one empire. (Rhodes)