TraditionsVSModernity----Whereitgoes?

Whencolonialismended,IndiaandAfrica,afteryearsofbeingcontroledbyBritainandFrance,respectivelybegantheirjourneytowardindependence.Howevertheshadowofcolonialismmakesthissocialtransformationdifficultforthesevulnerablereborncountries.Duringtheperiodofpost-colonialism,manysocialandpoliticalissuesemergedfrombothIndianandAfricansocieties.OneofthemostchallengingfortheresidentsatIndiaandAfricawasthetensionbetweentraditionandmodernity.SatyajitRayandOusmaneSembene,importantfiguresinIndiaandAfricanfilmhistory,usecinemaasapowerfulmediumtoaddressthisproblemandtoevokesocialawareness.　　FromSatyajitRay’sfirstnotablefilmPatherPanchali,oneofthesocialandpoliticalsignificancesofthisfilmisthatitshowstheconflictbetweentraditionandmodernity.Thistensionisvirtuallyandaudiblypresentedinthetrainscene.Followedbythefirstshotofthehugepowerline,wehearthenoiseofsomethingcoming.However,fromDurga’sfacialexpression,wedonotknowexactlywhatitis.Shesuddenlystopsandstandsthere.Shefrownswhileshe’scarefullylisteningtothestrangeelectronichumwithwonders.Durgaslowlygoestowardsthehugepylonandlistenstoit.Likehissister,Apudoesthesamething.Thenherepeatedlyaskshissisteraboutthepylonbutreceivesnoanswers.Itclearlyshowsthatthepylonissomethingnewandexotictothesekids.Whenthetrainfinallyarrives,itisnotpresentedsubjectivelybutasamodernobjectthatarousesApuandDurga’scuriosities.Thenoiseofthetrainengineinterruptsthepeaceandharmonyoftheruralstasis.ThenwithinthecloseupofApuandDurga,thetrainentersfromtherightsidebehindthem.Thissetupseparatesthetrainandthekids.ItmakestheappearanceofthetrainseemtotallyoutofplacetothesurroundingsespeciallytoApuandDurgaeventhoughtheyareplacedinthesameimage.Afterthelongshotofthetrain,weseeApurunningtowardsit.Thenfromlefttotheright,areversepanshotbringsustoamuchcloserviewofthismoderninventionwithitsblown-upfragment.Weseethishugeblackroaring“thing”quicklyswishingbyandattheendwehaveaglimpseofApurunningtowardsusontheothersidethroughtherollingwheels.　　Boththepylonandthetrain,asproductsofindustrialism,illustratethesignificantchangesinpost-colonialIndia.AsChandakSengooptasuggests,“Asasmoke-belchingtrainhurtlesthroughthefieldsinthefilm’smostfamousscene,the‘seeminglyidyllicruralworld’isshaken,ashistorianDavidArnoldhasputis,by‘thedynamism,perhapstheadventure,perhapsthelatentmenace’ofmodernity”(SatyaijyRay:Liberalismanditsvicissitudes18).Iftheappearanceofthepylonforetellstheapproachofmodernity,thenthesmoke-belchingtrainwouldactuallymarkitsinvasionandextension.Whenthetrainostentatiouslypassesthroughthefields,Apu,whosignifiesthenewrebornIndia,becomesthewitnessofthismodernizedperformance.However,heissolittleandvulnerablecomparedtothegiganticmachinethathehasnotyetthepowertomoveforward.Thereforehestops,vacantlywatchingthismonsterswishingaway.Thetrainengulfshim.Thealienationandmysteriousofmodernityengulfshim.Attheendofthisscene,theblacksmokethatleftbythetraineventuallycausesustoaskwhatmodernitybringstoIndia?Civilization,wealth,ordevelopments?Raydoesnotgiveustheanswer.However,whatweobserveistheblackdensesmokethatslowlydevourstheskyandthebeautifulkaashflowerfield.Furthermore,thefollowingsequenceofGranny’sdeathalsohighlightstheconflict.ApuandDurga’sGranny,theoldIndianwoman,representsthepastofIndia.Herspiritandbodycarrytheweightofhistoryandtradition.Thedeathnotonlyendsherownlifebutalsoendsthehistoryandtraditionthatsheinherits.Inthisway,afterhediscoveredthepowerofmodernity,Apuagainbecomethewitnesstothedeathoftradition.ThecloseupofApustaringathisgranny’scorpseshowshisastonishmentsandfears.Thistransitionistoooverwhelmingtohim.Thereforeatthistime,hechosetorunaway.Fromthesetwojuxtapositionalsequences,weseethemodernityexploding;thetraditionbecomesendangered.Choosingbetweenmodernityandtradition,post-colonialIndiafacesadilemma.Apuescapesfromthepastwhilehenotyethasthepowertomoveforwardtothefuture.SowhichdirectionshouldthenewIndiago?Rayrealisticallyshowshisbiggestconcernsbyportrayingthehardestsituationoflifeinthepost-colonialIndia.　　OusmaneSembenealsotakestheconflictbetweenmodernityandtraditionasabreakthroughpointtocriticizethepost-colonialAfricangovernmentofSenegal.InXala,thistensiontransfersintotheoppositionbetweenthewestern“Frenchness”andthetraditional“Africaness.”TheportraitoffemalecharactersinXalaparticularlydemonstratesthistension.InthescenewhereElHadjicollectshistwowivesforhisweddingtothisthird,SembeneintroducesustothreedifferenttypesofAfricanwomenbycontrastingtheirdressingstyles.ElHadji’selderwife,Adja,isatraditionaldocileAfricanwoman.Shewearsavibrantlycoloredgrandboubouwithherhairwrappedinascarf.WenotonlyseeafaithfulandsupportivewifebutalsodiscovertheAfricantraditions,historyandreligiousdutiesfromAdja’sdressingandbodygestures.Oumi,El’ssecondwifewhoiscompletelydifferentfromAdia,istotallymodernandwesternized.Shewearsablackbacklessdresswithsunglassesandawig.Thesewestern“consumergoods”thatshewearshighlightOumi’s“possessiveindividualism”andhercharacteristicofmoneyworship.DuringtheirconversationinOumi’sapartment,shealsodisparagesthetraditionsasshespeaksinFrench,referringtoAwaasan“olddriedupfish”.AndfinallyElHadji’sthirdwife,N’Goni,hasnomindofherown,isdressedinherwhiteEuropeanstyleweddingdressunderaveilsimplyasanobjecttosatisfyEl’ssexualandmaterialisticdesires.ThetransformationofthesethreewomenparallelsandleadstothecorruptionthatElHadjihasbeenthrough.Sembenesays,“Hegothisfirstwifebeforebecomingasomebody.Alongwithhiseconomicandsocialdevelopment,hetakesasecondwhocorresponds,sotospeak,toasecondhistoricalphase.Thethirdisonlythereforhisself-esteem”(Xala,SembeneOusmane1974:TheCarapacethefailed,LauraMulvey).Duringthisprocess,ElHadjitoo,isengulfedbythewesternmodernity.Hedressesinwesternsuit,speaksFrenchinsteadofhismothertongue,andspendsahugeamountofmoneytogetawifewhomatcheshisunderstandingofwesternmodernity.Ashebetrayshisfirstwife,hebetrayshisAfricantraditionsandidentitytoo.WhenEl’ssecondwifemercenarilytakesawayhismoneyandhisthirdwifebringshimthe“Xala,”hisblindworshipandimitationofEuropeanessfinallydestroyhim.ItshowsthattheEuropeanpowercontinuestorulethecountryevenafterSenegal’sindependence.Sembenerevealsthehypocrisiesandabsurditiesofthepost-colonialismthroughEl’sridiculousmarriages.　　　　　　Workcited:　　1.SatyaijyRay:Liberalismanditsvicissitudes　　2.Xala,SembeneOusmane1974:TheCarapacethefailed,LauraMulvey　　3.‘Xala’andthecurseofneo-colonialism:ReflectionsonarealistprojectbyGerryTurvey