Negotiating the Impossibility: A Postcolonial Analysis of H. G. Wells’s “The Country of the Blind” (1904) through Derrida’s Philosophy of ‘Hospitality’

Abstract

If it has been accepted that colonial interests have significantly affected the history of the world during the last few centuries, the subsequent narratives that sprang from the colonialist enterprise must bear significant weight on the postcolonial discussion. H. G. Wells occupies a highly prominent seat amongst those authors who used their pen and influence to critically scrutinise the ills of Empire, and his 1904 short story “The Country of the Blind” stands as proof of it. The purpose of this paper is to expose the imperialist discourse that permeates Wells’s story so that it may be carefully examined through a postcolonial perspective. The initial hypothesis defends that “The Country of the Blind” can be seen as an ironic reversal of the colonialist effort in which the invader turns into the invaded. Regarding the approach that will be used, the study will follow a thorough examination of the relationships between characters and the social structures that are depicted in the narrative. The research will be framed within postcolonial theory, relying heavily on Jacques Derrida’s ideas of ‘guest’ and ‘host’ as presented in his philosophy of ‘hospitality.’ Finally, this paper shall offer an in-depth analysis of “The Country of the Blind” in search of tangible proof that might help better comprehend the colonialist nature of its character relations.