COLONIZATION, CIVILIZATION, AND RESISTANCE IN J.M. COETZEE'S WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS: A CRITICAL SURVEY

The novel "Waiting for the Barbarians" explores the process of colonization, depicting how European settlers arrived in uncharted African territories and established their dominance. Under the guise of "civilization," they employed deceitful tactics to label Indigenous people as barbaric or uncivilized. The narrative provides a comprehensive view of settlement and subjugation. European settlers often used binary terms, such as "civilized" versus "barbaric," to justify their actions. The story of the blind girl reveals the pain and power dynamics at play, illustrating how the powerful settlers sought to suppress the Indigenous people of African society. The novel emphasises how the colonization process was carried out under the pretense of bringing civilization.