“Columbus: Gone But Not Forgotten”

                                                                    by bell hooks

                                                                   Study  Guide 

Bell hooks wrote this essay on the 500^th anniversary of Columbus’ “Discovery” of America.  She is a feminist author, and her rhetoric reflects that.  Be aware of “loaded” terminology, such as “white supremacist capitalist patriarchy,” “cultural capital,” “imperialist misogynistic masculine ideal,” or “the institutionalized system of male gender domination.” 

When reading this essay, try to find evidence that supports these terms’ usage; evaluate the effectiveness of her tone and language – does it suit the purpose of her essay? 

One of the first critical reading decisions you will have to make is deciding that purpose.  Who do you think her intended audience is?  It’s probably fairly specific.  Examine her conclusion (beginning ¶ 15) and determine what it’s function is.  Finally, decide whether or not you agree with her general point that historical memory sometimes harms those with a legacy of oppression. 

Analyzing the Text 

Start with the head notes; compare what you learn about bell hooks’ writing process for this essay with what you read on p. 140. 

Structurally, the essay is divided into two main parts.  Part I is ¶ 1-9.  Part II is ¶ 10-14.  The introduction is ¶ 1-3.  The conclusion is ¶ 15-16.  

Move to ¶ 1, compare her phrase for “new world order” to that one.  Which do you feel is a more objective description of out time?  Which more accurate? 

Thesis             Hooks develops an extended thesis over ¶ 2-4.  Underline the sentences that contain the main idea in her thesis.

Content           Hooks offers the “cultural values of that world” (meaning pre-Columbian) as a positive alternative to “white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.”  Does she provide details about the earlier culture to help the reader determine its preferability? 

In ¶ 5, hooks says “whiteness” is considered synonymous with “civilization.”  Do you agree?  Further, she asserts “civilization” is synonymous with the idea of domination being natural in her view of civilization.  Is this a fair extension and conclusion?                       

Notice where hooks admits the absence of proof for her arguments that the culture of sharing resources is superior to Columbus’ cultural heritage. [Such acknowledgment  is the hallmark of all good academic argument.]  How does it affect your level of agreement/disagreement with her argument?  Can you make arguments to support that sharing of resources may not be a cultural choice, but a biological necessity?  Do you think sharing of resources is a feature of “civilized” societies?  Give examples to support your answer. 

The choice of how our society remembers Columbus is a big point in this essay.  What do you think of the attitudes surrounding the event for which he is remembered?  What are your own? 

What is your reaction to sent. 4, ¶ 10?  It is in this ¶ and the following that hooks seems to encounter a breakdown in her logic.  Can you find it?  Hint: examine the question that ends ¶ 11, and compare it to some assertions made in the previous paragraph.                       

Again, there seems to be a logical flaw in the last sentence of ¶ 12 because hooks appears to prefer the “politics of solidarity,” to the present system, which seems based on race and ethnicity, thereby substituting racism for sexism and paternalism. 

Further, how does hooks’ failure to address the issue of systematic African/African and African/Arab enslavement affect your opinion of her basic argument? 

Finally, how important is it that all people “struggle. . .against forgetting” history, whether recorded or unrecorded?  Think of another example where efforts are being made to “forget” or alter the memory of history.  Hooks wants to “forget” Columbus – in what way?  Is this a correct attitude, or could it be a dangerous one? 

Before you leave this essay, find the point in it when she seems to echo the ideas of Walker Percy.  And before you go on to Kingston, keep in mind hooks’ concluding ideas and see how they may be echoed in the next assigned reading.