The problem with Aaron: stereotypes in a postcolonial classroom

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on a particular problem that arose in the course of teaching Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus to an MA English class in India. The insistence that Aaron could only be “read” in terms of already available stereotypes created a conflict with the nuanced depiction of Aaron within the text, leading to this essay. Design/methodology/approach – The paper narrativizes the events and process by which the classes arrived at their interpretations regarding Aaron, the Moor in Titus Andronicus, and shows how contextual and textual evidence is overlooked in favour of other frames in reading a text. Findings – It was seen that theoretical frames, in this case colonial and postcolonial, offer a certain ease of interpretation, irrespective of the text: key features within the text are often glossed over in the desire to posit a reading that is politically correct. Fidelity to the text and ethical considerations can be ignored in favour of easy readings, with frames that are already available to students being superimposed on the text. Originality/value – While theoretical schools and framing devices offer additional modes of interpretation, they can also be used in a reductive manner, without attention to textual detail or social context. This essay will help teachers of English to think about the necessity of teaching students that a theoretical frame cannot be the only tool that determines a text’s interpretation.