Bill Ashcroft Post-Colonial Transformation Summary

In Bill Ashcroft’s Post-Colonial Transformation he describes how all individuals identify as being a part of a group with others who share the same or similar experiences. Together, they can identify as one in a world where groups are necessary to overcome challenges. This past summer I was able to experience this phenomenon that Ashcroft described when my friend and I went to Germany for two weeks and lived with Louisa Fortmann, a former foreign exchange student from the previous year. This “journey” demonstrated the varying levels of “Place,” Ashcroft’s word to describe the regions people consider home because of the shared connections. Not only was I leaving my family, the smallest group I identify with, but I was also leaving the United …show more content…
Eventually, with every experience we shared like touring Berlin, kayaking in Potsdam, and going to an amusement park in Soltau we became a little closer. By the end of the two weeks the only obstacle that continuously reminded us that we were from different “places” of the world was language. Louisa’s mother and one of her sisters were not too fluent in their English and unfortunately I hardly speak a word of German. We had to rely on Louisa as a translator in order to have an effective conversation. Somehow, I was able to feel close with Louisa’s mother and sister despite never having a one-on-one conversation with them.
After sharing several experiences with her both overseas and in the United States, I feel confident in considering Louisa a part of my group of friends. Since they welcomed me into their home and gave me a crash course of their country, I would even consider the rest of Louisa’s family as my friends despite the language differences and the fact that I felt out of place with them at first. While not as close as family, friends have enough shared experiences to be more than just acquaintances and strong friendships can be just as important in identifying as