S4 C1-C2 COCONUT GIRL & THE COLONIAL PARADISE

cog in the mechanics of capitalism

A small, replaceable part of the economic system with little individual power.

to desecrate sth

To damage or disrespect something sacred or valued.

to dismantle sb’s identity

To systematically undermine someone's identity.

to rail against sth / sb

To protest, criticize, or complain angrily.

proprietorial

Behaving as if one owns or controls something.

high-profile

Attracting a lot of attention and interest from the public.

reductive conversation

Oversimplified discussion that ignores complexity.

a perilous path to take

A risky or dangerous course of action.

dogma

Rigid, unquestioned beliefs imposed by authority.

the onus is on …

The responsibility lies with …

the deluge of globalisation

The overwhelming spread of global culture.

misinterpreted

Understood incorrectly.

delineated culture

Clearly defined or separated cultural identity.

to provoke derision

To cause contemptuous ridicule or mockery.

knee-jerk backlash

An immediate, unthinking negative reaction.

unedifying

Unpleasant, morally degrading, or not enlightening.

to make sb’s hackles rise

To annoy someone.

reciprocity

Mutual exchange or cooperation between groups.

cultural dissemination

The spread of cultural ideas or practices.

structural racism unravels

Systemic racism is gradually exposed and dismantled.

bigotry

Intolerance toward those who are different.

tone deaf

Insensitive to nuances or others’ perspectives.

profound ignorance

Extreme lack of knowledge or understanding.

to subjugate other cultures

To dominate or oppress different cultures.

contrived tribes

Artificially constructed social or cultural groups.

cathartic

Providing emotional release through a particular activity.

drab

Boring in appearance; having little colour and excitement.

mainlander

Continent-dweller.

to project sth onto sth

To impose something on someone.

corruptions of modernity

Negative effects of contemporary life.

to emblematize sth

Serve as a symbol of a quality or concept.

denizens of the Tropics

Tropical inhabitants.

fever-dream of an uncivilized Tahiti

Distorted, exoticized vision of Tahiti as a primitive paradise.

abiding tradition

Enduring tradition.

to derive comfort from sth

To gain reassurance from something.

wildest whims

Most extravagant desires.

to undermine the island reverie

To disrupt the tropical fantasy.

lavish/palatial villa

Extravagant tropical residence.

passive backdrop

Inactive setting for others' stories.

devoid of consequences

Lacking real impact.

conjured islands

Imaginary or fictionalized islands.

sojourn

A short period when a person stays in a particular place.

to hinge on the eradication of people

To depend on the erasure of people.

to cut a jarring contrast with

To create a sharp contrast to.

at first blush

When you first see or experience something.

distillation

Oversimplified, reductive version of something complex.

to entail sth

To involve something.

to exact vengeance

To take revenge.

monomaniacal

Obsessively focused on one idea.

blithely

In a way that shows casual and cheerful indifference.

to plunder sth from somewhere

To take something precious in a way that does not consider moral laws.

to reign over sb

To dominate someone.

racist tenor

The underlying prejudiced tone.

to come under scrutiny

To be closely examined or criticized.

wrapped in colonial nostalgia

Imbued with a longing for colonial times.

to avoid reckoning

To escape punishment for past mistakes or misdeeds.

rendered into sth

Transformed or converted into a different form.

tethered to a crude imperialist fantasy

Tied to an offensive colonial dream.

to misuse iconography

To exploit cultural symbols inappropriately.

to exert control over sth

To use power or the ability to make something happen.

potent myth

A powerful false cultural narrative.

palm-ringed beach

A beach surrounded by palms.

drenched in color

Overly saturated.

retrograde

Regressive.

patronizing

Condescending in a faux-benevolent way.

to grapple with cultural erasure

To struggle with legacies of oppression.

fake notion of a tropical paradise

Artificial construct of an island fantasy.

naive homage to a culture longed for

Misguided tribute to romanticized traditions.

kitschy

Tacky and commercially exploitative.

to obliterate indigenous culture

To completely erase native ways of life.

to hawk sth to tourists

To sell goods informally in public places.

to co-opt culture

To appropriate traditions for external benefit.

vocal unwillingness to consent to colonialism

Expressed resistance to oppressive systems.

to labor in the tourism industry

To perform hard (often physical) work in the tourist industry.

to promulgate around the world

To spread globally (often negative ideologies).