Flowers and Colonialism

During class, we discussed grass as a symbol of colonization and imperialism. This same idea can be cross-applied to many of the concepts that we have observed thus far, including non-native animal species, invading and out-doing, native ones. As such, I was inspired to think about an exhibit from the first museum we visited; one, which relates to flowers, similarly. For one writer from Wellington, flowers became an important part of creative expression. As previously intimated, Nesta Ngoi Carwell-Cooke was born in Wellington. Nesta did not craft the pictured illustrations herself; unfortunately the artist is unknown. However, analysis of these works still allows one to comment on the cultural impact of colonization on New Zealand.

Photo of the chrysanthemum illustration.

The exhibit itself is laid out in the form of a game for children. Upon seeing it, I was immediately reminded of the game “Guess Who,” in which two players select from a variety of characters and then ask each other “yes or no” questions in order to deduce which character the other player selected. In a cultural context, it is more important to note the flowers themselves than the medium in which they are presented. By tracing the origins of each of the flowers, one can come to understand the implicit link between colonialism and flowers, as well as the implied colonizing superiority that comes with the flowers that Carwell-Cooke selected.

The linkages between colonization and plant life are nothing new. Author Julian Kuzma writes in his essay “New Zealand Land Scape and Literature, 1890-1925” that during this aforementioned period “settlers engaged in an exceptionally ruthless and rapid transformation of the New Zealand landscape” (Kuzma 451). Furthermore he specifically discusses flowers in this endeavor. In his analysis of a poem by William Reeves, lies the idea that flowers play into colonization and imperialism. The poem specifically discusses a colonist “who has spent his lifetime turning ‘wilderness to flower’ in the style of England” (Kuzma 453). Here it becomes clear that it was a goal of colonists to shape the landscape and to make it more like their country of origin. These points become further enriched when one considers the specific flowers depicted, however.

Photo of the cattail illustration. 

Unfortunately, some of the pictures I took make it difficult to tell which flowers are which, but from a small sampling of the pictures that are clear enough, namely the pictures of the geranium, peony, cat-tail, and chrysanthemum characters, one can tell that these flowers are not originally native to New Zealand, perhaps with the exception of the cattail. The fact that a resident New Zealander would select flowers of foreign origin demonstrates the prevalence of colonial attitudes, whether they are internalized or overt.

Photo of the peony illustration.

The geranium itself was first found in South Africa and became prominent in England during the 1600s (Crook Paragraph 2). The peony is a flower typically associated with the Mediterranean and east Asia, having arrived in the latter location via Europeans (“About Peonies” paragraphs 1-2).  The cattail is a plant that is found across the globe (“Cattails” paragraph 4).  Lastly, the chrysanthemum has roots in China, and it was later transported to Japan (“History” paragraph 2). All of these flowers speak to the increased globalization that came about as a result of colonialism and the growing influence of Europeans in transporting some of these flowers to New Zealand.

Photo of the geranium illustration.

In relation to specific features of the drawings, the chrysanthemum character is the most interesting, as it depicts a highly racialized caricature that resembles a geisha. This specifically reveals attitudes toward East Asian people during the early twentieth century, perhaps the 1920s. The 1920s is purely an estimation based on the museum placard. The same placard declares that these illustrations “say a lot about Nesta’s style.” This implies that the illustrations exemplify, at least to a certain extent, the characteristic style of this twentieth century artist. Since these sketches presumably draw from Nesta’s ideas, a viewer can drawn the conclusion that the colonial underpinnings of the flowers permeate even her imagination (See photo of museum placard).

Museum placard.

Flowers like the other invasive species, such as grass, and the colonizers themselves, act as a reminder of the colonial influence of Europeans. These illustrations in particular demonstrate the emblematic significance of flowers that hail from foreign countries and their prominence in the imaginations of New Zealanders, and literary critics alike.

Works Cited

“About Peonies.” University of Michigan. The Peony Garden Nichols Arboretum University of

Michigan, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://mbgna.umich.edu/peony/peonies-arb>

“Cattails: Typha spp.” msu.edu. Michigan State University, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.

 <https://www.msu.edu/course/plb/423/Species_Accounts/Cattails_files/Cattails.htm>

Crook, John. “A Short History of the Geranium.” My Garden Geek. n.p., 8 May 2013. Web. 10

Jan. 2016. <http://www.mygardengeek.com/a-short-history-of-the-geranium/>

“History of the Chrysanthemum.” National Chrysanthemum Society, USA. National

Chrysanthemum Society, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.mums.org/history-of-the-chrysanthemum/>

Kuzma, Julian. “New Zealand Landscape and Literature, 1890-1925.” Environment and History

9.4 (2003): 451-461. Web. Retrieved from jstor.org on 10 Jan 2016.

<http://www.jstor.org/stable/20723458
>