Concept of the Fourth World in Culture & Literature

Whenever the terminology extends to geographical territories and spheres in literary concepts, it’s bound to lead to some geo-political concepts. World itself reflects territory. Territory leads to reign. Reign leads to eco-political aspects and eco-political aspects relate to society. Thus the word World imbibes in it socio-economic-geo-political issues. Without missing the adjective Fourth, here, one has to differentiate it with the First, Second and Third worlds. To the students of literature it’s slightly difficult to engage the term without questioning like what other three worlds are, because literary world is divided upon pure geographical entities of literature like British, Indian, Canadian, American, Russian, Sub-continental, Asian etc. and at the most to theoretical surfaces like Modern, Post-modern, Renaissance, Victorian etc. 

To reach to the Fourth world one must be conceptually clear about the First three world as the stand for.

After World War II the world split into two large geopolitical blocs and spheres of influence with contrary views on government and the politically correct society: 
1 - The bloc of democratic-industrial countries within the American influence sphere, the "First World".
2 - The Eastern bloc of the communist-socialist states, the "Second World". 
3 - The remaining three-quarters of the world's population, states not aligned with either bloc were regarded as the "Third World."
4 - The term "Fourth World", coined in the early 1970s by Shuswap Chief George Manuel, refers to widely unknown nations (cultural entities) of indigenous peoples, "First Nations" living within or across national state boundaries. 

              (http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/third_world_countries.htm)

 While the three world concept came in 1952, the Fourth  world concept was introduced in 1970. The term is does not to relate to some theory of state or philosophy, but of culture.

Hence the Fourth  world relates to those, who have an ethnic identity even within first, second and third world. The ethnicity is not necessarily is that of the subject only. Any cultural issue starting from language, clothing, thought, race, rituals, religion, caste, gender, economic condition, social status, or politically ignored identities like Tribes and Red Indians may be the keepers of this definition. In fact, to create a meaningful space among the prominent and powerful identities, Fourth World became a wider umbrella whenever the need arose. Thus it is found in social, cultural, political, territorial, sectarian, diaspora, regional and almost all deprived scenario. Today, for convenience sake a number of groups are included under the term Fourth World who appear to be at the margin of the society. Who are still in a journey towards center. Who are striving to create a place in the main stream. This is equally true to all spheres of a nation and society wherever they are treated with discrimination. Among them Literature is just one of the sources to voice their identity. 

 Fourth  world  literature  would  mean  literatures  written  about  and  by  the  oppressed,  poor,  underprivileged  and  marginal  people  of  any  nation.   For example the  feminine  writings  of  the  Third  World  and  the  writings  by  the  women  of  the  Third  World  are  also  included  in  the  Fourth  world  literature.  Some  of  the  important  issues  dealt  with  are  social  expulsion  and  discord,  racial  discrimination,  injustice,  untouchability,  colonization  etc.  For  the  oppressed,  poor  and  the  underprivileged  people  of  any  nation,  writing  was  a  tool  through  which  they  could  express  the  injustice,  discrimination  and  cruelty  meted  out  towards  them.  This  kind  of  writing  can  be  defined  as  the  Fourth  World  literature.  For  example,  the  Dalit  and  Tribal  literature  of  India,  the  Igbo  literature  of  Nigeria, aboriginal writings from Australia   and  the  Black  literature  belong  to  the  Fourth  World  category  of  literature.

The colonization and the elite divide in society have resulted into the cultural differences in society affecting individuals of the country. The struggle between the traditional and imposed First world cultures left the marginal people in a sort of a no man’s land. They did not understand whether to continue with their traditional culture or to start accepting the other one. Neither of these situations did justice to their identities. The literature became a tool via language through which these writers in their novels reflected the contemporary society and the contradictory forces of foreign culture and indigenous culture and values. The writings show how these ethnic groups were caught between resisting and embracing the change. They were caught in the dilemma of determining how far to adapt to the reality or change. One of the solutions led to accepting the positive aspects of both, but the so called first world tendencies would not allow them make their space in the midst of accepted so called developed genre.

The second world too had closets and the ethnic identities suffocated in their plights which were resulting in their social oppression by their own countrymen. Thus the fourth world writings are the attempt to create their own space , without encroaching others, but at the same time creating louder noises which were difficult to be  ignored. The primary aim might be any: from creating a social space to poking a sleeping State, from giving a call to the larger society to lining up brilliance in marginal society and from inviting the like minded to leading to a lobby. The Fourth world writers used literature as a platform to display their own culture; different political, social and religious facets of their community. Literature is also used by the Igbo writers to show the injustices and cruelty meted out to them by the colonial minded rulers, and also to break down the misconceptions that the other countries and cultures have about them being uncultured, primitive and a continent full of mindless savages.

The Fourth world writers have presented a very diverse and impressive body of work despite of the many challenges they were faced with. Themes of Ethos, Spirituality, Marriage and Gender Equations, Politics rule high in these writings. Literary Attributes are frequent like rich oral shackled with colonial history, rules, principles and values those are at variance with the ethnic ethos. These writers have established an identity in style, culture and linguistic experimentation, through their works. The tradition is characterized by linguistic innovation which can be classified under the seven categories: Loan words, coinages, loan-blends, translation equivalents, semantic extension, and colloquialisms.

The first thought

It had been in mind for weeks. You see all that which is real, which is cruel, which is unpleasant which makes you lonely, tired, suppressed and mute. Your trust in words is lost. You learn what is deception. You learn no one cares for anyone unless there is fear. Fear makes you love ! Paradox ! The most beautiful emotion of life comes out of fear. And those who don't scare anyone are mostly dumped, discarded, taken for granted and forgotten ultimately. You see, bear and live these harsh realities. You want to shout but realise there is no one to listen your shouts. You want to complain but check that no one who is your own to whom you can complain too. You go into deep disbelief. Those who looked yours are no where. Its so easy to leave. You want to write but only to the walls.

Even after all these harsh realities you understand that our faith in goodness is not diminished. you still wait for goodness. For all these years of life you don't loose trust in goodness though you are deceived again and again, you still trust in inherent goodness. Life teaches you that I am not my own mistakes. I can't pretend this anymore. The illusion of comfort in denial or sacrifice is no longer mine. There is no shame in my suffering because I had it for others. There is no healing in silent self torment. It is here at the surreal crossroads of the soul searching where dawning truth meets the anguish of overwhelming  resistance in mind over matter  that I can finally wake up and change my mind, let go of what no longer works or own my losses or choices.  I am empowered by intense acknowledgement or epiphany and my virtue is gratitude or relief in recognition.