READING STAMFORD RAFFLES USING NEWHISTORICISM: AN ANALYSIS OF TWO TEXTS

As an historical figure that was directly involved in the history of Singapore, representations of Stamford Raffles’ character have attracted the interest of historians and creative writers. This article analyses representations of Stamford Raffles’ character in Hikayat Abdullah, an autobiography by Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir Munsyi and Duka Tuan Bertakhta, a novel by the Singaporean creative writer, Isa Kamari. Aside from the different genres, the two texts are the products of two different eras. The analysis of Stamford Raffles’ characterisation is based on two principal ideas advanced by New Historicism. These include, on the one hand, the idea of power as being involved in discourse-making, thereby rendering a written piece as far from being innocent. On the other hand, the idea of “negotiation” that inevitably takes place between a writer and his materials during the process of writing makes the writer’s background and his beliefs an important factor that shapes his written work. The analysis shows that in highlighting such traits as intelligence, discipline, diligence and courage, Hikayat Abdullah presents a positive characterisation of Raffles. This positive portrayal is due to Abdullah Munsyi’s close relationship with Stamford Raffles, his employer whom he admired. On the other hand, by investing Stamford Raffles with such traits as arrogance, insensitivity towards the local inhabitants and self-interest, the novel’s portrayal is decidedly negative. This is due to Isa Kamari’s chosen contestation of Singapore’s conventional history that is apt to tout Stamford Raffles as the “founder” of Singapore, at the same time that it marginalises the role of Malays.