A Memory Called Empire

Literature, in particular poetry, symbolizes how Imperialism and Cultural Assimilation function in A Memory Called Empire. Poetry, from imperial epics to more pedestrian works such as The Buildings, cements Teixcalaanli identity, working as an indirect form of imperialism, replacing indigenous forms of cultural expression. In her criticism of Yskandr, Aknel Amnardbat highlights the poisonous effect of imperial poetry—drawing young people from Lsel Station to the Empire, without them knowing the City’s dangers. Mahit sees poetry as a marker of Teixcalaanli identity and thus, a symbol of imperialism. At the Palace banquet, she watches Three Seagrass and others take turns creating a new poem. Representative of the order that determines imperial citizenship, these poems demand expertise and lived experiences. Mahit “spent half her life studying Teixcalaanli literature and she was just barely good enough to follow this game” (183), understanding if she played, she would be considered “the poor, ignorant barbarian playing so hard at civilization” (183). While Teixcalaanli poetry reinforces imperialism and cultural assimilation, the local literature of places like Lsel Station, such as the graphic novel The Perilous Frontier, is a defense of individuality and cultural diversity.