It's true. NFS has my heart now. Okay. I'm done putting the pro in procrastination now, so here's my response.
After reading Acts II and III of Shakespeare's The Tempest and Bressler's Literacy Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, I've noticed parallels between Caliban and postcolonialism, or post-colonialism - whatever suits your fancy. I don't really care, but I'm going to go with postcolonialism, because it's just easier to type one word.
In Bressler's "Historical Development of Postcolonialism," it is clear that "the colonialist ideology that all races other than white were inferior or subhuman,... [and these] subhumans or 'savages' quickly became the inferior and equally "evil" Others." Similarly, Caliban, referred to as a "slave," is seen as inferior to all that inhabit the island. The most apparent way being the way that Prospero threateningly told Caliban that he would "rack thee with old cramps, fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar that beasts shall tremble at thy din" if his will was not done (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 374 - 376); despite Caliban's willingness to "kiss [Stephano's] foot [as his] subject," both Stephano and Trinculo are similar to Prospero in their desire to colonize the island, in order to acquire power (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 65-66). All three men are able to dominate and manipulate Caliban in order to do their bidding, which then enables them to colonize the island.
Caliban is on his own with regard to having a say in his own fate on the island, since he is so easily manipulated by Prospero, Stephano and Trinculo. You'd think that over the past 12 years, Caliban would have learned to not put his trust in the hand's of someone who is already planning to "inherit" the island, but clearly, he hasn't made the connection (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 167). In his analysis of colonization and the resulting hegemony, Bressler proposed the question, "What happens... when one's ideas, thinking, or personal background does not conform?" Answering himself, he explained how "the traditional answer has already been articulated by the dominant class and its accompanying hegemony: silence...Conform and be quiet; deny yourself, and all will be well." Though Caliban has tried to break his "silence," he doesn't hold a candle on the island. Control is easily maintained, enabling one central idea to be acknowledged and implemented. Bressler summarizes that idea well, being that "the colonized became the Other,...and for that reason deserve to be ruled."
So yes, there is a clear representation of Caliban and the native peoples in The Tempest. That being said, I think Shakespeare has portrayed the superiority of the white man and therefore the necessity of colonization. Caliban is illustrated in such a way that paints an image of the need for colonization. He is ignorant and gullible, as is seen in his willingness to trust Stephano and Trinculo, believing that they have his best interest in mind, when just a short time before, he believed them to be spirits of Prospero's. Since Caliban is native to the island, he is a representation of all native peoples to that island, who are then portrayed as being in need of a higher authority to rule over them as well.
Postcolonialists believe that "their past and their present are intricately interwoven." Examining the connection between postcolonialism and Caliban, there are apparent similarities between Caliban and the native peoples of today. Both Caliban's portrayal and the early Hollywood images of Native Americans have a condescending tone to them. They are both negatively portrayed, and therefore negatively represented. In order to shy away from this "simplistic interpretation of human experience," Bressler advises people to "read a text in its fullest context,...questioning what part not only the text but also the reader and the author play in the interpretive process."
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