Postcolonialism
Postcolonial literature refers to the works written by the writers belonging to once colonised nation.
Colonialism: Colonialism is the practice of one nation establishing and maintaining control such as political, social, economic and cultural over another territory and its people. Domination by a distant power over a local population.
Postcolonialism is the summing up of all the social, cultural, linguistic, historical and political changes of the colonised country since the beginning of the colonisation not after the decolonisation.
- Postcolonial writers try to reclaim their own identity(cultural)or the indigenous tradition.
- Postcolonial Literature tries to challenge the Euro-Centric mindset.
Postcolonial theory emerged in the 1980s
- Postcolonial theorists-
1. Frantz Fanon: Important works: The Wretched of the Earth (1961), Black Skin White Masks (1952)
2. Edward Said: Important works: Orientalism (1978)
3. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak: “Can the Subaltern Speak?”
4. Bill Ashcroft: The Empire Writes Back (1989)
5. Homi K. Bhaba: Famous for his concept of “Hybridity”, “Mimicry”, “Ambivalence”.
Hybridity:
Mixing two types and creating something new. Ambivalence is closely linked to hybridity, as this mixed feeling contribute to the creation of new, mixed cultural identities.
Ambivalence:
Homi K. Bhaba’s concept of Ambivalence describes the contradictory feelings of the attraction and hatred that both coloniser and the colonised had towards each other. The coloniser views the colonised both as inferior and exotic and the colonised sees the coloniser as both powerful and corrupt.
Mimicry:
According to Bhaba “mimicry is the desire for a reformed, recognisible other, as a subject of a difference that is almost the same but not the quiet” In other words the colonized subject attends to mimic the colonisor it is never straight forward imitation. Instead the mimcry is always slightly carrying elements of mockery and implicitly undermines the colonisor, which is a form of resistance.
Postcolonial literature:
Postcolonial literature is a genre that mainly emerges from countries that were under colonial rule for a long time. It expresses the effects of colonial rule as well as the struggles and experiences of independence and cultural reformation afterward. Mainly, the writers try to reclaim their own culture, language, history, and identity, which were previously downgraded or undervalued by colonial mentality.
In postcolonial literature, you will often find:
- The mixing of languages and the use of folklore, myths, and traditions that differ from Western literature and express indigenous experiences.
- The theme of identity crisis, where characters face conflicts due to the influence of colonial education and culture causing fear of losing their original identity and efforts to regain it.
- Feelings of hostility and resistance towards colonial and postcolonial powers.
- The impact of colonialism on body, place, and nation, and the experience of displaced people living between cultures.
Important writers and theorists include:
- Chinua Achebe, who depicted the impact of British colonialism on the Igbo society of Africa.
- Frantz Fanon, who theorized the psychological and social impact of colonialism.
- Edward Said, who analyzed Western political and cultural domination over the East through his work 'Orientalism.'
- Homi K. Bhaba, known for his concepts of 'Hybridity,' 'Mimicry,' and 'Ambivalence' that expand postcolonial theory.
Important writers and theorists include:
Postcolonialism is not just political independence but a comprehensive process that studies the continuous influence of colonial history, language, society, and cultural dominance as well as the struggles of resistance and reconstruction. Its relevance remains strong today because new forms of dominance and cultural conflicts continue under globalization.
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In postcolonial literature, you will often find:
- The mixing of languages and the use of folklore, myths, and traditions that differ from Western literature and express indigenous experiences.
- The theme of identity crisis, where characters face conflicts due to the influence of colonial education and culture causing fear of losing their original identity and efforts to regain it.
- Feelings of hostility and resistance towards colonial and postcolonial powers.
- The impact of colonialism on body, place, and nation, and the experience of displaced people living between cultures.
Important writers and theorists include:
- Chinua Achebe, who depicted the impact of British colonialism on the Igbo society of Africa.
- Frantz Fanon, who theorized the psychological and social impact of colonialism.
- Edward Said, who analyzed Western political and cultural domination over the East through his work 'Orientalism.'
- Homi K. Bhaba, known for his concepts of 'Hybridity,' 'Mimicry,' and 'Ambivalence' that expand postcolonial theory.
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