Postcolonial literature is the literature by people from formerly colonized countries . It exists on all continents except Antarctica. ... It addresses the role of literature in perpetuating and challenging what postcolonial critic Edward Said refers to as cultural imperialism.
What is postcolonialism in English literature?
Postcolonialism as a literary theory (with a critical approach), deals with literature produced in countries that once were colonies of other countries , especially of the European colonial powers Britain, France, and Spain; in some contexts, it includes countries still in colonial arrangements.
What do you mean by post colonialism?
Postcolonialism, the historical period or state of affairs representing the aftermath of Western colonialism ; the term can also be used to describe the concurrent project to reclaim and rethink the history and agency of people subordinated under various forms of imperialism.
What is post colonial theory in literature?
Post-colonial theory looks at issues of power, economics, politics, religion, and culture and how these elements work in relation to colonial hegemony (Western colonizers controlling the colonized). ... Post-colonial criticism also takes the form of literature composed by authors that critique Euro-centric hegemony.
What are the features of post colonial English literature?
Postcolonial writers are really interested in nationhood and nationalism . A lot of these writers are very patriotic. They write books on behalf of their nations. Their work is often nationalist, because postcolonial writers like to highlight and valorize their nation’s cultural, political and social identity.
What is an example of post-colonialism?
Example: Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe is considered one of the most significant post-colonial authors. Achebe’s work focused on the colonization of Nigeria, his homeland. In Things Fall Apart, he focuses specifically on the struggles that Nigerians faced as the British expanded their control.
What are the goals of post-colonialism?
Postcolonial theory is a body of thought primarily concerned with accounting for the political, aesthetic, economic, historical, and social impact of European colonial rule around the world in the 18th through the 20th century.
What is the main function of postcolonial criticism?
Postcolonial critics reinterpret and examine the values of literary texts, by focussing on the contexts in which they were produced , and reveal the colonial ideologies that are concealed within.
What is the difference between colonial and postcolonial literature?
Colonial Literature deals with the aspects within the period of colonization whereas postcolonial literature depicts the aspects or the consequences of colonization and the issues related to the period after the independence of the once colonized countries.
When did postcolonial literature start?
While the field of postcolonial studies only began taking shape in the late 1970s and early 1980s , numerous fiction writers began publishing works in the decades immediately following World War II. One of the most significant postcolonial novels to emerge in this period was Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958).
What are the two important functions of post colonial literature?
Postcolonial literature often addresses the problems and consequences of the decolonization of a country , especially questions relating to the political and cultural independence of formerly subjugated people, and themes such as racialism and colonialism.
What are the four stages of colonization?
The Stages of the conquest of America by Europeans Were: discovery, conquest, colonization and evangelization .
What are the limitations of post colonial theory?
Hegemony and resistance are not as unidirectional in their sources and force as a North/South opposition would lead one to believe. A refusal to reckon with the multiplicity of American allegiances results in some of the most unfortunate limitations of pan-American postcolonial analysis.
Who started postcolonial theory?
The ruling academic paradigm in academic area studies (especially Middle Eastern studies) is called “post-colonial theory.” Post-colonial theory was founded by Columbia University professor of comparative literature, Edward Said . Said gained fame in 1978, with the publication of his book, Orientalism.
What is a postcolonial poem?
For the purposes of this chapter, ‘postcolonial poetry’ means poetry written by non-European peoples in the shadow of colonialism , both after independence and in the immediate period leading up to it, particularly works that engage, however obliquely, issues of living in the interstices between Western colonialism and ...
How colonialism affected the Middle East?
The Bad Aspects
European colonialism in the Middle East reinforced tensions between religious groups , many of which still exist today. However, the economies of the countries involved also suffered, which meant that the Europeans felt the need to protect their investments. This was especially true in Egypt.
