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Postcolonial theory
A literary theory dealing with literature written in countries that used to be under colonial rule, or by people from the colonizing countries that made an appearance in the UK and US academics in the 1980s.
Advocates of this theory “examine the ways in which writers from colonized countries attempt to articulate and even celebrate their cultural identities and reclaim them from the colonizers.” (Lye, 1998)
The followers of Postcolonial theory also try to examine the ways how the literature from the colonizing powers tries to justify colonialism by painting the colonized people as inferior.
Postcolonial literature
A literary movement originating from former British colonies (Africa, India, Caribbean).
Written in English.
Focus on such themes as national identity, struggle for independence, childhood, emigration, or allegiance.
Notable Authors:
Chinua Achebe – African novelist (Nigeria) and critic most famous for his novel Things Fall Apart. Achebe argued that African writers should write in English.
Edward “Kamau” Brathwaite – Caribbean poet and historian (Barbados). Was considered a major voice in the Caribbean literary canon. One of his greatest works is a poetic trilogy The Arrivants: A New World Trilogy.
Ahmed Ali – Pakistani author, whose novels examine the culture and tradition of Islam in the Hindu dominated India. Earned international acclaim with his firs novel Twilight in Delhi.
Works Cited:
Lye, J. (1998). An introduction to post-colonialism, post-colonial theory and post-colonial literature. Contemporary Literary Theory, ENGL4F70, 3.
Elam, J Daniel (2019). Postcolonial Theory. obo in Literary and Critical Theory. doi: 10.1093/obo/9780190221911-0069
Adam Ston 494464
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