Colonialism vs Postcolonialism
Colonial Literature
Colonial literature was written during colonization, using colonies as a setting. and was often written from the perspective of the colonizer. It portrays colonization as a natural, unproblematic, often ‘correct’ process and often portrays the indigenous people and culture as savage or primitive.
Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness (1899) was written during the colonial period. It is set in the African Congo and follows Europeans as they travel down river in search of Captain Kurtz. Whilst the novel does portray depict colonialism as violent and oppressive, it still presents a negative depiction of Africans as "Other." For example, whilst white traders are “pilgrims” or “wanderers on a prehistoric Earth,” African are instead “cannibals,” ”black shadows of disease and starvation,” “ugly,” and “prehistoric man.”
Post-colonial Literature
Postcolonial literature, on the other hand, expresses opposition or resistance to colonization and is written from the perspective of the formerly colonized. It portrays the problems and consequences of colonization and decolonization and attempts to describe indigenous people, places, and practices to counteract stereotypical images portrayed by colonizers.
For instance, Chinua Achebe, in his novel Things Fall Apart, details the complex rituals of the Igbo people in Nigeria before Europeans arrived. He describes their complex structures and systems related to class, law, marriage, family, and justice. He creates a well-rounded setting, rich in culture. As a result, his novel subverts the colonial narrative that natives were mindless savages who needed colonization. In Achebe's novel, there are many parallels between Igbo society, particularly in relation to marriage, religion, class, and law, and Western society.