PostcolonialCriticismEuropeanDominationBy19thCentury:BritishEmpireemergedaslargestimperialpowerBy20thCentury:BritishEmpireruled?oftheearth’ssurface20thCenturyBritishEmpireIndiaAustraliaNewZealandCanadaIrelandSignificantholdingsin:AfricaWestIndiesSouthAmericaMiddleEastSoutheastAsiaCOLONIALAFRICABritishEmpireDominationDominationcontinueduntiltheendofWWIIIndiagainedindependencein1947By1980,BritainhadlostallbutafewofitscolonialholdingsHongKongin1997Australiain1999PostcolonialCriticismDefinesformerlycolonizedpeoplesas“anypopulationthathasbeensubjectedtothepoliticaldominationofanotherpopulation.”PostcolonialIdentityPostcolonialcultures–merger&antagonismbetweenthecultureofthecolonized&thatofthecolonizer.CulturalcolonizationColonialistideology–

Eurocentrism(Universalism)PostcolonialCriticismAnalyzesliteratureproducedbyculturesthatdevelopedinresponsetocolonialdomination,fromthefirstpointofcolonialcontacttothepresent.Formerlyknownas“commonwealthliterature”Someliteraturewrittenbycolonizers.RudyardKiplingAlanPatonMuchmorewrittenbycolonizedandformerlycolonizedpeople.Chinua

AchebeWole

SoyinkaPostcolonialIdentityBritishintrusionpermeatedgovernmenteducationculturalvaluesdailylivesPostcolonialIdentityIndicationoftheresidualeffectofcolonialdominationonformerlycolonizedculturesspeakEnglish(inadditiontothelocallanguagestheymayuseathome)writeinEnglishuseEnglishschoolsanduniversitiesgovernmentbusinessExamples:SouthAfricansAustralianaboriginalsCULTURALCOLONIZATIONTheinculcationofaBritishsystemofgovernmentandeducation,Britishculture,andBritishvaluesthatdenigratetheculture,morals,andevenphysicalappearanceofformerlysubjugatedpeoples.PostcolonialIdentityPsychologicalandsocialinterplaybetweennative,indigenous,pre-colonialcultureswhatBritishcultureimposeduponthatculturePostcolonialIdentityDECOLONIZATIONcolonizersretreatedandleftthelandstheyhadinvadedoftenhasbeenconfinedlargelytotheremovalofBritishmilitaryforcesandgovernmentofficialsPostcolonialIdentityEx-colonialswereleftwith…apsychological“inheritance”ofanegativeself-imagealienationfromtheirownindigenouscultures,whichhadbeenforbiddenordevaluedforsolongthatmuchpre-colonialculturehasbeenlost.ColonialistIdeologyBelievedtheirownAnglo-Europeanculturewascivilized,sophisticated,ormetropolitan.Basedonthecolonizers’assumptionoftheirownsuperiority,whichtheycontrastedwiththeallegedinferiorityofnative(indigenous)peoples,theoriginalinhabitantsofthelandstheyinvaded.ColonialistIdeologyNativepeopledefinedassavage,backward,underdeveloped.Colonizersbelievedtheirwholeculturewasmorehighlyadvancedbecausetheirtechnologywasmorehighlydeveloped.Theyignoredorsweptasidethereligions,customs,andcodesofbehaviorofthepeopletheysubjugated.ColonialistIdeologyCOLONIZERS:“Centeroftheworld”Proper“self”“Us”CivilizedCOLONIZED:Marginalized“Other”(different,therefore,inferior)“Them”SavagesEUROCENTRISMTheuseofEuropeancultureasthestandardbywhichallotherculturesarenegativelycontrasted.EurocentrismUNIVERSALISMJudgingliteratureintermsofits“universality”Tobeconsideredgreat,literarytexthadtohave“universal”charactersandthemesThat“universality”dependeduponresemblancetoEuropeanideas,ideals,andexperiences.Whowerethejudges?British,European,andlaterAmericanculturalstandard-bearers.EurocentrismFirstWorldBritain,Europe,theUnitedStatesSecondWorldWhitepopulationsofCanada,Australia,NewZealand,andsouthernAfrica;formerSovietblocThirdWorldDevelopingnationssuchasIndia,Africa,CentralandSouthAmerica,andSoutheastAsiaFourthWorldIndigenouspopulationssubjugatedbywhitesettlersandgovernedbythemajorityculturewhichsurroundsthem:NativeAmericansandaboriginalAustraliansColonialistIdeologyPervasiveforceintheBritishschoolsestablishedinthecoloniestoinculcateBritishvaluesandcultureintheindigenouspeople.Forestalledrebellion(It’sdifficulttorebelagainstasystemorapeopleonehasbeenprogrammed,overseveralgenerations,tobesuperior.)ColonialistIdeologyResultedin“colonialsubjects”(colonizedpeoplewhodidnotresistcolonialsubjugationbecausetheybelievedinBritishsuperiorityand,therefore,intheirowninferiority.)Manytriedtoimitatethecolonizers(mimicry)Dress -BehaviorSpeech -LifestyleColonialistIdeologyDOUBLECONSCIOUSNESSAwayofperceivingtheworldthatisdividedbetweentwoantagonisticculturesProducesanunstablesenseofself(eg.,diaspora)Feelingofbeing“caught”betweenculturesLeadstoUNHOMELINESSNotfeelingathomeinyourownhome“psychologicalrefugees”De-colonizationRejectionofthecolonialistideologywhichdefinedthemasinferior.Reclaimpre-colonialpast.Canthecolonizationbetotallyrejected?Canthepre-colonialpastbereclaimed?De-colonizationKenyanwriterNgugi

wa

Thiong’o

WritesinownlocallanguageNigerianwriterChinua

Achebe,WritesinEnglish“Formethereisnootherchoice.IhavebeengiventhelanguageandIintendtouseit.”(MorningYetonCreationDay62)De-colonizationArgumentsforUsingEnglish:EnglishprovidesacommonlanguageforthevariousindigenouspeoplewithinThird-andFourth-Worldnationstocommunicatewithoneanother.Englishfacilitatestheemergenceofthosenationsintoglobalpoliticsandeconomics.ProblemswithDe-colonizationDesiringtoreclaimapre-colonialpastisnotthateasy.Muchpre-colonialculturehasbeenlostovermanygenerationsofcolonialdomination.Evenhadtherebeennocolonization,theancientculturewouldhavechangedbynow:noculturestandsstill.Mostculturesarechangedbycross-culturalcontact,oftenthroughmilitaryinvasion,eg.,AncientCelticculturewaschangedbyRomanswhooccupiedBritishIslesAnglo-SaxonculturewaschangedbythemanygenerationsofFrenchrulewhichfollowedtheNormanconquest.NATIVISMorNATIONALISMAttempttoeliminateWesterninfluencesandreturntoanemphasisonindigenousculturePostcolonialDebatesFocusonINVADERCOLONIESColoniesestablishedamongnon-whitepeoplesthroughtheforceofBritisharmsIndiaAfricaWestIndiesSouthAmericaPostcolonialDebatesGeneralconsensusthattheUnitedStatesandIrelandarenotpostcolonialnationsbecauseU.S.hasbeenindependentforsolongIrelandhasbeenintegralpartofBritishcultureforsolongPostcolonialDebatesMuchdebateamongpostcolonialcriticsconcerningwhetherornottheliteratureofwhitesettlercoloniesshouldbeincluded.CanadaAustraliaNewZealandSouthernAfricaPostcolonialDebatesArgumentisthatthewhitesettlerculturesshareatremendouscommongroundwithBritainRaceLanguageCultureTreateddifferentlyfromthenon-whitecoloniesSelf-governmentGrantedDominionstatus,politicalautonomyw/inBritishCommonwealthPostcolonialDebatesPostcolonialcriticismcanbeusedtointerpretliteratureintheWesternliterarycanon;therefore,sometheoristsareconcernedthatitwillbecomejustonemorewaytoreadthesamecanonizedauthorsreadforyears,ratherthanamethodthatbringstheworksof3rd-and4th-Worldwriterstothefront.PostcolonialWritersNadineGordimer

(SouthAfrica)TheNobelPrizeinLiterature1991wasawardedtoNadineGordimer

"whothroughhermagnificentepicwritinghas-inthewordsofAlfredNobel-beenofverygreatbenefittohumanity".PostcolonialWritersWole

Soyinka(Nigeria)TheNobelPrizeinLiterature1986wasawardedtoWole

Soyinka

"whoinawideculturalperspectiveandwithpoeticovertonesfashionsthedramaofexistence".PostcolonialWritersDerekWalcott(St.Lucia,WestIndies)TheNobelPrizeinLiterature1992wasawardedtoDerekWalcott"forapoeticoeuvreofgreatluminosity,sustainedbyahistoricalvision,theoutcomeofamulticulturalcommitment".PostcolonialWritersSalmanRushdie(India)Anglo-Indiannovelist,whousesinhisworkstalesfromvariousgenres-fantasy,mythology,religion,oraltradition.Rushdie'snarrativetechniquehasconnectedhisbookstomagicrealism,whichincludessuchEnglish-languageauthorsasPeterCarey,AngelaCarter,E.L.Doctorow,JohnFowles,MarkHelprinorEmmaTennant.PostcolonialWritersSirVidiadhar

Surajprasad

Naipaul(England)TheNobelPrizeinLiterature2001wasawardedtoV.S.Naipaul

"forhavingunitedperceptivenarrativeandincorruptiblescrutinyinworksthatcompelustoseethepresenceofsuppressedhistories".PostcolonialWritersToniMorrison(Lorain,OH,USA)TheNobelPrizeinLiterature1993wasawardedtoToniMorrison"whoinnovelscharacterizedbyvisionaryforceandpoeticimport,giveslifetoanessentialaspectofAmericanreality".PostcolonialWritersJohnM.Coetzee(SouthAfrica)TheNobelPrizeinLiterature2003wasawardedtoJ.M.Coetzee

"whoininnumerableguisesportraysthesurprisinginvolvementoftheoutsider".PostcolonialWritersJamaicaKincaid(Antigua,WestIndies)JamaicaKincaid(bornMay25,1949,asElaineCynthiaPotterRichardson)isanAmericannovelist,gardener,andgardeningwriter.SheliveswithherfamilyinNorthBennington,Vermont,duringthesummersandteachesatClaremontMcKennaCollegeinClaremont,California,duringtheacademicyear.PostcolonialWritersChinua

Achebe(Nigeria)ThenovelistChinua

Achebe(born1930),afinestylishandanastutesocialcritic,isoneofthebest-knownAfricanwritersintheWestandhisnovelsareoftenassignedinuniversitycourses.PostcolonialWritersNgugi

wa

Thiong’o(Kenya)Ngugi

wa

Thiong'o

DistinguishedProfessor

UniversityofCalifornia,Irvine

ComparativeLiteratureandEnglish

279HumanitiesInstructionalBuilding

Irvine,CA92697-2651PostcolonialWritersDerekWalcott(St.Lucia,WestIndies)TheNobelPrizeinLiterature1992wasawardedtoDerekWalcott"forapoeticoeuvreofgreatluminosity,sustainedbyahistoricalvision,theoutcomeofamulticulturalcommitment".PostcolonialWritersMichaelOndaatjie(SriLanka&Canada)MichaelOndaatjeisprobablybestknownforhisworkTheEnglishPatient(1992)whichwasadaptedtoanAcademyAwardwinningmovie.Hestartedwithpoetryin1967publishingDaintyMonsters.PostcolonialWritersLawrenceChua(Malaysia&U.S.)LawrenceChuawasborninPenang,Malaysiain1966,theoldestsoninhisfamily.Bothofhisparentscomefromworkingclassfamilies.HismotherwasaneducatorandthenajournalistinSoutheastAsiainthe1960s,andhisfatherwasagymteacher.ThemesofPostcolonialLiteratureInitialencounterwiththecolonizerandthedisruptionofindigenouscultureJourneyoftheEuropeanoutsiderthroughanunfamiliarwildernesswithanativeguideOtheringandcolonialoppressionThemesofPostcolonialLiteratureMimicry(attemptofcolonizedtoimitatecolonizer)Exile(experienceofbeinganoutsiderinone’sownland)Post-independenceexuberancefollowedbydisillusionmentThemesofPostcolonialLiteratureStruggleforindividualandcollectiveculturalidentityandrelatedthemesofAlienationUnhomelinessDoubleconsciousnessHybridityThemesofPostcolonialLiteratureNeedforcontinuitywithapre-colonialpastSelf-definitionofthepoliticalfutureHomi

BhabhaHeoffersanewwaytoanalyzeworldliterature:wemightstudywhatworldliteraturetellsusaboutthepersonalexperienceofpeoplewhomhistoryhasignored,eg.,Gordimer’s

MySon’sStoryandMorrison’