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The term “post colonialism” refers to studying the era after Western colonization. It analyzes the effects of colonialism on indigenous people, including exploitation, loss of property, domination, and violations of human rights. Postcolonial studies have grown in popularity since the 1970s. However, one of the significant components of Postcolonial studies is postcolonial literature. It is generally used to describe works of literature created after imperial rule was removed from native people’s lands. There is a lot to know about Postcolonial studies and postcolonial literature, which we are going to discuss with you. Here, in this blog of All Assignment Help, you will know about postcolonialism, the rise of postcolonial literature, themes in postcolonial literature, and more.
What is Postcolonialism?
Post-colonialism studies how imperialism affected the countries that were invaded and settled in Europe. It explains how colonial control has affected indigenous people across the world, leading to one of the most significant periods in human history.
The traits of postcolonialism represent a substantial shift in society necessary to end colonialism. Additionally, it shows the methods used by colonial authorities to dominate the local or subordinate population. Furthermore, it also revealed how new empires were emerging and spreading throughout the globe, giving rise to an endless desire for dominance and strength.
The postcolonial theory encompasses different academic subjects such as history, anthropology, political science, sociology, human geography, and philosophy. Understanding how each of these subjects contributes to postcolonial theory can be challenging. However, if you find it difficult to grasp the relevance of these disciplines, you can take guidance from subject-matter experts or assignment help platforms such as those offering history assignment help, anthropology assignment help, political science assignment, and so forth. It will be beneficial in deepening your understanding of postcolonialism.
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What Is Postcolonial Literature?
Postcolonial literature is a collection of writings by individuals from formerly colonized countries that reflect on the effects and experiences of colonialism and decolonization. It covers topics like the effects of colonial control, political and cultural independence, and the redefinition of identity in the post-colonial period.
According to Postcolonial literature written by post-colonial authors, there are four types of colonialism:
- Settler colonialism
- Surrogate colonialism
- Exploitation colonialism
- Internal colonialism
It can be challenging to pinpoint the start and end of colonial eras, which makes postcolonial literature rather controversial. However, getting online assignment help from an expert can make it easier for you to understand the controversies and challenges related to the rise of postcolonial literature. These experts have studied this literature deeply and help you understand every aspect.
The Rise of Postcolonial Literature
Postcolonial literature gained popularity in the middle of the 20th century, especially after World War II and the wave of decolonization. It provided Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East with a platform for authors who aimed to rethink identity, nationhood, and history beyond colonial narratives. There are several factors that contributed to the rise of postcolonial literature, such as:
- The introduction of English education enabled the native people to become sufficiently fluent in English so that they could read, write, and speak it.
- Writing fictional and non-fictional descriptions of life under colonial rule was encouraged by pro-independence groups against colonial rulers, sometimes as a form of anti-colonial resistance.
- Postcolonial authors were encouraged to pursue worldwide renown for their artistic endeavors in English by globalization and the free flow of commodities between nations.
- Furthermore, writers from postcolonial origins broke away from their native and regional storytelling traditions by embracing the vocabulary and narrative structures of the West. This is perceived as both a result of cultural disturbance and an attempt to co-opt the language of the colonial power to communicate native thoughts and stories.
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Themes in Postcolonial Literature
Postcolonial literature explores how colonialism and its effects have affected society, politics, and culture. Here are some major themes commonly found in postcolonial literature:
Hybridity
Literary scholar and theorist Homi K. Bhabha (b. 1949) coined the term “hybridity” to explain how cross-cultural interactions result in new identities that incorporate aspects of both cultures. Postcolonial literature often explores problems related to hybrid identities and simultaneous belonging to multiple realms.
Language
Interactions between cultures are rarely only about power. Language and other cultural elements are constantly open to influence. The language used in postcolonial literature is especially important as the authors try to convey their own events and people in a foreign language. As a result, postcolonial writing often involves imaginative linguistic variations.
History
An increasing number of academics and historians claim that history is a collection of multiple viewpoints rather than a single, objective consideration. Postcolonial literature also serves as an alternative to writing history from the perspective of a certain group or individual. Getting history homework help can enhance your understanding of how literature and history intersect in this context.
Power Hierarchy
Power disagreements occur in the majority of social interactions. The distribution of power in society is based on a variety of factors, including gender, race, money, and religion. Postcolonial literature explores the unequal connection between colonial masters and subjects in dramatic ways.
Postcolonial literature explores resistance, identity, and cultural recovery following colonial control. It offers a better knowledge of global cultural shifts by challenging current perspectives and giving voice to the mistreated via themes like hybridity, power hierarchy, and rewriting history.
Examples of Postcolonial Literature
The field of postcolonial literature continues to grow, and the body of postcolonial fiction expands every year with the publication of hundreds of new works. Here are a few postcolonial literature examples that you must know:
Two Thousand Seasons by Ayi Kwei Armah
Ayi Kwei Armah, an African writer, published his book Two Thousand Seasons in 1973. It tells the story of the last 2000 seasons in African history through a single narrative plot. It focuses on problems such as slavery, the complicity of African leaders, the ongoing persecution of Africans, African culture, and more. The book has received several reviews, including one from Chinua Achebe in 1987, in which he deemed it “unacceptable based on fact and art.”
We Are Going by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
“We Are Going,” by Noonuccal, is a collection of poems with the most recognisable title. It was an Aboriginal Australian woman first poetry collection to be published. It draws attention to the difficulties faced by Aboriginal Australians during British colonization. The poem is offered from the perspective of the duel, alternating viewpoints emphasizing the loss of culture, territory, and history.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is set in postcolonial Nigeria during a time of political instability and economic hardship. The story centers on Kambili Achike, a fifteen-year-old from a wealthy household in Enugu State. The book covers concerns including domestic abuse and the post-colonial social and cultural transformations in Nigeria.
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The first book by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe is among the most renowned postcolonial works ever written. In this book, Achebe narrates the story of an Igbo man from Africa. His personality, family history, ideals, and the rituals and way of life of his tribe are all chronicled in three parts of the work. It also discusses his response to the growing number of Christian colonists and missionaries, whom he believes to be a threat and a corrupting effect on Igbo culture and way of life.
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Prominent Postcolonial Theorists and Their Contributions
Below is an overview of popular postcolonial theorists and their major contributions to the field:
Frantz Fanon
Fanon was the first theorist who invent postcolonial studies. He was the first one who think about the aftermath of colonialism. Fanon was the first writer who portray his reluctance to colonialism. He gave the proposal to overcome the ill effects of Colonialism.
Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth was published in French in 1961. It explored the possibility of anti-colonial violence in this and other regions while focusing on Algeria’s struggle for independence from France. Moreover, his writing inspired many people around the world in the struggle against oppression and racially motivated violence. If you especially want to read about Fanon as a collector, then you can look for the earlier versions of Fanon’s work. Grove Press printed the first American version of The Wretched of the Earth in 1963, which was translated by Jean-Paul Sartre.
Edward Said
By 1979, Edward Said wrote Orientalism, which was a lesson that examined the relationship between those people in the West and the relationship between “others” in the East. This work by Said has become an un-detachable part of postcolonial discourse. It has helped expand the area in the past few decades. Edward Said was a Palestinian-American scholar who received his education at Columbia University for the majority of his academic career.
Homi K. Bhabha
In The Location of Culture (1994), the theorist Homi K. Bhabha claimed that the human world is seen by connecting with different and unequal cultures, instead of in the form of an integral human world, the belief in the existence of fictional people and places endures faith – “Christendom” and “The Islamic World” “The First World”, “The Second World”, and “The Third World”. The Postcolonial Hybrid introduces the philosophical significance of intellectual spaces, where uncertainty pulls validity and certainty, to counter such social and linguistic shortcomings. Apart from this, hybridism is a philosophical situation that challenges the ethical soundness of imperialism.
Dipesh Chakraborty
Dipesh Chakraborty described the Indian struggle for independence in his book Provincializing Europe (2000). Furthermore, he also countered with Eurocentric, Western learnings about non-Western or Oriental people and cultures associated with Orientals, by giving a proposal that Western Europe was culturally associated and equal to other cultures.
Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe was one of the most famous names when one talks about African literature. His novels mostly revolve around the tribal stories of Africa and how colonial power exploited the natives.
Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe was one of the most prominent postcolonial books published at this time. Nowadays, a lot of Anglo-Saxon fiction lessons include this work of literature. This is not surprising considering its widespread popularity and importance since its first publication. Published in the late 1950s, Achebe wrote the book in Nigeria at the end of the British Colonial period, but an old moment was shown in Nigerian history.
Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer was a popular name in African literature. She started writing at the age of 15, and her first novel was published at that age.
Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer, and she was of Eastern European origin. Gordimer never experienced violence or discrimination based on race or color. Some of her most notable works that belong to the North colonial politics and the harsh streams of apartheid include Conservationists (1974), Burger’s Daughter (1979), and July’s People (1981). A signed copy of one of Gordimer’s works will make a great addition to any postcolonial literature collection.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
She was born in Nigeria in the year 1977 and is from the new generation of African writers. The majority of her writings include characters who are familiar with the sociopolitical events and Nigerian history. Her novel Purple Hibiscus is a perfect example of a bildungsroman. This novel depicts the life and journey of Kambili and her family when the military took over. Some other most famous works by Adichie are Half of a Yellow Sun, The Shivering, and You in America.
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Conclusion
Postcolonialism marks the aftermath of Western colonial rule. It highlights the cultural, political, and psychological impacts on formerly colonized nations. This era saw the emergence of postcolonial literature, where writers voiced their experiences of exploitation, identity loss, and resistance. This literature challenges colonial narratives and reclaims indigenous voices through themes like subordination, violence, and the myth of Western superiority. However, if you are interested in studying more about postcolonialism, you can consider taking an online course. There are numerous platforms available that offer courses related to postcolonialism and postcolonial Literature. Additionally, you will also get reliable online class help services where you can pay someone to take your online class to get additional help with your course, so that you can pass it with flying colors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the father of post-colonialism?
Many people regard Edward Said as the “father of postcolonialism” and a pioneer in postcolonial studies. His well-known work “Orientalism” critically analyzes how Western civilizations have portrayed the East.
Which methods are used in postcolonialism?
Methods include historical contextualization to place narratives within their colonial legacies, thematic analysis to find themes of identity, power, and resistance, and intertextual analysis to look at links between texts.
What does postcolonial literature aim to accomplish?
Postcolonial literature aims to challenge colonial narratives, reclaim cultural identity, critique oppression, give voice to the marginalized, explore themes like hybridity and displacement, and offer alternative perspectives on history.
Why is postcolonial literature significant?
Postcolonial literature is immensely significant around the globe. Readers get an important understanding of the lives, traditions, and struggles of diverse marginalized people worldwide by reading and analyzing these literary works, whether poems or novels. These novels highlight viewpoints that help readers comprehend colonialism’s global effects.
Is postcolonial literature still relevant today?
Yes. It continues to resonate in discussions about race, migration, identity, globalization, and the lingering effects of imperialism in formerly colonized regions.