Post Colonial Literary Theory

ENG 4U

What is European Colonialism?From the 1500’s until the 1960’s,

European countries settled in and appropriated much of the planet.

This included not only countries close to home, but also to Africa and the Americas, but later spread to Asia and Oceania as well.

The Spanish and the Portuguese were the first to develop these Empires

Spanish Empire

Portuguese EmpireRed -  Areas which were, at one time, territories of the Portuguese EmpireOrange -   areas of influence and tradePink -  claims of sovereigntyGreen Circles -  trading postsBlue-  main sea explorations, routes and areas of influence

Why the Push to Colonize?Essentially, European countries were

seeking to advance their languages, cultures and religions. There was a common belief that people living in the ‘non-Christian’ parts of the world were less civilized and needed the introduction of European values and ethics.

This was perhaps best summed up in Rudyard Kipling’s 1899 poem ‘White Man’s Burden’ (Written to support the American colonization of the Philippines)

White Man’s Burden (excerpt)

Take up the White Man's burden--Send forth the best ye breed--Go bind your sons to exileTo serve your captives' need;To wait in heavy harness,On fluttered folk and wild--Your new-caught, sullen peoples,Half-devil and half-child.

Take up the White Man's burden--In patience to abide,To veil the threat of terrorAnd check the show of pride;By open speech and simple,An hundred times made plainTo seek another's profit,And work another's gain.

• Take up the White Man's burden--And reap his old reward:The blame of those ye better,The hate of those ye guard--The cry of hosts ye humour(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--"Why brought he us from bondage,Our loved Egyptian night?"

Take up the White Man's burden--Ye dare not stoop to less--Nor call too loud on FreedomTo cloke your weariness;By all ye cry or whisper,By all ye leave or do,The silent, sullen peoplesShall weigh your gods and you.

Just in case the previous Pear’s Soap ad was too subtle…

Circa 1875

By World War IMuch of the world was controlled,

administered or in conflict with a European Superpower.

Many countries were independent nations, but their ultimate destinies were still controlled by a European leader (e.g. Canada, Australia, New Zealand by the UK; Brazil and Macau by Portugal; Paraguay and Peru by Spain)

The following map shows the area of European control in 1914:

European Colonialism by 1914

European Colonialism between 1500 and 2000

WWI - 1970Between the end of World War I and

the late 1960’s, most European countries gave up colonial control.

Some colonies fought wars of independence against their former rulers (e.g. Algeria, Kenya, Angola)

Others had a more peaceful transition to post colonialism (e.g Ghana, Tunisia, Hong Kong)

A definition of Postcolonial:

Post Colonial Literary TheoryAfter the period of de-colonization,

artists and writers began to explore the mark left on their nations by the colonial power.

This began to come into the forefront in 1958 with the publication of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart – the first African novel to be a global phenomenon.

The novel deals with an Igbo leader in Nigeria and his frustration with the new English colonizers.

Common Themes in Post Colonial LiteratureWhile every country’s experience

with decolonization was different, there are a few themes in Post Colonial Literature and art that are quite common:

1. The Other and AlterityPost Colonial literature often deals with the

colonized peoples being made in to “the other” – that is, people are defined in relation to the European normal.

In European (and in particular, colonial) literature, the normal character was white and male. Therefore, postcolonial literature will often deal with the conflict between white and non-white.

In The Fact of Blackness, Frantz Fanon writes: “For not only must the black man be black; he must be black in relation to the white man.”

2. HybridityLiterally: a mixture.Hybridity in literature mixes a

strong critique of colonialism, with a focus on new identities and cultures.

Most often associated with writers who deal with issues of mixing of races, or who are mixed race themselves (e.g. Thomas King, Zadie Smith).

In LiteratureThis often manifests itself with a

rejection of the European Centre, and instead reasserts that the former colony can be a cultural centre in its own right.

Examples of films and novels that deal with centre/margin issues:

Congo/England Senegal/France Pakistan/USA

New Zealand/England Namibia/Germany and South Africa

3. Diaspora

3. Diaspora Any body of people living outside

of their traditional homeland.Originally, the term applied to

Jewish people after their expulsion from Israel by the Babylonians in 607 BCE.

Now used for nationalities that are spread across the earth due to slavery, war, famine, natural disasters or economic necessity.

Some of the more well-known are:◦The Armenian Diaspora◦The Irish Diaspora◦The Greek Diaspora◦The Chinese Diaspora◦The Indian Diaspora◦The Vietnamese Diaspora◦The Cuban Diaspora◦The Iraqi Diaspora

In LiteratureDiasporic stories often deal with

issues of changing cultures and rejection of the values of parents.

Often these are the stories of second or third generation immigrants trying to make sense of their personal history.

This can also deal with forced diasporas – e.g the stories of slaves and their descendants.