Postcolonialism

By definition, postcolonialism is a period of time after colonialism, and

postcolonial literature is typically characterized by its opposition to the
colonial. However, some critics have argued that any literature that expresses
an opposition to colonialism, even if it is produced during a colonial period,
may be defined as postcolonial, primarily due to its oppositional nature.
Postcolonial literature often focuses on race relations and the effects of racism
and usually indicts white and/or colonial societies. Despite a basic consensus
on the general themes of postcolonial writing, however, there is ongoing
debate regarding the meaning of postcolonialism. Many critics now propose
that the term should be expanded to include the literatures of Canada, the
United States, and Australia. In his essay discussing the nature and
boundaries of postcolonialism, Simon During argues for a more inclusive
definition, calling it the need, in nations, or groups which have been victims of
imperialism to achieve an identity uncontaminated by universalist or
Eurocentric concepts or images. The scale and scope of modern European
imperialism, as well as its extraordinarily organized character, including the
cultural licensing of racial domination, has sometimes led to the perception of
colonization as a modern phenomenon. In fact, many critics propose that
modern colonialism was not a discrete occurrence and that an examination of
premodern colonial activities will allow for a greater and more complex
understanding of modern structures of power and domination, serving to
illuminate the operation of older histories in the context of both modern
colonialism and contemporary race and global political relations.
Works of literature that are defined as postcolonial often record racism or a
history of genocide, including slavery, apartheid, and the mass extinction of
peoples, such as the Aborigines in Australia. Critical response to these texts is
often seen as an important way to articulate and negotiate communication
between writers who define themselves as postcolonial and critics who are not
part of that experience. In her introduction to Post-Colonial and African
American Women's Writing,published in 2000, Gina Wisker notes that the
indictment present in many postcolonial texts tends to produce guilt or feelings
of inherited complicity in many readers. Also, although writing about these
texts may raise the level of awareness of both the texts and their writers,
some postcolonial writers see reflected in this activity an arrogant assumption
about the need for noncolonial cultures to recognize postcolonial writers.
Similarly, other critics have noted that critical response that focuses entirely
on the essential nature of black or Asian writers may also serve to marginalize

their writing by supposing their experiences as largely a product of being

other than European.
Postcolonialism includes a vast array of writers and subjects. In fact, the very
different geographical, historical, social, religious, and economic concerns of
the different ex-colonies dictate a wide variety in the nature and subject of
most postcolonial writing. Wisker has noted in her book that it is even
simplistic to theorize that all postcolonial writing is resistance writing. In fact,
many postcolonial writers themselves will argue that their countries are still
very much colonial countries, both in terms of their values and behaviors, and
that these issues are reflected in their work. In her essay on postcolonialism,
Deepika Bahri agrees, noting that while the definition of postcolonialism may
be fairly boundaried, the actual use of the term is very subjective, allowing for
a yoking together of a very diverse range of experiences, cultures, and
problems. This diversity of definitions exists, notes Bahri, because the term
postcolonialism is used both as a literal description of formerly colonial
societies and as a description of global conditions after a period of
colonialism. In this regard, according to Bahri, the notion of the postcolonial
as a literary genre and an academic construct may have meanings that are
completely separate from a historical moment or time period.
Some women colonial writers draw a relationship between postcolonialism
and feminism. For many of these writers, who live in strong patriarchal
cultures, language and the ability to write and communicate represent power.
Some of these writers, for example, have noted that since the language of
British-ruled colonies is English, literature written in English has often been
used to marginalize and constrain female points of view. In the postcolonial
period, however, language, and the ability to speak, write, and publish, has
become an enabling tool for postcolonial authors.