Lit Crit-Pose for Post-Colonialism
Transcript of Lit Crit-Pose for Post-Colonialism
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Post-Colonialism
Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and
interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is
often informed by literary theory, which is the
philosophical discussion of its methods and goals.Though the two activities are closely related, literary
critics are not always, and have not always been,
theorists.
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Taken literally, the term "postcolonial
literature" would seem to label literature
written by people living in countriesformerly colonized by other nations.
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In its use as a critical approach,
postcolonialism refers to "a collection of
theoretical and critical strategies used toexamine the culture (literature, politics,
history, and so forth) of former colonies of
the European empires, and their relation to
the rest of the world" (Makaryk 155)
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Key Terms:
Alterity - "lack of identification with some part of one's personality or
one's community, differentness, otherness"
Diaspora is used to refer to any people or ethnic population forced
or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands, being
dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing
developments in their dispersal and culture" (Wikipedia).
Eurocentrism - "the practice, conscious or otherwise, of placing
emphasis on European (and, generally, Western) concerns, culture
and values at the expense of those of other cultures. It is an
instance of ethnocentrism, perhaps especially relevant because of
its alignment with current and past real power structures in the
world" (Dictionary.LaborLawTalk.com)
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Hybridity - "an important concept in post-colonial theory,
referring to the integration (or, mingling) of cultural signs
and practices from the colonizing and the colonizedcultures.
The assimilation and adaptation of cultural practices, the
cross-fertilization of cultures, can be seen as positive,
enriching, and dynamic, as well as as oppressive" (fromDr. John Lye - General Literary Theory Websites).
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Imperialism - "the policy of extending the control or
authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition
and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct
territorial control or through indirect methods of exertingcontrol on the politics and/or economy of other countries.
The term is used by some to describe the policy of a
country in maintaining colonies and dominance over
distant lands, regardless of whether the country calls
itself an empire" (Dictionary.LaborLawTalk.com).
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Many of the debates among postcolonial
scholars center on which national
literatures or authors can be justifiably
included in the postcolonial canon. Much
of the discussion among postcolonial
scholars involves criticisms of the term"postcolonial" itself. In addition, it is
seldom mentioned but quite striking that
very few actual authors of the literature
under discussion embrace and use the
term to label their own writing.
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First, literal colonization is not the
exclusive object of postcolonial study.
Lenin's classic analysis of imperialism led
to Antonio Gramsci's concept of
"hegemony" which distinguishes between
literal political dominance and dominance
through ideas and culture
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Second, among the works commonly
studied under this label are novels like
Claude McKay's Banjo and Chinua
Achebe's Things Fall Apartwhich were
written while the nations in question
(Jamaica and Nigeria) were still colonies.
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Some scholars attempt to solve this
problem by arguing that the term should
denote works written after colonization, not
only those created after independence; but
that would be "postcolonization" literature.
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Third, some critics argue that the term
misleadingly implies that colonialism is
over when in fact most of the nations
involved are still culturally and
economically subordinated to the rich
industrial states through various forms of
neo-colonialism even though they aretechnically independent.
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Whats post-colonialism?
Post-colonialism is an intellectual direction
(sometimes also called an era or the post-
colonial theory) that exists since around the
middle of the 20th century. It developed from
and mainly refers to the time after
colonialism, but it can take the colonial time
as well as the time after colonialism intoconsideration.
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Note
Though post-colonialism is directed for 20th centuryand Western colonialisation on the East, its notalways too shallow like this. As long as you findthe three aspects of post-colonialism from aliterary work(s) you read, its fine to apply it.
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Aspects of Post-Colonialism
1) Decolonisation
a process of change, destruction and, in the first place, an
attempt to regain and lose power
2) Conflicts of identity and cultural belonging
3) Former colonial powers had to change theirself-assessment
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Good Resource for Post-Colonialism
Die Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF)s Post-Colonialism:Definition, Development and Examples fromIndia