Port City International University

Department of English

Post Colonial Literature

Submitted To: Submitted By:

A S M Iftekharul Azam Mohammad Jafar Iabal (ENF 020 05003)
Assistant Professor Munshi Abdullah Al Helal (ENF 020 05004)
Department of English Md. Rafej Uddin (ENF 020 05008)
Port City International University Department of English
Chattogram, Bangladesh Port City International University
Chattogram, Bangladesh
 
“And gradually they're beginning to recognize
the fact that there's nothing more secure than a
democratic, accountable, and participatory
form of government. But it's sunk in only
theoretically, it has not yet sunk in completely
in practical terms.”

-Wole Soyinka
Post Colonial
Literature

Postcolonial literature is the literature by people from

formerly colonized countries. It addresses the role of
literature in perpetuating and challenging what
postcolonial critic Edward Said refers to as cultural
imperialism.
Themes of Post-Colonial Literature

 Postcolonial has many common motifs and themes like 'cultural dominance,' 'racism,' 'quest for
identity,' 'inequality' along with some peculiar presentation styles. Most of the postcolonial
writers reflected and demonstrated many thematic concepts which are quite connected with
both 'colonizer' and 'colonized.
Famous Author of post colonial literature

 There are lot famous author s in Post

colonial literature. Such as -Chinua
Achebe,Edward Said, Wole Soyinka,
Salman Rushdie,Gayatri Chakravorty,
Derek Walcott, V.S.Naipaul, Hanif
Kureishi,Anita Desai etc.
Impact of Post Colonial Literature

 Postcolonial literature often addresses the problems and consequences of the decolonization of a
country, especially questions relating to the political and cultural independence of formerly
subjugated people, and themes such as racialism and colonialism. A range of literary theory has
evolved around the subject.
 Salient Features of Post Colonial Literature :There are many features of post colonial literature
. Such as -
Appropriation of Colonial Language

 Postcolonial writers have this thing they like to do. They take the language of their
colonizer (English or French, for example) and turn it on its head. A writer from the
Caribbean, for example, may write a novel or play in English, but he or she may twist the
English.

 Why do postcolonial writers do this? Because it's a way for them to challenge the authority
of the colonial language.
Rewriting History

 The colonizers thought that the colonized

peoples had no culture, had made no
contributions to human progress, and were
ignorant—so from that perspective,
colonialism was a wonderful thing for
them. Postcolonial writers don't like this
version of history. So postcolonial writers
set about writing history from their own
perspective.
Decolonization Struggles

 Freedom fighters in Africa, Asia, South America, and

the Caribbean fought colonialism. People like
Mahatma Gandhi in India, Patrice Lumumba in Zaire
(now Congo), Amilcar Cabral in Cape Verde and
Guinea-Bissau, Toussaint Louverture in Haiti tackled
the colonial powers through politics.
 Without them, decolonization wouldn't have
happened. But decolonization isn't just a political
thing: it's also a cultural and mental thing.
Nationhood and Nationalism

Postcolonial writers are really interested in

nationhood and nationalism. A lot of these writers
are very patriotic. They write books on behalf of
their nations. Their work is often nationalist, because
postcolonial writers like to highlight and valorize
their nation's cultural, political and social identity.
Cultural Identity

 Post Colonial Writers

represent their own Cultures,
history, legacy , indigenous
heritage which has a great
influence to identify their own
identity. It is a great challenge
for the colonizer.
 Ambivalence and Dilemma

 There is a great ambivalence and dilemma in post colonial

literature in many famous author's writings. Such as Derek
Walcott, Chinua Achebe, Homi k Bhabha etc.They like
English on the other hand their emotions work for their land
and culture. Nevertheless, their dilemma is rooted in the
appreciation for the western society and love for the universal
appeal of the English language.
Conclusion

 Postcolonialism is the critical academic study of the cultural legacy of

colonialism.In postcolonial literature, the anti-conquest narrative
analyzes the identity politics that are the social and individual identity of
a nation.