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Postcolonial Theory at a Glance

Postcolonial Theory at a Glance. Key Definitions. Colonialism: The implementation of settlements on distant territories, almost always the result of imperialism.

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Postcolonial Theory at a Glance

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  1. Postcolonial Theory at a Glance

  2. Key Definitions • Colonialism: The implementation of settlements on distant territories, almost always the result of imperialism. • Imperialism: “[T]he practice, the theory, and the attitudes of a dominant metropolitan centre ruling a distant territory” (Ashcroft et al 46). • Eurocentrism: “The conscious or unconscious process by which Europe and European cultural assumptions are constructed as…the normal, the natural, or the universal” (Ashcroft et al 90).

  3. What is Postcolonial Theory? • According to Martin Denyer, postcolonial theory is “an examination of the impact and continuing legacy of European conquest, colonisation and domination of non-European lands, peoples and cultures”(2).

  4. And… • “an analysis of the inherent ideas of European superiority over non-European peoples and cultures that such colonisation implies”(2).

  5. Purpose • Postcolonial theory aims to reveal the negative effects that colonial assumptions have on the self-identities of colonised people by analyzing how Eurocentric ways of thinking are perpetuated as privileged, authentic forms of knowledge (Denyer 2).

  6. Postcolonial Theorists Ask… • How do Eurocentric ideals perpetuate negative stereotypes of non-European people and their cultures?

  7. And… • What affects do Eurocentric stereotypes have on the identities of those who are stereotyped? How do they play out in today’s society?

  8. Some Questions for a Postcolonial Approach to Literature • How are characters affected by colonial ways of speaking and thinking? • How does education affect characters’ colonial/postcolonial experiences? • How does gender, race, and class relate to the text’s depiction of colonization and postcolonial experiences? • Are oppressed characters able to reconstruct their lives free from colonial influences? • How are privileged characters affected by the text’s depiction of colonialism? • How do characters resist colonial control? • Does the text introduce new forms of imperialism that replace the traditional practices of colonial projects?

  9. Works Cited Ashcroft, Bill et al. Post-Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts. New York: Routledge, 2000. Print. Denyer, Martin. “An Introduction to Postcolonial Theory.” PhotoInsight. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.`

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