What is African postcolonial literature?
The term African postcolonial literature refers to writings produced after the political independence of various African states which were formerly subject to European colonial rule.
What is post-colonial theory in literature?
Post-colonial theory looks at issues of power, economics, politics, religion, and culture and how these elements work in relation to colonial hegemony (Western colonizers controlling the colonized). Post-colonial criticism also takes the form of literature composed by authors that critique Euro-centric hegemony.
What is post-colonial Nigerian literature?
While identifying areas where the colonial culture fell short, postcolonial authors inject elements of the indigenous culture to propose alternate ways of thinking. This re-centeres the body of cultural works on Nigerian traditions rather than on British ones.
What are the four phases of African literature?
The African literature thrived in three periods, namely: the pre-colonial era, the colonial-era and the post-colonial era. The pre-colonial literature is the literary works done before the coming of the white men to the African continent.
What are the main features of postcolonial theory?
Postcolonial Literature Characteristics
- Appropriation of Colonial Languages. Postcolonial writers have this thing they like to do.
- Metanarrative. Colonizers liked to tell a certain story.
- Colonialism.
- Colonial Discourse.
- Rewriting History.
- Decolonization Struggles.
- Nationhood and Nationalism.
- Valorization of Cultural Identity.
What are the themes of postcolonial 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’.
What are the characteristics of postcolonial literature?
Who started postcolonial theory?
The ruling academic paradigm in academic area studies (especially Middle Eastern studies) is called “post-colonial theory.” Post-colonial theory was founded by Columbia University professor of comparative literature, Edward Said. Said gained fame in 1978, with the publication of his book, Orientalism.
What are the five major themes of African literature?
Themes of Colonialism, Liberation, Nationalism, Tradition, Displacement and Rootlessness in African Literature. This paper deals with some of the themes in African literature such as colonialism, liberation, nationalism, tradition, displacement and rootlessness.
What is precolonial African literature?
In the pre-colonial African societies oral literature was the only form of literature known to the various people of Kenya. The literature also corporated past events that were hidden in proverbs, riddles, tales, taboos and superstitions, legends and myths.
What are the main issues that postcolonial theory and literature deal with?
The themes and issues to be pursued include:
- the problematic status of language;
- the problems of identity: definition of self, world, and other;
- revolutions in literary form and theme;
- notions of exile, hybridity, migration, nation and cultural schizophrenia;
What are the main issues that postcolonial theory and literature deals with?
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.
What is postcolonial African fiction?
The Postcolonial stage saw satire, ambiguity and hybridity become the dominant motifs of much African fiction from the 1970 onwards. There was also a pronounced move away from realist narratives to more fragmentary and experimental styles.
What is postcolonial theory?
Abstract This paper presents an exposition on postcolonial theory. It is premised on the epistemic background that holds that human history, particularly in the modern time has been determined by imperialism. It provides brief notes on salient terms in the language of the theory. It briefly discusses African literature as a postcolonial literature.
How to retrieve history for a postcolonial culture?
Retrieving history for a postcolonial culture invariably includes an intense awareness that native history without colonial contamination is not possible. The Subaltern Studies project seeks to discover, beneath the layers of colonial historiography, the local resistance to colonialism.
What is postcolonial gender discourse?
Gender: Postcolonial gender discourse discusses the double colonization of women by both imperialism and patriarchy. In postcolonial literature, gender and sexuality have become prominent themes in the last decades of the 20th century.