Importance and Applicability of Studying Postcolonial Literature

Abstract

The word “postcolonialism” is frequently used to describe all the civilizations impacted by imperialism from the time of colonisation to the present. Postcolonialism refers to challenges and disagreements that have persisted between the East and the West ever since the colonial era. By dispelling stereotypes about orientals, it aims to study and analyse colonialism’s effects and restore the identity of independent oriental states. It covers works by authors from countries that the British formerly colonised, including Australia, Nigeria, Canada, Kenya, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Jamaica, and more. These nations are also referred to as Third World nations. This essay also discusses recurring themes and motifs including “identity,” “language,” and “racism,” as well as their distinctive places, points of view, and storytelling techniques. Because this movement has some political and historical undertones, it is important to carefully consider them. It is necessary to give a critical analysis of a variety of representative authors, including Lessing, Rushdie, Achebe, Derek Walcott, Fanon, J. M. Coetzee, and Ondaatje, as well as certain female authors like Isabelle Illende, Jamaica Kincaid, and Eavan Boland. Additionally, a few exemplary pieces by some of the most well-known writers associated with the literary movement postcolonialism are presented critically. Examining the postcolonial components in well-known literary works like The Grass is Singing, Midnight's Children, Things Fall Apart, The English Patient, Ceremony, and Disgrace as well as Decolonizing the Mind and A Small Place is necessary.