Postcolonialism And Post-Colonial Literature

Postcolonialism is a literary period that existed since around the middle of the 20th century. This period or in other words this literary era followed the colonialism era. It is regarded after the colonized countries or nations got their independence and got a way out under colonials. This era like the rest of other literary eras has various particular characteristics and aspects. Most commonly the aspects of Post-colonial literature fall into; history, literature, politics, culture and identity of both the countries that were colonized and colonial countries. However, Postcolonialism can take the colonial time into consideration as well as the time after colonialism. Postcolonialism also deals with conflicts of identity and cultural belonging. Colonial powers came to foreign countries and destroyed the most important parts of their native traditions and culture. People from colonized countries were seen as lesser and powerless people because their land, home and everything were controlled by colonized countries. This often led to conflicts when countries became independent and suddenly faced the challenge of developing a new national identity and self-confidence. People from former colonized countries tried to discuss the problems and difficulties they had during the period of colonization and effects of the period by producing a literature which is called postcolonial literature. Postcolonial literature is writing which has been “affected by the imperial process from the moment of colonization to the present day” (Ashcroft et al, 2). Postcolonial literature seeks the richness and legitimacy of original cultures in an effort to restore pride in practices and traditions that were systematically degraded under colonialism. Ther...

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...(Emory U) Chinua Achebe’s works also reflect the theme of language.

Postcolonialism as a literary period defined by the time when colonialism faced another phase and colonized nations no longer accepted to be under the power of a foreign nation. During which the most fundamental elements of national identity and tradition were highly affected. Language and identity as noticeable factors of a country or a nation mostly went under foreign impacts, more than the other factors. Identity was one of the most important aspects of post-colonial literature was significantly reflected in the works of period’s authors. Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is one of the globally known works that expressed a nation’s enthusiasm towards preserving its own rituals in other words identity. In another hand Language of colonized nation went under the same effective impacts of the colonizers.