English Language Journal Vol 3, (2009) 1-8 ISSN 1823 6820

Ethnicity in Post-Independence Malaysia in Menteri and in A Far Country: A Thematic Study

Mohammad Sidik Ariffin English Language Department, Faculty of Languages, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 35900 Tanjong Malim, Perak

Abstract: Ethnicity and ethnic relations, especially after the period of Malaysias independence are some of the themes in Malaysian literature in English This study entails a comparative analysis of the themes in two novels by prominent Malaysian writers. The analysis follows the principles of the American School of Comparative Literature and the framework of both post-colonial and Marxist literary theories. Keywords: ethnicity, comparative literature, post-colonial literary theory, Marxist criticism, hegemony, ideology