Universidad tecnológica nacional

Licenciatura en Lengua Inglesa

Estudios Literarios y Culturales II
Alumna: Alberti, María Laura

Source base n°5

Bibliography:
Loomba, A. (1998) Situating Colonial and Postcolonial studies. In Rivkin, J. and Ryan, M. (2004) (Eds), Literary Theory: An
anthology Second Edition. (pp. 1100- 1111) The United States: Blackwell Publishing.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o (1986) Decolonising the mind’. In Rivkin, J. and Ryan, M. (2004) (Eds), Literary Theory: An anthology
Second Edition. (pp. 1126-1149) The United States: Blackwell Publishing.

In this source base, I will summarize two selections on the topic of colonial post-colonial studies. The first one from the book
“Colonialism-Postcolonialism” by the Indian professor and writer Ania Loomba and the second from “Decolonising the mind:
The Politics of Language in African Literature” by the Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o.

Ania Loomba claims that in order to fully grasp the concept of “postcolonialism” we need to relate its meanings to each
country’s history and present situation. Since most of the European colonies have achieved their political independence, it may
be believed that colonialism is over and former oppressed countries live a postcolonial era. But in Loomba’s opinion the term
postcolonial is not appropriate to describe the former European territories for many reasons. First of all, the prefix post-
implies ideological supplanting and while most of countries may be politically independent, they are still economically or
culturally dependent on imperial states. Secondly, this term is also inadequate in the temporal sense because we cannot
establish a clear beginning of the postcolonial era given that the process of decolonisation lasted three centuries. Moreover, it
does not reflect the internal and social and racial differences of many societies. Subjects at the bottom of the social hierarchies
never become postcolonial.

All in all, the word Postcolonialism is useful as a general term to refer to refer to the struggle against colonial domination and
the legacies of colonialism but we ought to use it with cautious and certain limitations. We should also take into account the
native ideologies, practices and hierarchies that existed before and during colonialism. Furthermore, postcolonial studies have
shown that both the colony and the metropole have been affected by the colonial process but this does not mean that they are
postcolonial in the same way. Neither are all the former colonies likewise postcolonial. The meaning of this term changes
across places with different cultures and histories.

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Ngugi wa Thiong’o agrees that although African nations have achieved independence, imperialist powers still control their
economy, culture and politics. He believes that language is one of the most important tools of domination as it is both a means
of communication and a carrier of culture. During colonial times, children were taught only English at school and they were
punished if they spoke their native languages. Children were made to believe that their native culture and language were
inferior while English was the passport to higher studies. The university graduates were meant to form an “elite” who
supported the empire.

Ngugi wa Thiong'o believes that the key to an ideologically independent nation is found in the teaching of literature and
critical approaches in schools and universities. But more than including African literature in the syllabus needs to be done, it
needs to be placed at the centre of the syllabus. This means analysing world literature from an Afrocentric perspective. Afro-
American and Caribbean literature should also be included in order to understand the world context of the experience of
exploitation, humiliation and colonialism. Literature is a powerful instrument in creating and developing culture and ideology.
The question is, would such an educational policy be possible in a neo-colonialist context?

Both authors agree that colonialism is not completely over. Consequently, post-colonialism may not be the most adequate term
to define the present situation of former colonies. Some radical changes need to be done in order to claim that ex-colonies are
truly independent. These nations need to fight the most difficult battle of all, one that is economical, cultural, ideological and
political, the battle against neo-colonialism.

Concepts:

Metropole: The imperial country that exercises economical, political and cultural domination over another nation.

Colony: The territory taken over and controlled by the metropole.

Colonialism: The process of conquest and control of other people’s land and goods and interference with their political and
cultural structures, which has been a recurrent and widespread characteristic of human history.

Neo- colonialism or Neo- imperialism: An economic system of penetration and control of markets by the metropolis without
exerting direct political control.