Key Takeaways
- Colonial literature focuses on the colonial period and its social and cultural aspects, while postcolonial literature emphasizes the consequences of colonization and issues related to decolonization.
- Colonial literature is mostly written by colonizers themselves, while postcolonial literature is written by both colonizers and colonized people as a response to the colonizers.
- Themes in colonial literature include personal adventures, discoveries, and religious evangelism, while postcolonial literature deals with themes of independence, racialism, patriotism, and criticism of colonizer’s activities.
What is Colonial Literature?
Colonial Literature refers to the literature created during the colonial period, which is characterized by themes related to colonization. This period marks the time when Western colonizers subjugated other countries in their quest for natural resources and territories, spreading political and cultural hegemony as well as their religion, Christianity and Catholicism, to their colonies. The literature of this era was mostly written by Western colonizers and focused on their experiences as colonizers in newly discovered territories. Examples of colonial literature include letters, journals, biographies, and memoirs that often criticized indigenous people’s cultural customs and values as ‘primitive’ while emphasizing the necessity of colonization for the spread of ‘civilization.’
What is Post Colonial Literature?
Postcolonial Literature is the literature that highlights the social and cultural aspects following the period of decolonization. This literature emerged as a response to the impact of the colonial period and the discourse of colonizers in previously colonized societies. Postcolonial literature portrays an empathetic image of colonized people, their liberation struggle towards independence, and the impact of colonization on their livelihoods, culture, and sociopolitical aspects. Notable postcolonial writers include Chinua Achebe, Derek Walcott, Maya Angelou, Salman Rushdie, Jean Rhys, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Similarities Between Colonial and Post Colonial Literature
- Both are types of literature that deal with aspects related to colonization.
- Both address social, cultural, and psychological aspects of their respective time periods.
What is the Difference Between Colonial and Post Colonial Literature?
Colonial Literature deals with aspects within the period of colonization, while postcolonial literature focuses on the consequences of colonization and issues related to the decolonization era. The main themes of colonial literature are personal adventures, discoveries, and religious evangelism, whereas postcolonial literature deals with themes of independence, racialism, patriotism, and criticism of colonizer’s activities. Colonial literature is mostly written by colonizers themselves, while postcolonial literature is written by both colonizers and colonized people as a response to the colonizers.
Summary
Colonial and postcolonial literature are two types of literature that focus on the issues concerning the colonial period in the world. Colonial literature is centered around the colonial period and its related social and cultural aspects, while postcolonial literature emphasizes the consequences of colonization for those undergoing decolonization. The main difference between colonial and postcolonial literature lies in their themes, writers, and time periods.
