Postcolonial literature is a diverse and vast field of study that analyzes the relations between peoples as a result of colonization. It also deals with such topics as identity, power relations, subversion, and coloniality in present-day societies. That is why familiarizing oneself with the key concepts, main topics, and significant works of postcolonial literature might be useful while writing an Assignment of Postcolonial Literature.

Understanding Postcolonial Literature

In this sense, postcolonial literature is the literature produced in third-world countries that were once colonies of the European imperialist powers. Such works are mainly focused on the matters of politics, society, and culture left by colonialism. What we have in postcolonial literature is a reaction of colonized people by Colonizing powers usually tainting them or portraying them to be savages.

Postcolonial Literature is a literary approach that deals with the themes of postcolonial societies and writing from and about the former colonies.

Hybridity: This is the hybridization process favored by theorists such as the Kenyan-born British citizen Homi K. Bhabha, which occurs as a consequence of colonization. It can be found in linguistic practices, ethnicity, gender, etc., and most of the time it paints the uncomfortable and continuously evolving structure of the postcolonial self.

Mimicry: The other concept that Bhabha has formulated is that of mimicry and it pertains to how the colonized subject acquires the ability to imitate the colonizer’s civilization, language as well as actions. This imitation is then a subversive act as it exposes the Janus faced and contradictory nature of colonial power.

Othering: This process entails the construction of the colonized people as the ‘Other’ which is intrinsically different, as well as inferior to the colonizers. The process of construction of this otherness is a common concern of many postcolonial discourses as it involves stereotyping and hence justifying exploitation.

Diaspora: Refers to the outside moving of persons from their original origin through factors such as colonization, slavery, or in search of better economic opportunities. Literature of the diaspora is principally concerned with issues of displacement and non-belonging and the fashioning of new selves in alien lands.

Major Themes in Postcolonial Literature

• Identity and Culture: Even the question of the individual and ethnicity appears to be a rather frequently addressed issue and one of the core themes in postcolonial literature. Writers discuss how through colonialism people and communities have been disassembled and reconstituted; how people exist and live with that. 

• Power and Resistance: One of the recurring themes in the second world literature texts is the relationship between the colonizers and the colonized. These creative productions sometimes focus on the ideas of confrontation and passive defiance of colonial domination. 

• Language and Voice: Language is a very critical aspect of the postcolonial literature. The subjugation of the indigenous languages by the colonizers’ language is a common theme that writers explore in their works. They also try to revive and honor native tongues and oral history. 

• Historical and Political Context: It is therefore very important to note what happened in the historical and political context of a given postcolonial text. To a large extent many works have historical backgrounds for instance were based on independence and contain variations of political themes of the time.

Additional Tips for Your Assignment

Close Reading: It is recommended to give attention to the language of the text, its construction, and the topics it depicts. Discuss examples from which it is possible to judge how the author implements literary devices to express postcolonial issues.

Contextual Analysis: There are various historical, cultural, and political factors that you should take into account about the work that is before you. In what way do these contexts affect the plot and motifs?

Theoretical Frameworks: It will be beneficial for you to be informed on the postcolonial theorists like Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, and Homi Bhabha. Their theories can also help you in your analysis.

Thus, comprehending those definitions, concerns, and might help create a better understanding of postcolonial literature as well as write a better Assignment of Postcolonial LLiterature.