What is the difference between colonial and postcolonial literature?

“’Colonial literature’ is most easily defined as literature written during a time of colonization, usually from the point of view of colonizers. “’Postcolonial literature,’ then, refers to literature written in a ‘postcolonial’ period, generally by members of the colonized community.

Why postcolonial is important?

The ultimate goal of post-colonialism is accounting for and combating the residual effects of colonialism on cultures. It is not simply concerned with salvaging past worlds, but learning how the world can move beyond this period together, towards a place of mutual respect.

Why is the declaration of independence important?

The Declaration of Independence is an important part of American democracy because first it contains the ideals or goals of our nation. Second it contains the complaints of the colonists against the British king. Third, it contains the arguments the colonists used to explain why they wanted to be free of British rule.

What are the characteristics of colonial literature?

Characteristics: The Colonial period was dominated by Puritan beliefs and thus literature of this period is usually historical, religious, or didactic. The first slave narratives were written at this time. Imaginative literature was rare; in some colonies, it was banned for being immoral.

What are the features of literary criticism?

Literary criticism is essentially an opinion, supported by evidence, relating to theme, style, setting or historical or political context. It usually includes discussion of the work’s content and integrates your ideas with other insights gained from research.

When did postcolonial literature start?

1950s

What are the features of postcolonialism?

Postcolonial Literature Characteristics

• Appropriation of Colonial Languages. Postcolonial writers have this thing they like to do.
• Metanarrative. Colonizers liked to tell a certain story.
• Colonialism.
• Colonial Discourse.
• Rewriting History.
• Decolonization Struggles.
• Nationhood and Nationalism.
• Valorization of Cultural Identity.

Who is the founder of post colonialism?

Edward Said’s Orientalism (1978) is considered as pivotal in the shaping of postcolonial studies. In Orientalism, Said argued for seeing a direct correlation between the knowledges that oriental scholars produced and how these were redeployed in the constitution of colonial rule.

What is colonialism and examples?

Colonialism is the practice of one country taking full or partial political control of another country and occupying it with settlers for purposes of profiting from its resources and economy. By the outbreak of World War I in 1914, European powers had colonized countries on virtually every continent.

What is the revolutionary period in American literature?

The American Revolutionary Period (1775–83) is notable for the political writings of Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson. An early novel is William Hill Brown’s The Power of Sympathy published in 1791.

What was written during the American Revolution?

The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence—written largely by Jefferson—in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence.

Is the Declaration of Independence literature?

The Declaration of Independence is most likely the most influential and important document in the course of American History. This is what makes U.S. history and American Literature…with out it both would be nonexistent.

What is the purpose of new criticism?

New Criticism was a formalist movement in literary theory that dominated American literary criticism in the middle decades of the 20th century. It emphasized close reading, particularly of poetry, to discover how a work of literature functioned as a self-contained, self-referential aesthetic object.

Why is postcolonial literature important?

Postcolonial literature also becomes relevant because it is capable of providing a representation of the suppressed as well as the suppresser, and hence offers a representation of conflicting views and ideologies.

Which best describes the conclusion of Declaration of Independence?

The conclusion of the Declaration of Independence described that the colonies are no longer loyal to Britain’s tyrannical rule. By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress . American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain.

What is meant by post colonialism?

Postcolonialism, the historical period or state of affairs representing the aftermath of Western colonialism; the term can also be used to describe the concurrent project to reclaim and rethink the history and agency of people subordinated under various forms of imperialism.

What is postcolonial African literature?

The term African postcolonial literature refers to writings produced after the political independence of various African states which were formerly subject to European colonial rule.

What was the main purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

The main purpose of America’s Declaration of Independence was to explain to foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain. The Revolutionary War had already begun, and several major battles had already taken place.

When was the postcolonial period?

1970s

How did literature contribute to the American Revolution?

When American revolted against Great Britain in 1776, the Colonists’ actions were fueled by influential political writings in favor of independence. The writers who helped inspire the American Revolution based their arguments on the ideals of rationalism.

What are the major concerns of postcolonial theorists?

Postcolonial theory is a body of thought primarily concerned with accounting for the political, aesthetic, economic, historical, and social impact of European colonial rule around the world in the 18th through the 20th century.