1) CUET-ready definition
Postcolonialism (as a field of study and critical approach) examines:
- the cultural, political, and psychological effects of colonialism and imperial power,
- how literature represents coloniser/colonised relations,
- and how formerly colonised societies negotiate identity, language, history, and resistance.
“Post-” does not mean colonialism is over; it signals:
- critical attention to colonial legacies and continuing power structures.
2) Core concepts (high-yield)
A) Empire and discourse
Colonialism operates not only through armies/economies but through:
- representation,
- knowledge systems,
- stereotypes,
- narratives of “civilising mission.”
B) Othering
Construction of colonised people as:
- inferior, exotic, irrational, childlike, to justify domination.
C) Hybridity and language
Postcolonial texts often:
- mix languages/idioms,
- appropriate the coloniser’s language (English) for local expression,
- show identity as hybrid rather than pure.
D) Nation and narration
Postcolonial novels often engage:
- nation formation,
- Partition,
- competing histories and memories.
E) Subalternity and voice
A key concern:
- who can speak and be heard,
- how representation can erase marginal voices.