Resisting the Colonial Discourse: Interrogating Postcolonial Agency
Resisting the Colonial Discourse: Interrogating Postcolonial Agency

Summary/Abstract: Recent developments demonstrate that the impact of colonialism persists in postcolonial societies and attest to continued neocolonialism. However, postcolonial subjects are full of agency. In this paper, the focus is on tracing postcolonial agency in “The Hunt” by Mahasweta Devi, The Trial of Dedan Kimathi by Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Micere Githae Mugo, and “Pantomime” by Derek Walcott. This article investigates the coexistence of postcolonialism and neocolonialism in postcolonial societies and underlines the acts of resistance towards it. It looks at texts produced around the same period from different former colonies as an attempt to recognize the uniqueness of each experience and its heterogeneity. “The Hunt” focuses on neo-imperialism and violence as an agency with an emphasis on tribal populations. The Trial of Dedan Kimathi explores the concept of violence being agential and the act of rewriting one’s history as an act of agency. “Pantomime” employs the idea of mimicry and language as an act of resistance against imperialism. This approach is towards a context-specific view of (post)colonialism and challenges the homogenization of the Orient by the Occident. This paper is situated within the framework of postcolonial studies.

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