Postcolonialism and Comparative Literature

Abstract

The adjective postcolonial, as well as the noun postcolonialism, can have different meanings in different uses, which, in accordance with the etymology of the word “colony”, are difficult to distinguish. Postcolonial studies have demonstrated through their best examples the ability to deal with power relations in different contexts, and to shed light on empire-building processes, as well as on the impact of colonization on postcolonial history, economics, science, and the cultural production of colonized peoples. As the British comparatist Susan Bassnett underlines, the entry of the term “postcolonial” on the critical scene is one of the most significant events for comparative literature in the 20th century. This paper analyzes the connections between postcolonialism, postcolonial (literary) criticism and comparative literature. Тhe paper first presents a brief overview of the development of postcolonial studies, then briefly describes their reception in Serbian culture; the central part is devoted, through selected examples, to the ways in which comparative studies have responded to the challenges of postcolonial critique. Finally, based on the Vladimir Tasić’s essay “Allegory of the reluctant fundamentalist”, critical remarks were made about the dominant ideological settings of postcolonial culturalism (ethno-literature, exoticism) from the perspective of Serbian literature and culture.