POST-COLONIAL theorists have depicted THE RELATIONSHIP between COLONIAL CULTURE and the EXCERSISE of POWER using textual examples

Ooronoko, published in the year of the glorious revolution, 1688, was written by Aphra Behn in a time of prolific expansion of the empire. The rate that the English; and by 1707; the British Empire, swarmed over the rest of the world is still astounding. In 1800 Western powers claimed 55% (but actually held 35%) of the earths surface. Increasing this expansion by roughly 83,000 square miles per year and accelerating even on this, by 1914 Europe held roughly 85% of the earth as colonies. Though the majority of colonies have now been relinquished by Western powers, the phenomenon of colonialization is still very much prevailent in the uncomfortably pernicious forms of imperial culturization and global branding. Post-colonial criticism and theory offers an array of answers to the conceptual, philisophical, social, moral and economic problems of colonialization. I will be using Behn?s key text on the tragedy of an African prince imported to Surninam to work as a slave, to untangle and demystify two of the most famous theorists; Edward Said and Homi Bha

The casuality in which she ?supposes? she might have had the authority as an autonomous individual within the colony toprevent any punishment is completely belied by the fact she is a member of a weak group of women who are not even possessed by men but with fear. In Ooronoko?s gruesome death, the narrator is not present because ?the earthly smell about him (ooronoko) [was] so strong, that I was persuaded to leave the place for some time? . The fact that Ooronoko smells too much for the narrator to bear marks his relegation from esteemed hero Prince to black beast. The perturbing relish and horror with which the dismemberment of Ooronoko is told, gutts all of the narrators previous claims to trust and frienship with him into hollow statements. In one last act of mimicry which prfectly illustrates the stregth of Bhabha?s insight into colonial assumption, the narrator tells us ?he had learned to take tabacco; and when he was assured he should die, he desired they should bring him a pipe in his mouth, ready lighted? as Ooronoko?s limbs are ?hacked? off he smokes away a symbolic revolt. This is the final image of Ooronoko, the nobel Prince who successfully mimics his oppressors to the disruptive state that he must be eliminated from the colonial plan.

bha. By concerntrating on this text alone I hope to firmly root my thesis and hopefully discover some of the merits and flaws in each.

Said?s ?Orientalism? (1978) is structured on Foucault?s notions of discourse and authority, Orientalism, Said feels, is a discourse of power created by the West (or the Occiden)t to control and manipulate the East (or the Orient). European culture gains in strength by defining itself against the Orient, it?s weaker half. In the narrators first description of the English colony of Surinam we can see this form of strengthening by difference:

Descriptions of Ooronoko as ?the conqueror?, as ?daring? and ?nobel? only resound when Ooronoko can be cast in the position of protector of the colony, killing property destroying or white woman terrorizing tigers guareetee?s Ooronoko?s badge of honour within the narrative. Yet any action showing the slightest sort of intiative away from the position as slave to the colony relegates him in the narrators symbolic economy to his slave name ?ceasar? only or just as a nameless ?he?.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Surinam Bhabha, Catherine Gallagher, Homi Bhabha, Descriptions Ooronoko, Indian Queen, Aijaz Ahmad, Orientalism Firstly, British Empire, Royal Slave, Escapes Ooronoko, western hegemony, kings theatre, colonial subject, saids theory orientalism, shapes colours, western powers, ooronoko narrator, ooronokos blackness, nobel prince, baiting colour, set kings theatre, parakeetos parrots macaws, parrots macaws,
Approximate Word count = 3184
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)