Existentialism in 'Waiting for Godot': An Overview

Prof. Daniel David addressing our PG Students

Postcolonial Studies wrt Indigenous Studies: An Appraisal

Dr. Armstrong, Professor & Head, Dept of English, University of Madras, delivered a thought-provoking lecture on Contemporary State of Postcolonial Studies with reference to Indigenous Studies to our I & II MA students, today at 11 am.

Overview of Professor’s Lecture:

Dr. Armstrong

Dr. Armstrong began by outlining the domain of Postcolonial Studies, which focuses on the reading and writing of literature written in previously or currently colonized countries, and seeks to critically investigate what happens when there is a clash between two cultures. This clash is where one of them ideologically fashions itself as superior and assumes dominance and control over the other, Hence, the field of postcolonial studies has itself been hotly contested ever since its rise in the 1970s.

Although the term “postcolonial” avoided some of the terminological problems of its predecessors, namely Commonwealth literatures, World Literatures, New Literatures, etc, it sought to create problems of its own especially when related to Indigenous studies. Moreover, Dr. Armstrong, rhetorically asked, if the space for Indigenous studies in the broad field of Postcolonial studies was much less when compared to other areas like diaspora, comparative literature,  hybridity, post colonial gender studies etc?

While there are two types of Post colonialism – Oppositional Colonialism and Complicit Colonialism, the latter cannot be applied to indigenous texts. Only complicit colonialism provides a minimal space for the indigenous peoples interest.