* Challenging Colonial Representations: Colonial literature often romanticized or exoticized the colonized landscapes, presenting them as either pristine wilderness or chaotic, underdeveloped spaces. Postcolonial writers actively challenge these representations by showing the setting's history, its complexities, and its significance to the indigenous population. They reveal the scars of colonialism – physical (ruined infrastructure, altered landscapes) and psychological (trauma, displacement). The setting becomes a site of resistance against the dominant, often Western, gaze.
* Highlighting Hybridity and Cultural Interaction: Postcolonial settings are frequently places of hybridity, reflecting the mixing of cultures, languages, and traditions that resulted from colonization. The setting itself might embody this mixing – a colonial building next to a traditional village, a cityscape with remnants of pre-colonial architecture, a landscape bearing the marks of both indigenous and colonial exploitation. The description of the setting helps to reveal this hybridity and its impact on the characters and their identities.
* Exploring Power Dynamics: The setting often reflects and reinforces existing power dynamics. A colonial administrative building might stand in stark contrast to a shantytown, highlighting the social and economic inequalities created and perpetuated by colonization. The physical space itself embodies the imbalances of power. The way the setting is described reveals the author's critical perspective on these power structures.
* Reclaiming Narratives: By focusing on specific settings, postcolonial writers can reclaim narratives that were suppressed or distorted during colonial rule. They can portray the setting from the perspective of the colonized, giving voice to experiences and perspectives that were previously marginalized or ignored. This act of reclamation is often central to the writer’s project of decolonization.
* Memory and Trauma: The setting frequently serves as a repository of collective memory and trauma. Places linked to historical events – massacres, forced removals, sites of resistance – become charged with emotional significance. The writer uses the setting to explore the lingering effects of colonialism on the collective psyche and individual lives.
In essence, the setting in postcolonial writing isn't just a location; it's a character in itself, a site of memory, struggle, and resistance. It's an active participant in the narrative, reflecting and shaping the experiences and identities of the characters within it. The careful crafting of the setting allows the writer to deconstruct colonial narratives and offer a more nuanced, complex, and ultimately liberating portrayal of the postcolonial world.