"The Empire Writes Back": Intertextuality Revealing The Effects Of Colonialism On Identity

The purpose of this research is to utilize literature,which is predominantly Caribbean to provide a counter-colonial discourse of history and the way of life of the others in a voice that is not dictated by western thought.Identity and culture was stripped from the characters of the canonical texts;through the use of intertextuality,these characters are redeemed and bestowed with a voice to speak out against this injustice.The research will utilize a number of books and plays,comparing and contrasting them with canonical texts primarily through the use of intertextuality.Special attention will be paid to the use of language as language is often an indicator of specific mindsets and mentalities,the use of theories by the aforementioned theorists is also a crucial element in this research as it will equip the researcher with the tools needed to dissect the voice and control exerted by the occident.In this thesis,post-colonial theory is applied to three works of literature,using their corresponding canonical texts as point of reference.The method implemented during this discourse is that of textual analysis.Intertextuality plays an exceedingly important role in this paper as it is the tool used by the post-colonial writers to tell their version of history,as such,there is a constant need for comparison and contrasts with the texts.Parallels between the canonical texts and the post-colonial texts are also drawn to establish the connection between the books and how it is that they relate to each other.When taking into consideration the textual analysis of the six works of literature examined by this paper,there are a number of things that become apparent.Firstly,it is undeniable that intertextuality functions as the perfect tool for the post-colonial writers to write back to the center.Through intertextuality,Ondaatje,Walcott and Rhys have the ability to relate their version of events,while acknowledging the manner in which they were originally misconstrued in the original texts by Kipling,Defoe and Bronte respectively.Intertextuality allows for the exploration of the issues of identity as it alludes to the erasing of identity in the canonical texts and gives way to the consciousness of identity in the post-colonial texts.