This document is a paper submitted by Hariyani Kishan.R to S.B.G Department of English at M.K.Bhavnagar University in batch 2015-2017. It discusses the evolution of English studies, the incorporation of American literature, and the differences between Commonwealth literature and postcolonial literature. Commonwealth literature highlights similarities between English-language literatures, but does not account for literature from non-Commonwealth countries or exclude British literature. Postcolonial literature relates literatures based on a shared history of colonialism and includes criticism of both Western and non-Western texts.

1. NAME : HARIYANI KISHAN.R
ROLL NO :17
PAPER NO 11 :THE POST COLONIAL
LITERATURE
SUBMITTED TO :S.B.G,DEPARTMENT OF
ENGLISH M.K.BHAVNAGAR UNIVERSITY
BATCH 2015’17
kishanhariyani1992@gmail.com

2. EVOLUTION OF THE “ENGLISH STUDIES”
Humanistic studies centred on classical
literatures (Greek and Latin).
English literature becomes an object of study
in itself during the 19th century.
American literature is incorporated into the
“English Studies” curriculum.

3. COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE
 Commonwealth literature
highlights the similarities that
exist among different
literatures in English.

4. PROBLEMS OF THE TERM
COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE
Inclusion of national literatures of those countries
which do not belong to the Commonwealth.
Exclusion of British literature  Reproduction of a
Eurocentric view of English studies, based on the
distinction between the centre and the periphery.

5. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE AND
POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE
Postcolonial literature relates non-Western
literatures on the basis of a common historical
experience: colonialism. It does nor privilege
language as the link that joins the different
literatures together
Presence of a substantive body of criticism.
Postcolonial literature is concerned both with
Western and non-Western texts.

6. Post Colonial Theory
 Focus on reading and writing literature written in
previously or current colonized country
 The literature is composed of colonizing countries that
deals with colonization or colonized people
Postcolonial theory is a term that refer the theoretical and
critical observations of former colonies of the Western
powers and how they relate,to and inrect with the rest of
the world
The field of Postcolonial studies has it self been hotly
contested ever since it’s rise in the 1970.

7. Work cited:
http://www.ipsnews.net/1997/04/literatur
e-what-is-commonwealth-literature/
http://www.slideshare.net/josesantiagofer
nandezvazquez/from-commonwealth-
literature-to-postcolonial-studies
https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/postcoloni
alstudies/about-postcolonial-studies/