7.3 Mimicry

Mimicry in postcolonial literature refers to the complex imitation of colonizer culture by the colonized. It's a survival strategy and form of resistance that exposes contradictions in colonial power structures.

Mimicry blurs lines between colonizer and colonized, creating unease and challenging cultural superiority claims. It's linked to hybridity, allowing negotiation of cultural identities and opening spaces for new expressions that transcend colonial limitations.

Mimicry in postcolonial literature

• Mimicry is a key concept in postcolonial literature that refers to the imitation of the colonizer's culture, language, and behavior by the colonized
• It is a complex and ambivalent process that involves both resistance and complicity on the part of the colonized subject
• Mimicry can be seen as a survival strategy, a means of negotiating power relations, and a way of asserting agency within the colonial context

Mimicry as resistance strategy

• Mimicry can be employed as a subtle form of resistance against colonial domination
• By imitating the colonizer, the colonized subject can expose the contradictions and instabilities of colonial discourse

Subversion of colonial discourse

Top images from around the web for Subversion of colonial discourse

• 

  The History of Archaeology as a ‘Colonial Discourse’ | Bulletin of the History of Archaeology View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  PITAMAHA: MIMICRY IN ARTS AND DESIGN DURING THE COLONIAL ERA | E-Jurnal Kajian Budaya (Online ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Distorted Narratives: Morocco, Spain, and the Colonial Stratigraphy of Cultural Heritage ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The History of Archaeology as a ‘Colonial Discourse’ | Bulletin of the History of Archaeology View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  PITAMAHA: MIMICRY IN ARTS AND DESIGN DURING THE COLONIAL ERA | E-Jurnal Kajian Budaya (Online ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Subversion of colonial discourse

• 

  The History of Archaeology as a ‘Colonial Discourse’ | Bulletin of the History of Archaeology View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  PITAMAHA: MIMICRY IN ARTS AND DESIGN DURING THE COLONIAL ERA | E-Jurnal Kajian Budaya (Online ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Distorted Narratives: Morocco, Spain, and the Colonial Stratigraphy of Cultural Heritage ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The History of Archaeology as a ‘Colonial Discourse’ | Bulletin of the History of Archaeology View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  PITAMAHA: MIMICRY IN ARTS AND DESIGN DURING THE COLONIAL ERA | E-Jurnal Kajian Budaya (Online ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Mimicry can subvert colonial discourse by revealing its inherent ambivalence and inconsistencies
• The colonized subject's mimicry is never a perfect imitation but rather a distorted reflection that challenges the authority of colonial representations
• Mimicry can destabilize colonial stereotypes by appropriating and redeploying them in subversive ways

Destabilization of power structures

• Mimicry can destabilize colonial power structures by blurring the boundaries between colonizer and colonized
• The colonized subject's mimicry can create a sense of unease and anxiety in the colonizer, who is confronted with a mirror image that is both familiar and strange
• Mimicry can challenge the colonizer's claim to cultural superiority and undermine the legitimacy of colonial rule

Mimicry vs mockery

• While mimicry and mockery both involve imitation, they differ in their approach and intentions
• Mimicry is often more subtle and ambivalent, while mockery is more overt and confrontational

Subtle differences in approach

• Mimicry operates through a process of appropriation and adaptation, while mockery relies on exaggeration and caricature
• Mimicry can be seen as a form of camouflage or masquerade, while mockery is more direct in its critique and ridicule
• Mimicry often involves a degree of identification with the colonizer, while mockery maintains a clear distance and opposition

Implications for colonial authority

• Mimicry can be more unsettling for colonial authority because it blurs the boundaries between self and other, colonizer and colonized
• Mockery, while challenging colonial authority, can also reinforce colonial stereotypes and binary oppositions
• Mimicry's ambivalence and potential for subversion make it a more complex and potentially destabilizing force within the colonial context

Mimicry and hybridity

• Mimicry is closely related to the concept of hybridity, which refers to the mixing and blending of cultures in the colonial context
• Mimicry can be seen as a form of cultural hybridity, as it involves the selective appropriation and adaptation of elements from both the colonizer's and the colonized's cultures

Negotiation of cultural identities

• Mimicry allows the colonized subject to negotiate and reconfigure their cultural identity in relation to the colonizer
• Through mimicry, the colonized subject can assert their agency and resist complete assimilation into the colonizer's culture
• Mimicry can lead to the creation of new, hybrid cultural forms that challenge the binary opposition between colonizer and colonized

Creation of new spaces

• Mimicry can create a "third space" that is neither fully colonizer nor fully colonized but rather a site of cultural negotiation and transformation
• This third space allows for the emergence of new cultural identities and forms of expression that transcend the limitations of colonial discourse
• Mimicry can open up spaces for resistance, subversion, and the reimagining of cultural and political possibilities

Mimicry in Bhabha's work

• Homi K. Bhabha is a prominent theorist who has extensively explored the concept of mimicry in his work on postcolonial studies
• Bhabha's analysis of mimicry has been influential in shaping the understanding of colonial power relations and resistance

Of Mimicry and Man

• In his essay "Of Mimicry and Man," Bhabha examines the ambivalent nature of mimicry in the colonial context
• He argues that mimicry is a complex process that involves both resemblance and menace, as the colonized subject's imitation of the colonizer is never a perfect replica but rather a distorted reflection
• Bhabha suggests that mimicry can be a subversive strategy that undermines the authority of colonial discourse by revealing its inherent contradictions and instabilities

Ambivalence of colonial discourse

• Bhabha emphasizes the ambivalence of colonial discourse, which is characterized by a simultaneous desire for and fear of the colonized other
• Mimicry exposes this ambivalence by creating a "double vision" that disrupts the colonizer's claim to authenticity and superiority
• The colonized subject's mimicry can be both a source of anxiety and a site of resistance, as it challenges the stability and legitimacy of colonial power

Mimicry in specific literary works

• Mimicry is a recurring theme in many postcolonial literary works, where it is explored as a complex and ambivalent process of cultural negotiation and resistance
• Authors such as V.S. Naipaul and Salman Rushdie have engaged with the concept of mimicry in their writing, offering nuanced portrayals of colonial power relations and the struggles of postcolonial identity formation

Mimicry in Naipaul's The Mimic Men

• In V.S. Naipaul's novel The Mimic Men, the protagonist Ralph Singh grapples with his identity as a colonial subject and his attempts to mimic the colonizer's culture
• Naipaul explores the psychological and social consequences of mimicry, as Ralph struggles to reconcile his Indian heritage with his desire to assimilate into British society
• The novel highlights the alienation and dislocation experienced by the colonized subject caught between two cultures and the ultimate impossibility of fully belonging to either

Mimicry in Rushdie's Midnight's Children

• Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children engages with mimicry through its exploration of postcolonial Indian identity and the legacy of British colonialism
• The novel's protagonist, Saleem Sinai, embodies the hybrid nature of postcolonial identity, as he navigates the complexities of his mixed cultural heritage
• Rushdie uses mimicry as a narrative device to challenge colonial stereotypes and to assert the agency and creativity of the postcolonial subject in shaping their own identity and destiny

Limitations of mimicry

• While mimicry can be a powerful tool for resistance and subversion, it also has its limitations and potential pitfalls
• Critics have pointed out that mimicry can sometimes reinforce colonial stereotypes and power structures even as it seeks to challenge them

Reinforcement of colonial stereotypes

• Mimicry can inadvertently reinforce colonial stereotypes by perpetuating the idea of the colonized subject as a mere imitator or mimic of the colonizer
• The act of mimicry can be seen as a form of flattery or validation of the colonizer's cultural superiority, even if it is intended as a subversive gesture
• Mimicry can also lead to the internalization of colonial values and the devaluation of indigenous cultural practices and identities

Dependence on recognition by colonizer

• Mimicry can create a problematic dependence on the recognition and validation of the colonizer
• The colonized subject's mimicry may seek to gain the approval or acceptance of the colonizer, which can undermine the potential for genuine resistance and self-determination
• Mimicry can also lead to a sense of alienation and disconnection from one's own cultural roots and community, as the colonized subject becomes caught between two worlds

Mimicry and language

• Language is a key site of mimicry in the colonial context, as the colonized subject often adopts the language of the colonizer as a means of survival and advancement
• The appropriation of colonial language can be both a tool of resistance and a source of ambivalence and tension

Appropriation of colonial language

• The colonized subject's appropriation of colonial language can be seen as a form of mimicry that challenges the colonizer's linguistic hegemony
• By mastering and manipulating the colonizer's language, the colonized subject can assert their agency and subvert colonial power relations
• The use of colonial language can also be a means of accessing education, social mobility, and political power within the colonial system

Subversion through linguistic play

• Mimicry can involve linguistic play and experimentation, as the colonized subject appropriates and transforms the colonizer's language for their own purposes
• Through the use of irony, satire, and double entendre, the colonized subject can subvert the meaning and authority of colonial discourse
• Linguistic mimicry can create a space for resistance and the assertion of alternative identities and narratives that challenge colonial domination

Mimicry and gender

• Mimicry has gendered dimensions, as the experiences and strategies of mimicry can differ for colonized men and women
• The intersection of gender and colonial power relations adds another layer of complexity to the dynamics of mimicry

Gendered dimensions of mimicry

• Colonized men and women may face different pressures and expectations in their mimicry of the colonizer's culture and behavior
• Colonized women may be subject to a double oppression, as they navigate both colonial and patriarchal power structures
• The mimicry of colonized women can be shaped by gendered stereotypes and the exoticization of the female other in colonial discourse

Mimicry and female agency

• Mimicry can be a means for colonized women to assert their agency and resist both colonial and patriarchal oppression
• By appropriating and subverting the colonizer's language and cultural norms, colonized women can challenge the limitations placed on their roles and identities
• Mimicry can also be a way for colonized women to negotiate their position within the colonial system and to create spaces for solidarity and resistance with other marginalized groups