Literary Theory: Postcolonialism Examines global impact of European colonialism: Describes mechanisms of power, excluded “voices,” and theorizes about individual and national identity. Imperialism involves claiming and exploiting lands beyond a country’s border for prestige, raw materials, and markets for its goods. Colonialism involves transforming those lands—their social structure, culture, government, and economy (From the Norton website). Shows how the West constructs the third world as an “Other,” a binary that defines the West against the third world: stereotypes and power Examines how Western institutions and even literature reinforce imperialist and colonial ideologies. (However, some Western texts also critique these ideologies.) Looks at the third world literature to explore how colonial subjects view themselves and their societies: double consciousness, pre- and postcolonial culture

William Watson and the Hamidian Massacres Ottoman Turkey and Abdul Hamid II (sultan) Armenians as Christian minority living under Ottoman Turkish rule Bulgarian Massacres in 1876 – approx. 15,000 Hamidian Massacres in 1894 -1896: approx.200,000 Armenians (100, 000 massacred; 100,000 disease and famine) 1915 Genocide: 1- 1.5 million Armenians killed