Homi K Bhabha

MAJOR Ideas
in Postcolonial Studies
 HOMI BHABHA

• Postcolonial Critic
• Post-structuralist
• Born in 1949,Mumbai
• Professor at Harvard University
• Awarded Badmabushan- 2012
Works:-
1) Location of Culture
2) Nation and Narration
3) Democracy De-Realized
Main ideas:-

1) Hybridity
2) Third space
3) Ambivalence
4) Mimicry
 HYBRIDITY
Background
• Originates from Biology
• Simply= Intermingling of Eastern and Western cultures
• Hybridity is classified as:- Racial , Lingual,literary and religious etc…

Bhabha’s Concept

The mixing of races and culures, so that new forms of culture are produced
E.g: Indian culture + British culture
= Hybrid culture

( Sign taken for wonders)

• In 19th century, hybridity frightened Europe because it will subvert their cultural superiority.
• But in Postcolonial studies, Colonialism itself enables hybrid cultures
( with adopting colonial language, dressing and way of thinking by colonised)

• Bhabha sees Hybridity as an Empowering condition

where cultural purity and diversity are rejected
And emphasis on Multiciplity / Plural identities.
• Salman Rushdie, Hanif quraish ,Derek Walcott say:
Hybridity is Empowering for some
and Detrimental for some.
• Hegemonic structures of English will be subverted.
 THIRD SPACE

It is a hybrid space not physical but enables;

(in-between)
1. Hybrid identities
2. Cultural transformation

Hybridity
In-between

Indian culture British culture

Third space
(Colonised) (Colonizer)
 AMBIVALENCE

• Meaning = Uncertainity, mixed feeling

The state of having mixed feeling or contradictory ideas about s/th
e.g: love/ hate
Positive / Negative
• coined by Eugen Beleuler

Ambivalence= is the relationship between Coloniser and Colonised

Education/Infrastructure
Vs
Looting
 MEANING OF SLAVE

Bhabha brings the theory to elaborate :-

MEANING OF SLAVE
- John locke Bhabha applies:-

1) Rightful in the state of Cardinia

“Colonization”
- For Colonizer = it is ok
2) De humanizing in the state of nature
- For larger perspective = it is illegal
 MIMICRY

Imitation of culture , language, politics and behavior

of Colonizer by Colonised

[We are inferior & They are superior]

• Coined by Jacques Lacan, French Psycho analyst.

• Bhabha brings in his essay:-
{ Of Mimicry and Man: The Ambivalence of Colonial discourse
• Frantz Fanon termed in 'Black Skin,White Masks’
 CONCEPT OF FANTASY

• Bhabha brings the theory to elaborate:-

Bhabha applies:-
Concept of Fantasy Mimicry is like Fantasy
- Sigmund Freud

Fantasy is between Preconscience and e.g: Indians are not Indians and
Subconscious English
 Effects of Colonial
• Edward Said:- Mimicry
A desire for a reformed recognizable Other as a subject of
difference . That is almost same but not quite. 1. Castration
2. Shatters
Identity
• White Masters wanted to mimic them to become like them 3. Epistemic
,but just below them violence
• They colonised for civilise Other 4. Tendency to
copy Foreigners
• They gave all partially not fully 5. Refugee in our
land
6. Intimidation
• Hence , Mimicry is
- Hypocrasy - Insincere - Mockery - Cheating
 CONCLUSION

Hybridity – Mixing of races and culures, so that new forms of culture are
produced
Third space- Hybrid space ( in- between space)
Ambivalence- The relationship between Coloniser and Colonised
Mimicry- Imitation of culture, language, politics and behavior of Colonizer by
Colonised