Postcolonial theory examines the effects of colonialism on formerly colonized society, exploring how colonial powers imposed their values languages and structures on the colonized, and how these impositions have shaped postcolonial identities. Prominent postcolonial theorists include Edward Said, Frantz Fanon, Homi K. Bhabha, and Gayatri Spivak. Key concepts: - **Orientalism**: Edward Said's concept of Orientalism refers to the Western practice of viewing the East as "exotic," "backward," or "barbaric," in contrast to the "civilized" West. - **Hybridity**: Homi Bhabha introduced hybridity to describe how colonized people often combine both colonial and indigenous identities, creating a “third space” that challenges the purity of either identity. - **Subaltern**: Gayatri Spivak’s term for those whose voices are marginalized under colonial systems. The “subaltern” refers to people who lack agency within colonial or Western power structures.