Language As Power in African and Indian English Literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64882/ijrt.v14.iS1.1002Keywords:
Language, Power, Postcolonialism, African Literature, Indian English LiteratureAbstract
Language in postcolonial literature is not merely a medium of communication but a powerful instrument of control, resistance, and identity formation. African and Indian English literature reveal how language operates as a site of power shaped by colonial history. This paper examines how English—once imposed as a colonial language—has been appropriated, reshaped, and resisted by African and Indian writers. Through selected works by Chinua Achebe, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Raja Rao, Salman Rushdie, and Arundhati Roy, the study explores how language functions as a tool of domination as well as empowerment, enabling postcolonial writers to reclaim voice, culture, and authority.
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