THE DEATH OF ‘SELF’ IS THE BIRTH OF ‘OTHER’: A POSTCOLONIAL STUDY OF J.M. COETZEE’S THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MICHAEL K

Abstract

Post colonialism is a discourse examining cultural and linguistic impacts on the colonised countries especially the third world countries. It focuses on how European countries succeed in getting hold of the other countries through invasion and settling. Texts, in this mode of theory, are usually written from the point of view of the colonised people who are victimised by the daunting rule of colonialism. The loss of identity, culture, language, and religion are the core topics of this study. This paper turns the spotlight on the miserable life of Michael K who has lost his identity in a vortex of colonialism. This paper also tries to explain the cause and effect of hegemony, a propellant tool used in Postcolonial discourses. Michael K is a social victim from the pen of Coetzee, a Postcolonial writer who has written many novels about imperialism and colonialism.