Imperial Desire and its Implications for Contemporary Representation of Colony

Abstract

There has been much rigorous questioning about the idea and practice of colonialism in current reflections on colonialism and post/coloniality. Except for some serious intellectual examination over the inter-relations between gender and colonisation in Spivak"s work on subalternity and gender, not much has been articulated about imperial desire and colonial sexualities. Moreover, there has been no signifying exploration of the distinction between imperialism and colonialism particularly as the difference is situated in desire. This paper attempts to locate the difference between imperial and colonial as they overlap in imperial desire. I also wish to expose its continuity in contemporary representations of colony, particularly in film and conclude by making comments on pedagogic practices in the current English studies classroom. In so doing, I intend to situate the politics, both cultural and sexual, within the current representational politics of post/coloniality.