Critic speak is tough, but we've got you covered.
Quote :The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-colonial Literatures
Language becomes the medium through which conceptions of "'truth"', "'order"', and "'reality"' become established. Such power is rejected in the emergence of an effective post-colonial voice. For this reason, the discussion of post-colonial writing by which the language, with its power, and the writing, with its signification of authority, has been wrested from the dominant European culture.
The words you are reading right now are tools of the colonizer. Why? Because language creates meaning and meaning creates power. If you can understand, control and wield the language of the colonizer, then that kind of makes you a colonizer too (or at least a part of his gang).
Whew! Harsh, right? Makes us kind of feel like we shouldn't be explaining anything to you all lest we become just another part of the imperial order. But we'll take a stab anyway because that's just what we do (plucky, aren't we?).
So anyhoo, there are ways around being a total tool: you just have to say "'Screw you!"' to the way Language creates "'truth,"' "'order,"' and "'reality"' (because we all know, those things are totally relative and subjective—thanks Einstein!). In fact, if you're part of the poco field, you're already sticking it to the Man because you're talking about all sorts of ideas and books that totally don't follow the typical script. So see? Ashcroft and gang aren't too mean and tough—you just have to hang with them more and you're all good!
What these guys and gal point out is something pretty basic to the field of poco lit: the language of the colonizer, because it was so often forced upon people of other cultures, is something to resist.
How (especially if that language is your only language)? By getting creative and experimental with it so that new truths and new stories can come out. Think of this whole criticism about language as license to handle all that delicate glassware your parents always told you not to touch. Go ahead: touch it, pick it up, heck—toss it up in the air and let it break!
That's one of the major points of poco lit: let's "'break"' the dominant language, hack it up, use it in a new way, view it with critical eyes. Maybe, just maybe, a new alternative meaning will come out and displace what was previously seen as "'truth."'