탈식민주의 국가에 대한 환경폭력의 영향과 대안 모색을 위한 가능한 관점: “탈식민주의 생태비평”으로 자메이카 킨케이드의 『작은 섬』 읽기 (Effects of the Environmental Exploitation of Postcolonial Nations and a Possible View to Explore Alternatives: Reading Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place as “Postcolonial Ecocriticism”)

This study focuses on examining the environmental exploitation of postcolonial nations and its effects, and seeks an alternative way through “postcolonial ecocriticism,” which combines postcolonialism research and ecology. A relatively recent concept, “postcolonial ecocriticism” posits that human and non-human colonialism is the source of environmental issues in postcolonial nations, including those in Africa. The effect of colonial environmental violence enfolds slowly and insidiously, perpetuates human inequalities in postcolonial countries, and destroys their environments. The realization that the aftermath will eventually spread back to the affluent countries in the northern hemisphere presents to us the necessity to conduct new ecological studies on both human and non-humans. In this respect, Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place provides strategies to develop a new form of ecological research. In particular, A Small Place is a reminder that environmental issues in postcolonial nations—including those in Africa—are inseparable from the economic activity and gains of capitalist nations worldwide, and therefore the effects of environmental exploitation are not restricted to postcolonial nations, but also affect the inhabitants of the various capitalist states. The perspective of “postcolonial ecocriticism” is represented by the emphasis that current environmental issues need to be solved through an understanding of the interactions between capitalist societies (economies) and environmental ecology. Hence, Kincaid’s novel A Small Place is analyzed in this article from the perspective of “postcolonial ecocriticism,” and is used to develop a method to identify alternative solutions to mitigate the effects of environmental exploitation in postcolonial nations.

This study focuses on examining the environmental exploitation of postcolonial nations and its effects, and seeks an alternative way through “postcolonial ecocriticism,” which combines postcolonialism research and ecology. A relatively recent concept, “postcolonial ecocriticism” posits that human and non-human colonialism is the source of environmental issues in postcolonial nations, including those in Africa. The effect of colonial environmental violence enfolds slowly and insidiously, perpetuates human inequalities in postcolonial countries, and destroys their environments. The realization that the aftermath will eventually spread back to the affluent countries in the northern hemisphere presents to us the necessity to conduct new ecological studies on both human and non-humans. In this respect, Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small Place provides strategies to develop a new form of ecological research. In particular, A Small Place is a reminder that environmental issues in postcolonial nations—including those in Africa—are inseparable from the economic activity and gains of capitalist nations worldwide, and therefore the effects of environmental exploitation are not restricted to postcolonial nations, but also affect the inhabitants of the various capitalist states. The perspective of “postcolonial ecocriticism” is represented by the emphasis that current environmental issues need to be solved through an understanding of the interactions between capitalist societies (economies) and environmental ecology. Hence, Kincaid’s novel A Small Place is analyzed in this article from the perspective of “postcolonial ecocriticism,” and is used to develop a method to identify alternative solutions to mitigate the effects of environmental exploitation in postcolonial nations.