مهسا هاشمی

The interminable impact of colonial discourse even after the colonized nations’ independence necessitate critical inquiry. Prominent theoreticians of postcolonialism often investigate this persistent presence in diverse fields including literature and arts. Noted for his meticulous exploration of Caribbean natural and cultural landscape, Derek Wolcott, the Saint Lucian playwright and poet, often addresses diverse themes such as identity, heritage and power dynamics in interpersonal relations within the larger social context. His play, Pantomime (1978), is a satirical reworking of Robinson Crusoe, which injects a postcolonial critical discourse into the major characters’ improvisation of Defoe’s novel. Drawing upon Homi Bhabha’s seminal concepts of mimicry, hybridity and third space, this study, in an analytical-critical framework, examines Walcott’s presentation of the colonizer/colonized power struggle. It is suggested that though initially aimed to entertain, the pantomime in the play turns out to entail a deliberate act of rethinking the impact of colonization and decolonialization in the aftermath of the country’s independence. The language and acts of performance employed by the two main characters delineate that, though attenuated, the colonial discourse still holds dominance; each character, nevertheless, strives to attain presence, agency and power despite the historical and cultural setbacks, inequalities and dysfunctional human connections. It is concluded that Walcott’s play is a subversive text which is intended to underscore the prevalence of the colonial mindset as well as the informed implementation of discourse and performance by the colonized to refashion the imbalanced relations. As such, this study carries significant implications in further research in this field through providing an informative critique of the totalizing desire of the colonized for primacy and centrality and delineating the redemptive strategies of the colonized to reclaim their