Postcolonial Theory & Psychoanalysis: From Uneasy Engagements to Effective Critique

What kind of theoretical engagement can postcolonial theory have with psychoanalysis? Is psychoanalysis still a useful tool for understanding the cultural and psychological dimensions of colonial societies? What would it mean to truly place psychoanalysis in the service of postcolonial critique?

Postcolonial Theory and Psychoanalysis answers these questions through a critical examination of the work of critics such as Fanon, Nandy, Bhabha, Deleuze and Guattari. It includes a consideration of key works by each critic, explores their broader reasons for using psychoanalysis in terms of their own theoretical projects as well as in relation to each other, and discusses the problems that follow. Greedharry's book offers students and researchers alike a clear account of why psychoanalysis has been an important method for postcolonial scholarship as well as suggestions about how we might move forward from psychoanalytic readings of the colony.