Colonial mimicry is a key concept in postcolonial theory that describes the ambivalent relationship between colonizers and the colonized. It refers to the process in which colonized subjects adopt the language, culture, and practices of the colonizer, often as a means of gaining social mobility, legitimacy, or power. However, this act of imitation is never complete, producing a form of mimicry that is both similar and different—what Homi Bhabha famously termed "almost the same, but not quite." This contradiction creates both a tool of colonial control and a potential site of resistance.
The Concept of Colonial Mimicry
Homi Bhabha, a postcolonial theorist, introduced the concept in The Location of Culture (1994). He argues that colonial powers promote mimicry to create a version of the colonized that is “reformed, recognizable, and respectable”—a subject who upholds colonial authority. However, this imitation is never perfect; it always contains traces of difference, which makes it unsettling. This gap between imitation and authenticity destabilizes colonial authority because the colonized subject, while appearing loyal, may also subvert colonial ideology through parody or irony.
Colonial Mimicry as a Tool of Control
Colonial administrations often encouraged mimicry to create intermediaries who could facilitate governance. For example, British colonial policy in India promoted English-language education among the Indian elite, hoping to produce a class of subjects who would be "Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect," as famously stated by Thomas Babington Macaulay in his Minute on Education (1835). The goal was to create a group that could assist in colonial administration while remaining subordinate.
Similarly, in French colonial Algeria, the policy of assimilation aimed to create “évolués” (evolved ones)—Algerians who adopted French customs, language, and values. However, these subjects were never fully accepted as equals, and the gap between their imposed Frenchness and their Algerian identity often led to frustration, resistance, and later, anti-colonial movements.
Mimicry as Resistance
While mimicry was intended to serve colonial interests, it also opened avenues for resistance. Colonized subjects often exaggerated or subtly altered the behaviors they were supposed to adopt, turning mimicry into mockery. For instance, in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the protagonist Okonkwo’s son converts to Christianity and adopts European ways, illustrating both submission and a challenge to traditional Igbo society. However, his embrace of colonial values does not grant him full acceptance in the colonial world, reflecting the incomplete nature of mimicry.
In Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, the phenomenon of black individuals adopting European culture and mannerisms highlights the psychological distress of mimicry. Fanon describes how colonized people internalize the desire to be like their colonizers, but their racial difference prevents full assimilation, leading to alienation.
In summary, Colonial mimicry reveals the paradox of colonial rule: while it seeks to create obedient subjects, it also generates ambiguity and resistance. Mimicry’s failure to produce perfect copies destabilizes colonial authority, showing that power is never absolute. Today, the legacy of colonial mimicry persists in postcolonial societies, influencing cultural identity, language, and global power dynamics. Understanding this concept is crucial for analyzing how colonial histories continue to shape contemporary societies.
