LANGUAGE, EMPIRE, AND RESISTANCE: A POSTCOLONIAL ANALYSIS OF R. F. KUANG'S BABEL

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between language, empire, and resistance in R. F. Kuang's Babel (2022) through the lens of postcolonial theory. The research investigates how the novel portrays language as a mechanism of colonial domination while simultaneously presenting it as a means of anti-colonial resistance. Employing a qualitative research methodology and textual analysis, the study analyzes selected passages from the novel using the postcolonial theories of Edward Said's Orientalism, Homi K. Bhabha's concepts of hybridity and mimicry, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak's theory of the subaltern. The findings reveal that the British Empire in Babel maintains its authority through linguistic control, educational institutions, and the production of colonial knowledge, which reinforce cultural hierarchy and racial inequality. The analysis further demonstrates that Robin Swift's experiences reflect the psychological effects of colonialism, including identity fragmentation, internalized oppression, and the struggle for self-representation. At the same time, the novel illustrates that translation and language can become powerful tools of resistance against imperial domination. The study concludes that Babel redefines language as both an instrument of colonial power and a medium of liberation, thereby contributing to contemporary postcolonial literary discourse. By integrating the theoretical perspectives of Said, Bhabha, and Spivak, this research offers a comprehensive understanding of the intersections of language, empire, identity, and resistance in twenty-first-century postcolonial fiction.