The ownership of language has been one of the keys to colonial power. Recently the use of the colonial language by post-colonial writers has been examined not as the effect of assimilation but
as a tool for a rebuttal to the dominant culture. Ashcroft (English, University of Hong Kong) is one of the first to study post-colonial writing in English. In this book he discusses how the
English language has been molded by authors, particularly in the Caribbean and Africa, to fit the rhythms and experiences of their, once subservient, culture. Ashcroft also addresses the debate
between those who accept the homogenization of English as an international language and the desire to retain regional and ethnic identity through language. Annotation 穢2009 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
