ABSTRACT
The second volume of The Origins of Totalitarianism shows an early and highly perceptive interest in a number of topics that have more recently become the concern of postcolonial studies, such as race, ethnicity, nationality and empire. The intersection between Arendt’s work and postcolonial literary and cultural studies is increasingly being acknowledged by postcolonial critics. In 1994, the editors of Colonial Discourse and Postcolonial Theory claimed that the ‘insights and methods’ of The Origins of Totalitarianism ‘offer an important source for future colonial discourse theorization’ (Williams and Chrisman 1994:7). Yet while the work of other theorists of race and ethnicity who were contemporary with Arendt, such as Frantz Fanon, have become significant influences on postcolonial studies, Arendt’s important work on European imperialism is arguably still under-represented in the field. Undoubtedly, though, her book is an indispensable study for anyone interested in the political significance of the imperial exploitation of Africa, and in particular its literary representations.
