The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate how imperialism is energized by the relationship between the hegemonic and democratic traditions in the West. It argues that modern imperialism, through a particular negotiating dynamic, disperses the two traditions in different cultural formations to normalize exploitative relations. The dissertation traces the operation of this negotiating dynamic at particular junctures by examining the Enlightenment, 18th century travel and narrative literatures, sexuality, globalization, and emancipation in South Africa. The dissertation makes the case that allowing performance to have a greater role in shaping; postcolonial theoretical engagements can help move the field beyond constructing another model of difference with its risky emphasis on cultural minoritarianism to an espousal of healthy humanism based on subverting Western monopoly over signification. That is why the dissertation engages the pioneering South African experience with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission launched by Nelson Mandela to interrogate apartheid era crimes. Mandela's endeavor offers a serious theoretical promise that can renew postcolonial energy, pointing its flow in more hopeful directions.
