Post-colonial criticism is a literary and cultural analysis that examines the effects of colonialism on societies and their literature. It explores how colonized peoples respond to and resist colonial power, often highlighting issues of identity, culture, and representation. This approach seeks to understand the lasting impacts of colonial rule on both the colonizers and the colonized. Key figures in post-colonial criticism include Edward Said, whose work on Orientalism critiques Western depictions of the East, and Homi K. Bhabha, known for concepts like hybridity and mimicry. This criticism also addresses themes of power dynamics, cultural exchange, and the struggle for self-definition in a post-colonial world.