In this work, the author surveys the field of post-colonial studies and outlines the connection between post-colonial theory and post-structuralism, post-modernism, marxism and feminism. She assesses the contribution of major theorists such as Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak and Homi Bhabha, as well as highlighting post-colonialism's relationship to earlier thinkers such as Frantz Fanon and Mahatma Gandhi.