Buddhist criticism as a tool of decolonization : the evolution of Bhabha’s hybridity theory in contemporary Vietnamese literature

Abstract

This article reimagines Homi Bhabha's hybridity theory through the lens of Buddhist criticism, arguing that Mahāyāna concepts of impermanence, nonself, and nirvana transform postcolonial anxiety into spiritual liberation. Through close readings of Apocalypse Hotel (Ho Anh Thai) and The River (Nguyen Ngoc Tu), the study reveals a transformation from postcolonial anxiety to spiritual liberation. The Third Space becomes a ‘space of impermanence,’ the Hybrid Subject evolves into a ‘non-self-hybrid,’ and Mimicry transforms into ‘radical imitation.’ Using integrative intertextuality, discourse analysis, and deconstructive reading, the article argues that Buddhism not only expands but also decenters Bhabha’s theory, forming an East Asian–inflected model of postcolonial literary criticism.