Hellen Keller Junior High

• ENG 4U

• The Post-Colonial Approach in The Illegal by Lawrence Hill Literary Lens is a method that readers use to shape how they look at literature. Although there are various literary lenses in The Illegal, we will be focusing on three. Post-Colonial Literary Criticism, Feminist Literary Criticism, and Archetypal Literary Criticism. Firstly, Post-Colonial Literary Criticism focuses on the impact on culture, society, and politics from colonization. Secondly, Feminist Literary Criticism cornerstones the roles that females must play in literature. Finally, Archetypal Literary Criticism identifies key elements that are essential to the literature. The Illegal by Lawrence Hill covers many of the literary lenses that were written. However, the Post-Colonial Literary Criticism suits the literature best because the injustice towards individuals of different ancestry is shown throughout the story. The Illegal talks of Keita Ali, a Zantoroland marathon runner who must flee his tyrant country to survive after his father was murdered for his unspoken political views. Keita escapes to a wealthy nation called Freedom State, known for deporting any undocumented refugees living within their borders. All Keita wanted to do was run but now he must run to survive. Lawrence Hill’s love for running, his encounter with refugees and his parents, who were human rights activists, impacted Mr. Hill to compose this novel. The Illegal by Lawrence Hill, from the perspective of Post-Colonial Literary Criticism, portrays the injustice regarding people of various religions and people of different races. This action-packed novel highlights the fearlessness and bravery of refugees and what individuals of different descent must face today. Religion has a means of bringing people together in some respects. However, in The Illegal, religion is displayed to se