The Tigers of Curzon Street

This essay combines visual studies, history, literature, and theory to traverse the nature of colonial, postcolonial and decolonizing thought through the eyes of a tiger. In what ways and through what images, the author asks, was tiger hunting central to the maintenance of colonial authority? What does a postcolonial tiger look like? Now, in light of new work in the field of postcolonial environmentalism, what does it mean to decolonize the tiger? The essay is written with a lightness of touch, but the author defends the necessity of laughter, subversion, and irony in our efforts to undo the enduring structures of colonial thought and myth.

Automated summary

This essay explores the nature of colonial, postcolonial and decolonizing thought through the perspective of a tiger. It discusses how tiger hunting was central to maintaining colonial authority and raises questions about the postcolonial tiger and the decolonization of the tiger. The essay emphasizes the importance of laughter, subversion, and irony in dismantling enduring structures of colonial thought and myth.