Possible Ideas

I too have been perusing my bookcase in the hopes of finding an appropriate text for the rewrite. However, all the stories I'm familiar with seem to take place after the turn of the 20th century. Nothing particularly "colonial" appears in my collection. With the exception of The Other Boleyn Girl. I'm not sure how this would work though, seeing as Mary Boleyn initially appears the weaker character, overshadowed by her sister and bullied by her elders. Yet the story favours her viewpoint, and it's her that gets the happiest ending. I could maybe rewrite a scene in the perspective of Anne, giving her a voice and a reason for her actions, rather than just Mary's depiction of her. Perhaps her nastiness and apparent selfishness are not unwarranted. She is but a victim of the society into which she was born. I'm not sure about this though.

I'm currently reading George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, which inspired the Game of Thrones TV series. Although this is high fantasy, based in a medieval fictional world, I believe it to have the potential and certain qualities needed for a rewrite. Firstly, it features a vast number of characters, many of which are often silenced or underrepresented. The chapters are divided into the viewpoints of selected protagonists, all of whom are pursuing their own individual means. Therefore, the boundary between good and evil becomes blurred, and neutral characters can be shed in a negative light. The themes of the series are difficult to define. They include everything from love and chivalry, magic and sorcery, to family honour and humility. The story does however include matters such as slavery, sexism and the struggle for power, which are also reflective of colonisation issues. I could perhaps give a voice to the character Grey Worm, who has liven his life in slavery, and knows nothing other than serving his superiors. Or Ser Jorah who, despite being a likeable minor character, is exiled and labelled a traitor. However, the immensity of the text, the range of characters  and intricate plot could perhaps be the downfall in this situation. Pinpointing a particular occurrence and creating a message might prove difficult.

The other thing that came to mind, not surprisingly, was Shakespeare. The bloodbath that is Macbeth has always been a point of interest for me. It highlights the dark internal struggles that humans experience, and the lengths some will go to in order to obtain power. Lady Macbeth is a fascinating character. Admirably fearsome and strong to begin with, before evil engulfs her.  The fact that she takes her life is crucial to the plot, however it takes place off stage. I thought of perhaps rewriting her final moments (although it seems terribly morbid). I could use her struggles to portray the effects of all-consuming power, and the dangers of being a conqueror. 

Hopefully I'm on the right track.