The Predicaments of Post-Colonialism

No continuing At sculptural relief Extract In fact, some weeks ago when the ravel first began, Mr. cat valium, his boss, who was one of the Crown witnesses, had also said something about a young hu humankinds of great promise. And obeah had remained completely unmoved. Mercifully he had recently lost his mother, and Clara had gone out of his life. The two events 5 events interest closely on each other had dulled his sensibility and left oer(p) him a different man, able to look words like educational activity and promise squ bely in the face. exclusively now when the supreme moment came he was betrayed by treacherous tears. Mr. jet had been p dressing tennis since five oclock. It was more or less 10 unusual. As a rule his work took up so much of his time that he rarely played. His normal go was a short walk in the evenings. But today he had played with a friend who worked for the British council. After the game they retried to the lodge bar Mr. Green had a li ght yellow sweater over his white shirt, and a 15 white pass over hung from his neck. There were some other Europeans in the bar, some half-sitting on the high stools and some stand in groups of twos and threes drinking cold beer, orange squash or gin-and-tonic. I cannot understand why he did it, said the British council 20 man thoughtfully. He was drawing lines of water with his finger on the back of his mist-covered codsw whollyop of ice-cold beer. I can, said Mr. Green simply. What I cant understand is is why people like you refuse to face facts. Mr. Green was famous for speaking his mind. He wiped his red face with the white towel on 25 his neck. The African is alloy through and through. The British council man looked about his furtively, more from instinct than necessity, for although the club was now open to them technically, some Africans went to it. On this particular crossroads there were none, except of course the stewards who served 30 unobtrusively. It was quite possible to go in, drink, sign a cheque, talk to friends and run again without noticing these stewards in their white uniforms. If everything went right you did not see them. They are all taint, repeated Mr. Green. Im all for 35 par and all that.I for once would hate to live in South Africa. But equality wont alter facts. What facts? asked the British Council man, who was relatively modern to the unsophisticated. There was a lull in the general con- versation as many people were now listening to Mr. Green without appearing to do so. 40 The quandarys of post- colonialism. An analytical study of Chinua Achebes No Longer At Ease No Longer At Ease is an African, post-colonial sweet published in 1960. It is the story of an Ibo man, obeah, who is privileged enough to leave his village for a British education and a job in the civil service.However, obeah struggles to perplex bearing in the chasm mingled with a dying colonialism and stillborn independence. With the country on the threshold of independence, the novel speaks strongly of themes such as education, tradition, improvement and desecrateion. The chosen extract is found in the open chapter of the novel, and details the attempt in which obeah is charged for corruption. It is thenforth the intent of this essay to get a line how the aforementioned themes are established through the symbol of key shares, character foils and the pull up story technique adopted.This topic was selected as the novel is rig in the time period in which it was written, thus it is poignant to assay the perils of cultural assimilation and modernization within the novel as a microcosm of the struggles faced by postcolonial societies. The extract hence provides a good political program to discuss multiple areas and themes of the novel relevant to the question at hand. The interplay of the coal scuttle scene and framed- story within the extract facilitates an understanding of heavy(p), underly ing themes corruption, and the dichotomy of education.Deviating from the trial, the novel launches into frames- past events that culminate into obeahs eventual demise, all of which are flashbacks designed to answer the pertinent question, why he did it? (line20) The frame within the extract begins with an exchange amidst Mr. Green and a British Council man that crystallizes the many prejudices harbored by colonials against the Africans Mr. Green offers an insensitive and discriminatory commentary to obis actions The African is corrupt through and through. (line26) This in itself is severely ironic while Mr.Green accuses Obi and his people of being all corrupt(line35), he, a colonial master, fails to realize that it is his Hesperian education and socio-economic policies that have paradoxically landed educated Nigerians such as Obi in their predicament. The flack of horse opera agriculture has essentially roped Africans deeper and deeper into moral calamity. Another exampl e of chaff is when Mr. Green declared hes all for equality(line35) despite reproaching Africans for being corrupt and accordingly inferior. Achebe is hence able to subtly discredit the westbound body of education using Mr.Greens hypocrisy as a representation. Henceforth, the social function of the opening scene and first frame is twofold Firstly, they work in tandem to instill the over-arching setting an inherently corrupt African society. This provides the occasion for the main narrative- Obi being charged for accepting a bribe, and, the let out addressed by the rest of the novel- how colonialism was a detriment Nigeria as a developing nation. Beginning with the end also allows readers to anticipate Obis arrest depicted in the novels closing scene.This imbues the novel with a circularity that prompts readers to draw connections and understand the intimate relationship among the events detailed in the novels frames, and why Obi succumbed to corruption. Secondly, they design ate forth the duality of education. Here, Mr. Greens hypocrisy (detailed in frame) and Obis trial (detailed in opening scene) encapsulate the superficiality of Western education- while it opened doors and opportunities, the social and moral predicament that ensued did little to liberate Obi rather, it entrenched him in greater problems, that of a struggle between two extreme cultures.Secondly, the characterization of Mr. Green as an archetypal colonial figure, and a symbol of patriarchic colonialism contribute to the portrayal of the theme of tradition and advancement. Achebe personifies Mr. Green as a racist individual, aghast at the incompetence of Africans whom were, in his opinion, inextricably corrupt through and through(line26). It is even mentioned that Mr. Green patronized the club to escape the very presence of the locals(line34). Having understood the kinetics of Mr.Greens character, the juxtaposition of Mr. Green and the UPU in the novels opening chapter, a symbol of t raditionalist culture, hence highlights the two cultural spaces between which Obi is trapped. Having undergone a Western education meant that Obi was effectively vacuum of a concrete identity, unable to assimilate completely or associate to either his cultural roots or a more contemporary, Western culture. Hence the strife within Obi is introduced and presented to readers via this subtle juxtaposition of Mr.Green and the UPU that foreshadows the conflict between traditional and modernist values, the source of Obis downfall. Henceforth, Achebe has used symbolism through characters Mr. Green and the UPU, to illustrate the long-drawn conflict between traditionalist and modernist cultures that was prominent during the post-colonial era. Another literary technique Achebe has exploited to accentuate the cultural predicament Obi was ensnared in is that of a character foil. The theme of realism versus idealism is enforced here.Within the novel, Christopher serves as Obis foil He inces santly offers an opposing view to Obis. Among the many debates Christopher and Obi engaged in, the most significant is thus the discussion targeting the religion of bribery. Here, Christopher symbolizes reality- the liberal yet corrupt values of European society while Obi represents idealistic, traditional African culture. The juxtaposition of Christopher and Obi henceforth magnifies the theme of realism versus idealism it encapsulates Obis struggle to come to terms with an alien European culture that would debase his African values.Henceforth, although Christopher advocates that Obi accept Elsie Marks offer, Obi holds fast, at this juncture, that the educated should not take advantage of their position. There is hence a distinct conflict between the irrefutable reality of a corrupt African society evidenced by Christophers stance, and the morality of idealistic Nigerian values, portrayed by Obis passing resistance to corruption this thus acts as a microcosm of the transition that Obi is soon to undergo.The influence of his colonial masters will cause him to lay down his idealistic traditional beliefs and instead hoist the flag of Western culture, marking his moral degeneration and corruptibility. This signifies the point in time where Obis idealism is displaced by reality- corruption. By embodying the flaws of the Western education system, and exemplifying the appalling work ethic of educated Nigerians scorned by Mr. Green, Christopher therefore foreshadows Obis regression, allowing readers to unlock valuable insight into the corrupt nature of the educated.Henceforth, the character foil in the novel is pivotal in allowing readers to realise with Obis susceptibility to the influence of colonialism. In conclusion, Achebe has successfully utilised the frame-story technique, symbolism and character foils to engender a conflict of tradition and progression within Obi. This has come to define the very essence of the African sleep together colonization and deco lonization, and the novel has successfully portrayed the tragic reality of how Obi was unable to anchor his character in the past, or in a utopian future. Word Count 1,097