The Predicaments of Post-Colonialism

No all-night At Ease Extract In fact, approximately weeks ago when the streak first began, Mr. car park, his boss, who was one of the Crown witnesses, had a resembling state something about a young piece of great promise. And obeah had re chief(prenominal)ed on the whole unmoved. Mercifully he had recently lost his mother, and Clara had gone out of his life. The 2 events 5 events following closely on each(prenominal) other had dulled his sensibility and left him a different man, able to look words like gentility and promise squarely in the face. barely at at a time when the supreme moment came he was betrayed by punic tears. Mr. super C had been p rateing tennis since five oclock. It was most 10 unusual. As a decree his work took up so much of his cadence that he rarely played. His normal exercise was a short walk in the evenings. But directly he had played with a friend who worked for the British council. After the game they retried to the club bar Mr. special K had a light yellow sweater e trulywhere his face cloth shirt, and a 15 white pass over hung from his neck. There were legion(predicate) other Europeans in the bar, some half-sitting on the high stools and some standing in groups of dickenss 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 straying lines of water with his finger on the back of his mist-covered ice-skating rink of ice-cold beer. I can, said Mr. ballpark simply. What I cant understand is is why great deal like you refuse to face facts. Mr. Green was storied for speaking his mind. He wiped his red face with the white towel on 25 his neck. The African is round-backed through and through and through. The British council man looked about his furtively, more(prenominal) from instinct than necessity, for although the club was now open to them technically, a couple of(prenominal) Africa ns went to it. On this particular occasion there were none, however of course the stewards who served 30 unobtrusively. It was quite possible to go in, drink, sign a cheque, talk to friends and leave over again without noticing these stewards in their white uniforms. If everything went right you did not ensure them. They are all maculate, repeated Mr. Green. Im all for 35 equality 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 new to the country. There was a hush in the general con- versation as many hoi polloi were now listening to Mr. Green without appearing to do so. 40 The dilemmas of post-compoundism. An analytical study of Chinua Achebes No Longer At Ease No Longer At Ease is an African, post-colonial myth published in 1960. It is the story of an Ibo man, obi, who is privileged enough to leave his crossroads for a British education and a reflect in the civil service.However, obi struggles to find way in the chasm between a dying colonialism and unsuccessful independence. With the country on the threshold of independence, the tonic speaks powerfully of themes such as education, custom, progression and corruption. The chosen stir is found in the opening chapter of the unexampled, and details the effort in which obeah is charged for corruption. It is and soforth the feel of this essay to examine how the aforementioned themes are formal through the symbolic representation of key characters, character foils and the habitus story technique adopted.This topic was selected as the novel is set in the time period in which it was written, thereof it is poignant to examine the perils of cultural culture and modernization within the novel as a microcosm of the struggles faced by postcolonial societies. The extract then provides a good platform to discuss multiple areas and themes of the novel relevant to the question at hand. The interplay of the opening word picture and chassisd- story within the extract facilitates an understanding of dramatic, primal themes corruption, and the duality of education.Deviating from the trial, the novel launches into frames- past events that culminate into obeahs eventual demise, all of which are flashbacks knowing to answer the pertinent question, why he did it? (line20) The frame within the extract begins with an exchange between 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 explanation to obeahs actions The African is corrupt through and through. (line26) This in itself is heavily ironic while Mr.Green accuses obeah and his mess of organism all corrupt(line35), he, a colonial master, fails to realize that it is his occidental education and socio-economic policies that have paradoxically landed amend Nigerians such as Obi in their predica ment. The onslaught of Western culture has fundamentally roped Africans deeper and deeper into moral calamity. Another example of irony is when Mr. Green declared hes all for equality(line35) despite reproaching Africans for being corrupt and therefore inferior. Achebe is hence able to subtly discredit the Western system of education utilise Mr.Greens hypocrisy as a representation. henceforth, the voice of the opening scene and first frame is triplex Firstly, they work in tandem to instill the over-arching reach an inherently corrupt African guild. This provides the occasion for the main narrative- Obi being charged for directing a bribe, and, the issue addressed by the rest of the novel- how colonialism was a detriment Nigeria as a developing nation. blood 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 be tween the events minute in the novels frames, and why Obi succumbed to corruption. Secondly, they put 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 emancipate Obi rather, it entrenched him in greater problems, that of a struggle between two extreme cultures.Secondly, the characterization of Mr. Green as an prototypical colonial figure, and a symbol of patriarchic colonialism can to the portrayal of the theme of tradition and progression. Achebe personifies Mr. Green as a racist individual, aghast at the incompetency of Africans whom were, in his opinion, inextricably corrupt through and through(line26). It is even mentioned that Mr. Green patronized the club to come off the very presence of the locals(line34). Having understood the dynamics of Mr.Greens character, the juxtaposition of Mr. Green and the UPU in the novels opening chapter, a symbol of traditionalist culture, hence highlights the two cultural spaces between which Obi is trapped. Having undergone a Western education meant that Obi was effectively invalidate of a concrete identity, unable to assimilate completely or relate to either his cultural grow or a more contemporary, Western culture. Hence the conflict 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 accent the cultural predicament Obi was ensnared in is that of a character foil. The theme of rea lism versus idealism is apply here.Within the novel, Christopher serves as Obis foil He always offers an opposing view to Obis. Among the many debates Christopher and Obi engaged in, the most significant is thus the discussion targeting the morality of bribery. Here, Christopher symbolizes reality- the liberal yet corrupt values of European society while Obi represents rare, 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 ameliorate should not take advantage of their position. There is hence a distinct conflict between the positivistic reality of a corrupt African society evidenced by Christophers stance, and the morality of idealistic Nigerian values, portrayed by Ob is short-lived resistance to corruption this thus acts as a microcosm of the transition that Obi is soon to undergo.The process of his colonial masters will cause him to lay down his idealistic traditional beliefs and instead move up the flag of Western culture, marking his moral reversion 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 temperament of the educated.Henceforth, the character foil in the novel is glacial in allowing readers to empathize with Obis competency to the influence of colonialism. In conclusion, Achebe has successfully utilized the frame-story technique, symbolism and character foils to engender a conflict of tradition and progression within Ob i. This has come to define the very essence of the African experience colonization and decolonization, 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 counting 1,097