Postcolonialism In Africa

Any analysis regarding postcolonial literature first requires an understanding of the period of colonization and the subsequent decolonization of the established colonies. Essentially, colonization was the setting up of colonies by the Europeans among widespread nations, with the aim of spreading the three C’s- Commerce, Christianity and Civilization. The impact thus caused was evident not only in the form of nature’s exploitation but also in the minds of the colonized.

Due to colorization, a lot of nations suffered a brutal history with racial undertones and excessive exploitation. This then not only affected their land, but also their minds; as they began to be governed and controlled by the European invaders. The period of post colonialism

The works were written in native as well as foreign languages such as English, French and Portuguese; this then caused the works to spread over a larger population even outside the physical boundaries of the Dark Continent. It is through authors like Chinua Achebe (1930-2013), Bessie Head (1937-1986), Mariama Bâ (1929-1981) and others that the readers across the world learned of an Africa that contrasted the description in Eurocentric literature. The African literature of 1960’s was full of stories about the European invasion and its impact thereupon the lives of the natives. These works were driven by a sense of personal feelings and thus, left a major impression on the minds of the readers. Among its prominent aspects, African postcolonial literature discussed the traditional rituals and cultures, community life, religious beliefs of the people and the destruction of all of this with the coming of the colonizers. What is rather striking in the literature from across Africa is the status and treatment of women. As literature is often highly representative of the society, women representations in African works raise a lot of questions. This paper then aims to highlight the lives of women in such fictitious works, as well as in the African reality. The treatment and representation of women in African narratives has always

One of her greatest works remains her short story ‘The Collector of Treasures’. Based on a piece of village gossip, the story is immediately understood to be a representative of regular village happenings. Through her protagonist Dikeledi Mokopi, Head succeeds in establishing the power of women and more importantly, a fight against the unjust ways of men. In the course of the story, the reader is made aware of two kinds of men in the society, the kind that could broadly be ‘damned as evil’ (Collector of Treasures, pg. 42) and the other who devoted himself to his family. The cause of misery and chaos in Dikeledi’s life is a man belonging to the first category, Garesego Mokopi, her husband. He abandons her along with three children in pursuit of alcohol and women. The second kind of man is depicted in the character of Paul Thebolo, Dikeledi’s new neighbour. Paul Thebolo and his wife Kenalope, together portray the new bond of equality and respect among