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The Fortunes Of Wangrin Summary

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Amadou Hampaté Bâ is extremely detailed throughout the book, The Fortunes of Wangrin, in explaining the colonial world in West African societies. He provides multiple examples in this work of fiction that precisely describe the factual aspects of African colonialism that we have discussed in class. I will point out a few of the examples that Bâ uses such as: limitations colonial governments set on Africans, the Métis relationships within colonies, and issues that arose, not only between Europeans and Africans, but within the native African communities as well. I will then point out certain details from the book that do not perfectly reflect the components of colonialism that we have studied in lecture. The French colonists created many discriminatory laws in the colonies they dominated and the native Africans were commanded to obey …show more content…

For example, the Commandant, and many other European colonists, fell in love with African women and the African men were at a disadvantage. Generally, African women would choose to marry the white man because of the probable wealth and fortune that she could receive. These African women were sometimes able to have control over trade and French involvement in it, when their French husband died (HIST 130, 2/7/18). Another Métis relationship shown in the book is that between Wangrin and Madame Terreau. Madame Terreau is an example of a European settler that came to Africa to make a life for herself because of the poor quality of life she lived in Europe. Wangrin became fascinated with her, but as their relationship moved forward, Madame Terreau began to ask for more and more from Wangrin. Eventually, she takes everything from Wangrin and is one of the leading causes of Wangrin's downfall. This I think is an important part of the book because it eludes to the hardships that Europeans created for

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