COLONIZATION AND DECOLONIZATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CHINUA ACHEBE’S ARROW OF GODAND NGUGI WA THIONG’O’S THE RIVER BETWEEN

Abstract

Growth and diversity in cultures over the years have led to man’s quest in comparing himself with others culturally. In the academic field, since 19th century Comparative Literature developed to align with man’s quest to evaluate himself with others, but this time in the line of literature. The course, Comparative Literature outlines the principle and the modus operandi in evaluating texts across cultural boarders with the aim of assessing ourselves, contributing to or borrowing from the past. Some decades ago, African countries underwent colonial rule under Europe. Their experiences, responses and agitations for freedom were in varied ways. This study explored the colonial and the decolonising imports of Igbo (Nigeria) and Gikuyu (Kenya) societies with Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God and Ngugi Wa Thiong’O’s The River Between and found out that the two societies witnessed oppressive colonial rule as such it becomes exigent to revert the situation and this necessitates the need for decolonisation. As observed in the texts, the two societies witnessed colonization in harsh manners but while decolonisation failed in Arrowof God, it was a success in The River between. Post Colonial theory is concerned with scholarly responses and agitations against colonialism. It therefore becomes the most appropriate theory that guided this research.