مجلة إشكالات في اللغة و الأدب
Volume 9, Numéro 1, Pages 686-703
2020-03-15

The Question Of Cultural Identity In Achebe’s Novels Things Fall Apart, A Man Of The People, And Anthills Of The Savannah

Authors : Chibani Mustapha . Guendouzi Amar .

Abstract

With the emergence of cultural diversity as a new concept following the widespread of new communication technologies, the question of cultural identity increasingly becomes in the focus. The effect of colonization dominates almost every aspect of the conquered populations. In an attempt to have a close picture of the effect colonial power has on African cultural identity and social life, this paper aims, through Achebe’s three postcolonial novels; Things Fall Apart, a Man of the People, and Anthills of the Savannah, to reveal how African societies undergo the transformation in terms of culture and identity as a consequence of the British colonization. It investigates what cultural values Africans had before the arrival of the white man. The present article also exposes, depending on the way these novels are being read, Achebe’s perception and views on cultural identity, reflected throughout the three selected novels, in the light of social and cultural events that took place in the aftermath of political independence. This study takes as a corpus written sentences and expressions collected from the three cited novels. Besides, it becomes prudent also to examine the author’s various relevant written and oral comments about the subject in question.

Keywords

Cultural identity ; African ; Postcolonial ; Achebe ; Novel