While reading "Things Fall Apart" I saw things through a postcolonial lens-most likely due to the main subject in the academic decathalon being imperialism. What makes "Things Fall Apart" so interesting is that postcolonial literature usually "represents either British or American viewpoints" but in this piece of literature it is seen from the natives point-of-view, making it quite different from most colonial pieces.
The book uses a great majority of the writing to give background information on the main character. This allows the reader to understand Okonkwo's actions, and see why he is different from the rest of the village. This also allows the reader to get a better point-of-view and understand the natives better when they are faced with the white colonists.
By gaining a greater perspective, many things colonists told that were "positive" were shown in a new light. An example is the church that was built. It split many of the natives, and offended those natives that stayed true to their faith. There was also a diffusion of white culture, when the white government was established and trade markets-money as well-began to flow into Okonkwo's village many were happy. While this ocurred, the colonists also began to build schools and teach their language. Once a colonized people begins to speak the language of the colonizers, they inadvertently begin to think like them as well. People like Okonkonkwo refused the white man's teachings and rebelled until the end of his life. He saw the loss of his own culture and could not bare to watch.
When writing through a postcolonial lense, I will be discussing controversial actions in the book starting when the white settlers came to the villages. These will include the building of the church up to Okonkwo's suicide. Writing through a postcolonial lense will allow me to question the hypocrisy of colonialism itself.
