An hegemony assumes that all other cultures must take inspiration from its success, and avoid treading where it has failed. What works in a dominant culture must work in a sub-culture; what does not work in a dominant culture will not pass anywhere else. New Criticism, which posits that “a text’s meaning is inextricably bound to [tools of rhetoric] found within the structure of the text itself” (Cultural Studies 233), is founded on this notion. If a text chooses to avoid Western archetypes on what “literature” should be, then it must fail at reaching that elusive writing plateau known as “classic.” However, “classical” may be more accurately described as “class-exclusive.” Almost all examples of writing to reach this status belong to dead white men of the middle-to-upper-class variety. Therefore, it appears to be political, rather than artistic reasons, that have come to define literature today.
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart uses allusion to traditional Greek tragedy to challenge colonial perception of Western Africa. Africa is not the property of its colonizers. It is as unique, multi-faceted, and flourishing as the city states of Greece. Its heroes are not savage, but human. Okonkwo-full of hubris, resentment, and religious fervor-represents this archetypal tragic hero. By defining him as such, Achebe defies Western notions that “the peoples of Africa, the Americas, and Asia were ‘heathens,’ possessing ways that must be Christianized” (Cultural Studies 236). I will compare the characters of Things Fall Apart to Greek tragedies, and also note the differences between Africa and Western society. Okonkwo, as a tragic hero, will symbolize Africa’s attempt to define itself, and its eventual destruction. By taking this allegorical viewpoint, I can utilize a postcolonial lens to describe the conflict between Africa and the West. For example, Okonkwo’s pride and abusiveness could represent the clash between remaining African and escaping injustice-even though the injustices of Africa’s culture paled in comparison to their future treatment at the hands of colonizers. Achebe also alludes to future conflict between natives and whites, and justifies it as inevitable. Therefore, I will also discuss post-decolonization; its causes, results, and future. Achebe’s novel only describes the first step in the creation of the Western hegemony in Africa. Its implications extend to today, however, and to a lack of understanding or compassion for modern Africa. I will utilize Peter Godwin’s postmodern journalistic novel The Fear to describe the lasting effects of colonization, and to detail further creation of hegemony through the dictatorships in Africa today.
