Looking at literature that’s based off post-colonialism, it’s hard to find a point of view that is unbiased and lacking western Orientalism that taints writings about less civilized cultures. Two books paint both sides of the equation: Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible. In both novels, the author depicts a character going through both an internal and external struggle dealing with exile. The authors conclude in different variations that it’s after the alienation, or exile, of a character that lets black African Orientalism to cause change, not in the character’s enlightenment, but to change them into a sacrificial character for others’ enrichment. In these novels, it reveals how Africa faces …show more content…
In Things Fall Apart it follows Okonkwo, an anger driven man who rules his home with “a heavy hand,” and will do anything to establish himself as a strong and honorable man. Okonkwo had an apathetic father who became disgraced within their tribe. Consequently, Okonkwo developed a narrow-minded personality that refused to admit change and defeat. When he’s exiled for his gun exploding and killing a clansman, Okonkwo must live for seven years with his family in a different tribe where his home and leftover belongings are burnt to a crisp. This destroyed Okonkwo as told, “His life had been ruled by a great passion-to become one of the lords of the clan.” (Achebe 131). For Okonkwo sought to become the most powerful man in his tribe and that was torn away. Upon returning to his clan after seven years, the missionaries had reached his tribe Umuofia, and had converted them to Christianity. Stubborn in his ways, Okonkwo refused to accept this and he killed one of the white messengers hoping to spark a war between the two cultures. Yet Umuofia would not go to war so Okonkwo hangs himself, the greatest dishonor of all in his