THE PORTRAYAL OF NEOCOLONIALISM IN SELECTED NOVELS OF V.S. NAIPAUL AND AYI KWEI ARMAH

Abstract

A lot of views have been expressed on how Naipaul and Armah portray neocolonialism. On the one hand the dominant view is that the two writers negate the image of Africa through the portrayal of neocolonialism, while on the other hand the dominant view is that the writers are simply addressing the reality on the ground. However, the main argument in this study is that the two writers’ portrayal of neocolonialism shows that they are optimistic that Africa can progress if the governing elite of its countries shakes off the influence of colonial masters. This is observed through a close analysis of the portrayal of neocolonialism in Armah’s The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born and Osiris Rising as well as Naipaul’s In A Free State and A Bend in the River. In A Bend in the River, for instance, Naipaul attacks the African leaders’ actions of entrenching neocolonialism instead of making sure that their countries are free from neocolonial influence. In the other novel, In a Free State, Naipaul satirizes the claim for freedom by new African nations, when in reality the perpetration of neocolonial tendencies by the African leaders, is compromising the prospects of meaningful freedom. Similarly, in The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born Armah criticizes the black leaders who took over from the colonial regimes for letting neocolonialism to flourish, instead of fulfilling the aspirations that their people had before attaining independence. In Osiris Rising Armah is critical of the black leaders’ entrenchment of neocolonialism which is evident in their dependence on Europe and America politically, culturally and economically.