Decolonising the Mind - Ngữgῖ Wa Thiong'o

While Ngugi’s extract was used to practice the annotation and structuring of a Paper 1, the content and theme of the article can also be used to inform a deeper appreciation of Things Fall Apart. In what ways does this text influence your understanding of Achebe’s use of language and stylistic choices in Things Fall Apart?

 The extract form Decolonizing the mind by Ngữgῖ wa Thiong’o can definitely better one’s understanding of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart as it highlights and advocates almost the same idea that Achebe is trying to convey in his novel. Both writers are retelling stories from the perspective of the colonized and oppressed. The two pieces capture the true essence of colonization by telling the story of individuals or a community under rule through a culturally authentic voice. While Achebe’s novel was written in 3rd person omniscient narrative to capture two different perspectives of two juxtaposed cultures on colonialism, Ngữgῖ’s extract is written in first person but overall both fall under the same idea with an ultimate goal of telling their own people’s stories, developing a strong nationalistic ideal and perhaps giving a repaired image rather than a distorted one and unjust framework that has been set onto their people by the western World. Both writers did so by challenging western hegemony and the stories being told about the two African communities. 

Another element the two pieces have in common is including many aspects of their African culture despite the minor differences which overall gave both pieces a more nuanced feel that successfully elicited the pain and sorrow their people are experiencing under the overarching theme of colonialism which also informed a deeper appreciation of Things Fall Apart. Some similarities such as the setting is what makes decolonizing the mind and Things Fall Apart similar as both were during a time period where Africa as a whole, has experienced a mass wave of independence from the westerners.