Colonialism versus Origin
Within Wole Soyinka's and Tsitsi Dangarembga's intricately weaved novels, both pieces of literature successfully intertwine to portray the estrangement and hardships dealt with through the main characters in settling within a separate environment apart from their origins; culture and adopting the colonial mentality which is imposed upon them. There is a negative portrayal of the colonial mentality that manifests onto the African society. There are three major categories within these two texts displaying the characters that forget that they play these roles within society as puppets of colonialism, those who rebel against the invading culture that seems to threaten their sense of identity and lastly those who choose these roles and carry them out. These categories bring emphasis upon the very distinctions and gaps that are created because of colonialism and the immense impact that two cultures can bring upon individuals. The main characters within both novels compose of Nyasha, Tambudza, Maiguru, Babamukuru, Olunde, Elesin, Joseph and Amusa. Nervous Conditions and Death and the King's Horseman brilliantly convey the immense differences between the English and the African culture and the negative impact that adopting these differences can have on the human conscious. This assimilation towards colonialism can also consume the characters and drive them to the brinks of insanity, as they cannot escape this tragic fate when they are aware of their circumstances and their surroundings. The intensity of the agitation felt from the characters to the readers ascends to a point where the inner and outer conflicts of the characters struggles are made clear. Both these writer's works are complimentary to one another as they cleverly articulate ...