Postcolonial reading of the novel "THE vOICE" by Gabriel Okara
Postcolonialism is a theorettical approach in various discipline that is concerned with lasting impact of colonization in former Colony .
Post-colonialism REFERS to the temporality or time period , after the colonialism . While postcolonialism denotes to the atitude.
Frantz fanon wrote in his Wretched of the Earth, "colonized subject Must reclaim their past".
There are three phases adopt, adapt and adept . First phase adopt in which writers imitating the their colonizers they are writing as it is. For example if the colonizers are wearing coat pant their colonized subject and so imitate them to look like them by wearing the same coat pant. ,
second phase Adapt in which writers insert their identity in the medium provided by the colonisers, for example colonized people imitate them by wearing coat pant but insert their own identity with the coat with dhoti and others.
and third phase in which writers away from colonialism . They have their own identity .
Postcolonialism refers to the revolt any part of land, community country, any part of the world where people fight against the any colonial subjugation . Postcolonialism doesn't mean after independence it started when people started to think that Britishers are outsiders , they are colonial rulers , they are not their own rulers . Every country got their Independence through struggles , because movement came out like student movements, political movements, labour movements etc. , That movement has created emotion of post colonial attitude . It is a reaction of colonialism . It can be a movement, , a book, article, poetry, play, performance either it can be body language it can be an attitude as a rejection of colonialism . Postcolonial writers are not writing for anything else but they are only writing for their country their problems their issues . In simple terms postcolonialism it's not a literary theory, it's not a technique of reading, it's not a technique of literature, its not a style, Rather it's an attitude .
This particular novel "the voice" is about people of Africa, their culture and their problems . This novel has been written by Gabriel Okara in 1964
After the independence of Africa . There are various elements can be seen in this particular novel . Story and and the content and style is also postcolonial. The Nobel reflects the vices of the society and struggle of people after colonization.
From the beginning of the novel narrator invokes God or diety of his region in order to insert his culture.
It is about society how society is surrounded by superstitious believes that after death of a girl's parents or family member tuere is considered a Jinx and inauspicious women . When Akolo comes after getting higher education the people of his town considered him a mental . The beliefs that when a person get the higher education he becomes mental .
Akolo attempts to fight against the corrupt system against his ruler , it is demonstrated that if you are around that your voice will be killed you will be killed .
When tuere says ,she has not hidden akolo come and you can inspect him, people avoid and answer we are religious she could not do anything to them . It's also a comment upon the religious beliefs of people they are religious but how could anyone allow a girl to live alone outside of the village . Does religion allow it?
When akolo is caught by villagers he feels that he is independent as compared to the villages because they cannot act own his own . At least he is acting freely .
He ealks out in search of it
He finds in Sologa everyone is busy on his work in order to survive themselves . People don't bother about corrupt system; he attempts to find truth, morality, peace but he fails
He also demonstrates that education is inebitable to be Awareness of the condition as well as to distinct morality and immorality. Akolo attitude against the authoritarian regime is quite revolting like the postcolonial do in order to get the identity and self realisation.when the people started to think about the morality and immorality and understand that they are subjugated by their colonizers and they have lost their identity. the people of the village act as if they have no capacity to think and react rather they act behalf of the administration and what they have been told only without realising it's repercussion and its morality.
The style of the novel is also postcolonial, Gabriel Okara deviated in his Novel like he has used English vocabulary but in African Sintex like; we generally use where are going bt okara has used you where going. In simple terms okara has used english africanized way. a writer also portrayed a picture of His country rich culture, folk dance etc not only with the intention to demonstrate the African culture but also to to distinct from the colonisers culture inserting it's on culture and identity narrator wants to distinguish himself through his writing style.
Conclusion
By this way we can say that this novel is very much postcolonial not only in terms of story but style is also postcolonial...
