Postcolonial Reflections of the 1990s: Chigozie Obioma's The Fishermen

Abstract

Chigozie Obioma is a writer whose novel The Fishermen has been the talk of literary circles since it was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Focusing on the relationship between four brothers, The Fishermen reflects the politically and historically turbulent events of the 1990s. It also embodies the social conflicts arising from the political upheavals of postcolonial Nigerian society. In this parallel, it is seen that the military governments that frequently took office in the postcolonial period overwhelmed the people. In addition, the author makes many references to the colonial legacy while depicting the postcolonial period. In the work, in which historical and political events are frequently mentioned, the author fictionalises the dramatic stories of the four brothers together with the negative experiences of society. At this point, it can be said that the work sheds light on the corruption created by the colonialists by destroying African cultural characteristics. The aim of this study is to show the postcolonial reflections of the depressing political atmosphere of the 1990s in the author's aforementioned work. Chigozie Obioma's novel The Fishermen and the echoes of the postcolonial period in the work constitute the scope of this study. The study seeks to answer the questions of how the social changes observed in the postcolonial period are related to political instability, how the ways of life experienced by the society after the end of colonialism are related to the legacies of colonialism and how these practices permeate social life. The study analysed the postcolonial reflections in the text. In this context, the work argues that the political, religious and social conflicts in Nigeria, especially after independence, have affected society in general and caused social segregation. It also argues that the legacy of colonialism still dominates the post-independence society. Finally, it is observed that postcolonial social changes, political and religious turmoil and cultural hegemony exist in Chigozie Obioma's novel The Fishermen.

Highligths

• Insufficient scrutiny of the work that is the subject of the study
• The work in question has not yet been studied on these themes
• The fact that the study will contribute to literary studies in our country
• Looking at postcolonial studies and debates from a different page
• Presenting the contemporary political and social portrait of Nigeria in the post-colonial period