No Longer At Ease - Colonialism 'White man’s point of view'

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Mr. Green represents the European culture that brought destruction to Nigeria’s own traditions because it is imposed on the people of Nigeria. He is an arrogant man who thinks that he superior than the Africans. He always accuses the African people of being corrupt as he says, “corrupt through and through.” However, he is committed to Nigeria and his secretary supports his views.

Mr. Green embodies the European attitude which claims that the Africans are inhuman. He describes why the Africans are corrupt as he says that the climate and the disease affected their mind and their physical appearance. So, according to the white man, whether the African is educated or not, he will always be corrupt. Nevertheless, his commitment towards Nigeria as he pays for the education of his steward’s sons indicates the ironic contrast in his character. Thus, whatever he does for the African people, he has a superiority complex and a colonialist attitude. He hates the educated Africans and loves to see them like slaves serving him. Obi analyses him as the white prejudice against the Africans.

Mr. Green is a true image of the white man in Nigeria who hates the idea of the independence of Nigeria, and so he threatened to resign. He also criticizes his government of giving university education to the African people as he wants them stay ignorant. One of the contradictions in his personality is that when he was arguing with Obi, he indicates that Africans takes weeks off for vacations at a time. In fact, this habit is originally European.

To conclude, the stereotyping that was invented by the white man against the black people is clear. Achebe wants to give a message to the reader, which is that refuting the white man point of view and fighting his ideas, this requires that every Nigerian gets out of the crossroads and not be like Obi who gave a bad impression and disappointed his country.