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A review by aish_dols
The Education of a British-Protected Child: Essays by Chinua Achebe
5.0
In 16 essays, Achebe expanded imperative topics where he wrote of the 'chaotic colonial situation', how the British raped Africa, Nigeria's independence; which favoured us until the events that preceded the Nigerian Civil War – a War that, according to Achebe 'robbed us of the chance to become a medium-rank developed nation in the 20th century.' His work /A Man Of The People/ led him to becoming a suspect in the coup d'etat. This put himself and his family in danger.
The trans-atlantic slave trade in this essay, "Spelling our proper names" was broadly written about; the African-American connection and being black. Achebe said it's important for us to spell our names properly by telling our own stories for the oppressor is willing to eternally label us and rewrite history if we don't. He gave an example by repeatedly mentioning Joseph Conrad, an European writer/sailor who visited the Congo in Africa and degraded, dehumanized us in his literary work, 'The Heart of Darkness' where his racist and white supremacist mentality did everything to rubbish our existence
Conrad wrote: 'to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches...' – this was amongst other disgusting lines to debase us for our mere appearances in our own lands. Achebe however mentions that some Europeans had souls and treated Africans like Humans in their literary works or art. Some like Livingstone and Gainsborough
Racism, is reflected in several pages. How it is subtle but sneaky. Achebe gave an instance when his daughter rose a question and he had to read the 'children's book' and realized it put down the African soul in a way that spewed hate
Contrary to hearsay that Africans sold their own to the colonialists, Stories untold, like that of King Dom Afonso (1506 - 1543) who ruled the Kingdom of Bukongo, but missionaries brought Christianity with manipulation and threats to seize sons of the land for 'slave trade' in Europe, exists.
Africans should write their own stories/'Our job as writers is not to describe the predicament but to change it.'
I really enjoyed this book.
The trans-atlantic slave trade in this essay, "Spelling our proper names" was broadly written about; the African-American connection and being black. Achebe said it's important for us to spell our names properly by telling our own stories for the oppressor is willing to eternally label us and rewrite history if we don't. He gave an example by repeatedly mentioning Joseph Conrad, an European writer/sailor who visited the Congo in Africa and degraded, dehumanized us in his literary work, 'The Heart of Darkness' where his racist and white supremacist mentality did everything to rubbish our existence
Conrad wrote: 'to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches...' – this was amongst other disgusting lines to debase us for our mere appearances in our own lands. Achebe however mentions that some Europeans had souls and treated Africans like Humans in their literary works or art. Some like Livingstone and Gainsborough
Racism, is reflected in several pages. How it is subtle but sneaky. Achebe gave an instance when his daughter rose a question and he had to read the 'children's book' and realized it put down the African soul in a way that spewed hate
Contrary to hearsay that Africans sold their own to the colonialists, Stories untold, like that of King Dom Afonso (1506 - 1543) who ruled the Kingdom of Bukongo, but missionaries brought Christianity with manipulation and threats to seize sons of the land for 'slave trade' in Europe, exists.
Africans should write their own stories/'Our job as writers is not to describe the predicament but to change it.'
I really enjoyed this book.