Unearthing the Intersection of Unbelonging and Postcolonialism in Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest

Year 2025, Volume: 27 Issue: 1, 1 - 12, 03.03.2025

Simge Ayyıldız , Samet Guven

https://doi.org/10.32709/akusosbil.1295852

Abstract

Postcolonialism in general is related to the colonization of the Oriental countries by the Occidental ones in terms of political, historical and cultural aspects. The literary figures in this scope attempt to shed light on the unbearable effects of colonization over the economically weak countries. From this perspective, Wole Soyinka became the voice of African countries since he touches upon fundamental problems such as hybridity, loss of identity, and exploitation in his Kongi’s Harvest. Moreover, he highlights the concept of unbelonging through black characters who are expected to be part of African culture, as in the case of Kongi, who does not accept the dominance of local authority over himself anymore. This means that Kongi appears as a rebellious character who goes beyond the boundaries of traditional restrictions, unlike the general portrayal of a native man. In this respect, the purpose of this article is to show how the Africans suffer from the exploitation of the Europeans by creating a sense of alienation from their own culture through indecisive characters that belong to nowhere.

Keywords

Postcolonialism, unbelonging, Kongi’s Harvest, Chinua Achebe, natives

Wole Soyinka'nın Kongi's Harvest'ında Aidiyet ve Postkolonyalizmin Kesişimini Ortaya Çıkarma

Abstract

Postkolonyalizm genel olarak siyasi, tarihi ve kültürel açılardan Doğu ülkelerinin Batılılar tarafından sömürgeleştirilmesi ile ilgilidir. Bu kapsamdaki edebi şahsiyetler, sömürgeleştirmenin ekonomik olarak zayıf ülkeler üzerindeki dayanılmaz etkilerine ışık tutmaya çalışmaktadır. Bu açıdan bakıldığında Wole Soyinka, Kongi's Harvest adlı eserinde melezlik, kimlik kaybı, sömürü gibi temel sorunlara değindiği için Afrika ülkelerinin sesi olmuştur. Ayrıca yerel otoritenin kendi üzerindeki tahakkümünü artık kabul etmeyen Kongi örneğinde olduğu gibi, Afrika kültürünün bir parçası olması beklenen siyahi karakterler aracılığıyla aidiyetsizlik kavramını ön plana çıkarıyor. Bu, Kongi'nin yerli bir adamın genel tasvirinden farklı olarak, herhangi bir kısıtlamanın sınırlarını aşan asi bir karakter olarak göründüğü anlamına gelir. Bu bağlamda bu makalenin amacı, hiçbir yere ait olmayan kararsız karakterler üzerinden kendi kültürlerinden bir yabancılaşma duygusu yaratarak Afrikalıların, Avrupalıların sömürüsünden nasıl muzdarip olduklarını göstermektir.

Keywords

Postkolonyalizm, aidiyetsizlik, Kongi’s Harvest, Chinua Achebe, yerliler

References

• Achebe, C. (1975). Morning Yet on Creation Day: Essays. Anchor Press.
• Adeeko, A. (2006). The politics of African drama. Indiana University Press.
• Agu, T. N. (2016). The Depiction of Women In the Struggle For Cultural. University of Ghana. Retrieved August 14, 2024, from http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/41614
• Alabi, A. M., & Mohammadzadeh, B. (2018). A postcolonial reading of Wole soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 9(4), 43-50. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.9n.4p.43
• Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The Location of Culture. Routledge.
• Chew, S., & Richards, D. (2010). A Concise Companion to Postcolonial Literature. Oxford-Blackwell.
• Fapohunda, T. (2011). Women and Political Leadership in Nigeria. African Journal of Social Research and Development, 3(1), 242-251.
• Gandhi, L. (2018). After Colonialism. Postcolonial theory: A critical introduction: Second edition. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Hooks, B. (2003). Postcolonial and Postmodern Feminist Dialogues. Routledge.
• Kraidy, M. M. (2002, August 1). Hybridity in Cultural Globalization. Communication Theory, 12(3), 316-339. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2002.tb00272.x
• Leezenberg, M., & Vries, G. d. (2018). Postcolonialism. In M. Leezenberg, & G. d. Vries, In History and Philosophy of the Humanities: An Introduction (335-354). Amsterdam University Press.
• Londhe, S. V., & Panade, S. V. (2014). ‘Kongism’ in Kongi’s Harvest. Journal of Education & Social Policy, 1(2), 74-76.
• Mamudu, A. (2013). Dialogue and character classification in Wole Soyinka's Kongi's harvest. EJOTMAS: Ekpoma Journal of Theatre and Media Arts, 4(1-2). Retrieved from https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejotmas/article/view/120637
• Mark, T. G., & Anyanwu, A. R. (2023). Leadership and changing communal values in Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest. Nigeria Theatre Journal: A Journal of the Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists, 17(1), 63-79.
• Mhango, K. (2008). Post-colonial education and chaos in Africa. Retrieved 2024, from http://www.africaexecutive.com/modules/magazine/article.php?article=2984
• Nair, R. B. (2011). Equations of Culture and Power in Wole Soyinka's Play Kongi's Harvest. LITTCRIT: An Indian Response to Literature, 37(2), 51-56.
• Njoku T. Women and Political Leadership in Nigeria: Some Observations. In O. A. Onwubiko (Ed.), *Gender and Political Leadership in Nigeria. Fourth Dimension Publishing. 2003: 120-130.
• Obafemi, O. (1982). Wole Soyinka: An Introduction to His Writing. Evans Brothers Nigeria Publishers Ltd.
• Said, E. W. (2003). Orientalism. New York: Vintage.
• Soyinka, W. (1963). The Lion and the Jewel. Oxford University Press.
• Soyinka, W. (1997). Kongi's Harvest. Oxford University Press.
• Thiong'o, N. W. (1986). The burden of cultural legitimacy. In R. Armstrong, Kongi's Harvest and The Lion and the Jewl: A casebook, (34-40). London: Methuen.