Post Colonialism

The post colonial future seen in A Bend in the River is bleak. The country seems stranded between a past it cannot return to and a future it cannot attain. There is no real leadership, and people seem incapable of creating something new. Salim says early on, "The political system we had knows it was coming to an end, and that what was going to replace it wasn't going to be pleasant." The situation between Theo and Salim can be seen as a metaphor for the relationship between Africa and Europe. Theo represents Africans as complete incompetents who want to be running the show or appear to be running the show. Salim is the real owner, saddled with the dependency of a foolish, difficult man. In the same way, the President speaks of the power and independence of his country while using European airplanes for travel, European...