An empires expansion carries with it both the means to expand the cultural palate of a nation’s identity, whilst, in parallel, destroy the identity of the host culture. What then remains? When an existing identity bound to a nation is subjugated beneath the ideals of a colonial entity seeking foothold, and its own identity, at the expense of what had existed precursing their arrival, how does the cultural existence of the subjugated maintain, and change, in this environment? I hope to answer these questions by use of the Equiano story, Wole Soyinka’s Death of the Kings Horseman, and Edwidge Danticat’s The Dew Breaker. 

            The first works I’d like to discuss is Olaudah Equiano’s personal memoir. In the preliminary chapter (in relation to the latter part of the novel), Equiano discusses his desire to share what occurred in his life under an impartial guise, whilst maintaining that, “sense of compassion for the miseries which the Slave-Trade has entailed on my unfortunate countrymen. By the horrors of that trade was I first torn away from all the tender connexions that were naturally dear to my heart; but these, through the mysterious ways of Providence, I ought to regard as infinitely more than compensated by the introduction I have thence obtained to the knowledge of the Christian religion, and of a nation which, by its liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom of its government, and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has exalted the dignity of human nature”(Equiano, 1789). Perhaps he does do this well, as in the first chapters he expresses the nature of his home and tribe, as well as the way in which he was captured by a neighboring tribe. Later on, he is met at the shore by slavers, European and African.

 Throughout the rest Equiano travels, is converted to Christianity, and is freed from slavery as well as is threatened with enslavement, but all of that is just backing to the truth of the matter which is this; The Narrative of Equiano (paraphrasing), is no doubt a text which expands beyond nationality. This book stands neither as an African, nor a European text, rather it’s in a class of works which itself which is about a man in trial as though he were himself a ship upon the confines of the ocean. In essence, this is concise view as to how African stories exist due to slave, and interest of colonial European entities. What can be said about Equiano’s identity as portrayed in the novel? One can say that because of being so you, and being separated twice from his sister, Equiano left Africa too young to claim such an identity. But then again, here he writes to well about his home, the customs, and his mother, whilst still whole heartedly accepting an official post in the slave trade, as well as becoming a pious Christian. I believe that what he is occurring here is an amalgamation of cultures, where it becomes clear that there are similarities in both European and African culture through these duel exposures produced Equiano himself.     

Separated some time from the memoir of Equiano, the next text by Wole Soyinka, Death of the Kings Horseman, sheds light on the colonial experience. The story at its core is the tragedy of misguided notions of morality. The king’s horseman Elesin is to commit ritual suicide, and the District Officer Pilking steps in the way to stop the ritual. These two characters stand as markers of their cultures, one which is native and one which is supplemented. The conflict which occurs in the play happens when the ways of the European colonist infringe on the standing tradition of the tribe, thus causing unrest among both parties. Now this difference is a story of colonial harm, and the conflicts innate between people vying for an identity within a land, but what really drives the point of colonialism as a way of expanding the depth of a culture is the character Olunde, the Horseman’s son. 

            What makes Olunde interesting is he is representative of both the cultural-expansion and the destructing power of colonialism. He voluntarily left his village for England, both in a denial of his position within the tradition of his people, as well as to return as a proactive piece which was missing from his home; as a doctor. This stands along the same lines of how missionaries came along through colonialism, bringing both knowledge of medicines as well as the medicines themselves. But Olunde is different than while being quite the same to Equiano. Unlike Equiano’s unwavering faith in western religion, Olunde still is reverent towards his people faith despite his time in Europe, as well despite his European education. But this here is where he truly is in contrast to Equiano, where his story does not end in his favor, showing the dirty more conflicted side of colonialism. Olunde takes the place of his father (who’d failed to sacrifice himself) and commits the suicide instead. 

            Both the texts up to this point have detested the enslavement of man for the sake of colonial interest, but as well have shown the potential of those who make their way across the Atlantic. It’s a very shallow grey line which is being presented in both texts, but none the less both stand undeniably as being trans-Atlantic texts crucial to understanding the partially undefined lines of culture, and how the human spirit is ever evolving. But the final text is something very different which in a way which is very thorough, shows that change in man’s spirit which in turn is the key towards how these texts show the effect of how colonialism has changed both cultures in particular ways. That text will be Edwidge Danticat’s The Dew Breaker. 

            The Dew Breaker follows the story of a Haitian prison guard starting a new life in the United States to escape his terrible crimes committed in his home. The story though is very indicative of the colonial encounter and is far more contemporary than Equiano’s memoir or the setting of the king’s horseman, but still holds to the concept of the black man travelling abroad. But what makes this text different is its focus on life in the United States, and the wanting to escape form ones past whilst maintaining the cultural background, which becomes quite delicate at times. It’s no doubt that this story follows along the lines of both aforementioned pieces of literature. The Dew Breaker is a story of tragedy and redemption, which itself (again like the rest) is a product of the colonial experience. The story is part of a lineage of black literature which would not be present today if it weren’t for those who, rather than become completely subjugated under colonial rule, absorbed into their cultural story what they had gathered from western knowledge. Using such knowledge, Equiano, Danticat, and Soyinka are catalyst for the experience, and their works are the product of making their stories accessible to those whom their homes had hosted, and who had hosted them.             To pull it all together, the key themes and narratives of these stories told are products of the colonial experience, and as well the exposure of Africans to the Europeans ways of transferring knowledge. Though the means meant such hardships for Africans, and such deprivation of soul from the colonists, by no means were it all just bad and good. Rather there were seemingly many times when the cultures crossed, and intertwined. And although the struggle against oppression is always prevalent, it is through a common form set by the colonizers which made it so that such texts could be shared to an audience which wouldn’t necessarily have been told through oral traditions. This is not to discredit black works as only being possible through European intervention, as some of the most vibrant and intellectual societies in history have been birthed from the African continent, but none the less the current forms are product of this intersection, and elevation, between cultures. To answer the questions from before; what remains is inevitably changed. The individual is a subject in states of constant change derived from cause and reaction. So why not would a group of individuals too change with a different cause being imposed upon them? This is how cultures shift and mingle because it all starts with the individual. Through this we have the works present here, and those which exist out in the world today.

Works Cited

African-Language Literature: Tragedy and Hope on JSTOR. http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3819945.pdf?refreqid=fastly-default%3A955c319b63d81bf14834d036d9e41f4f&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&origin=&initiator=search-results&acceptTC=1.

Danticat, Edwidge. The Dew Breaker. 2004, ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA78346721.

Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Illustrated. 2021.

Soyinka, Wole. Death and the King’s Horseman. Turtleback Books, 2002.