Eastern Nigeria at the Crossroads of Culture : Cultural Hybridity in Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Abstract: This paper analyzes the four initial stages in the process of cultural hybridization as put forward by Chan Kwok-bun in his book Cultural Hybridity: essentializing, alternating, converting and hybridizing. These stages are examined in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart through a mapping to show how a cultural hybrid is formed. This analysis is done by using the three phases of colonialism as a framework: pre-colonialism, colonialism itself and post-colonialism. Using theories of postcolonialism, we break down the concept of hybridization: from domination to alienation and all the shades in between. The study attempts to shed light on aspects of colonialism by giving it a wider scope showing the process of cultural hybridization through a series of stages.