Historical Perspectives in Master Narratives: Ironies and Subversions in the Novels of Cary and Achebe

The history of the colonial world is interpreted differently by western historians and “nativist” historians and ethnologists. The colonialist perspective of history often disregards an entire phase of history before the colonial period, exalting the colonialist enterprise. On the other hand, ethnologists and native historians stress indigenous sources of history, including oral accounts. The paper, Historical Perspectives in Master Narratives: Ironies and Subversions in the Novels of Cary and Achebe, places the literary works of Joyce Cary (1880-1957) and Chinua Achebe (1930 ) in their historical context as reflecting either colonialist or “nativist” discourse, yet assesses their deviations from these historical traditions with the objective of exploring the common theme of ironies and subversions that undercut master-narratives. Cary’s novels reflect colonialist accounts of African history while Achebe attempts to give authority and validity to oral sources of African history. Yet both novelists initiate a critique of the dominant ideology.