My Problem/Achebe's Monster

The main character would probably be this animal, who kind of looks like a monkey, except he's gotten tired of banana's and is looking for something a little tastier. Now this monkey isn't as stupid as he looks, in fact he has far surpassed the other inhabitants of his humble jungle abode. However, the little monkey feels this entitles him to more. So the monkey who grows so tired of his bananas, spots an orangatang's plantains and wages a vicious campaign to strike down his jungle companion in order to get a miniature version of the same old thing- and then call it a delicacy of all things. But the problem is the monkey didnt really want the plantains, he just wanted what the hairy fellas on the other side of the river had, because he assumed they were having all the fun. Anyway the moral of the story is to just chill up in the trees and enjoy the bananas you got, and if a brotha decides to drop by with a couple plantains, give him a branch to hang on.

The monster in Achebe are the invading colonial powers. The reason they arrive is because the land the natives inhabit provides something the imperialists desire, although its not there own. This indeed is an adept depiction of a monster, one who has no right, yet feels the need to take what does not belong to him. I see Rosseau's savage is basically an animal who's brain power greatly surpasses that of his brothers, and so he decides to manipulate them into getting what he wants, which is exactly the opposite of what everyone needs-that is a savage.

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by Patrick Willey 1/22/07