Mimicry, Hybridity and Ambivalence in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

Abstract

This study finds the concepts of mimicry, ambivalence, hybridity in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinu Achebe through the lens of postcolonial theory presented by Homi K. Bhabha. Achebe represents precolonial Igbo culture as self-sufficient and rich, yet the arrival of the colonizers disrupts and destabilizes this society, leading individuals to internalize colonial influence. The analysis of the selected text from the novel shows how characters such as Okonkwo, Enoch, and Nwoye respond differently to colonial domination—some embracing hybridity mimicry, others torn by ambivalence, and still others resisting until destruction. The research adopts Bhabha’s The Location of Culture as its primary theoretical framework, supported by additional postcolonial insights, to demonstrate how colonial power reshaped Igbo identity, beliefs, and traditions. By examining these dynamics, the study sheds light on the broader effects of colonialism on indigenous societies, revealing how cultural displacement and psychological conflict ultimately contribute to the downfall of the Igbo community in the novel.