Western Education Causing Cultural Dislocation, Identity Crisis and Traditional Rift:

A Study of Chinua Achebe’s African Trilogy

Abstract

 Chinua Achebe’s African Trilogy—Things Fall Apart (1958), Arrow of God (1964),
and No Longer at Ease (1960)—is a profound critique of Western education’s role in fostering
cultural dislocation and establishing neocolonial structures in Nigeria. Employing a qualitative
textual analysis in the light of neocolonial, postcolonial and Afrocentric theories, the study
argues that Achebe portrays western education not as a neutral tool of enlightenment but as a
primary instrument of cultural imperialism. The analysis traces the generational impact of this
‘educational colonization’ beginning with the initial societal schism and personal alienation of
characters like Nwoye in Things Fall Apart. It then explores the institutional erosion and the
subversion of traditional authority in Arrow of God, epitomized by Ezeulu’s tragic
miscalculation. Finally, it culminates in the internalized identity crisis and moral collapse of
the western-educated elite, represented by Obi Okonkwo in No Longer at Ease. In conclusion,
this paper shows that Achebe’s trilogy skillfully illustrates how the legacy of colonial project
endures through the minds it shaped as it leaves a heritage of dislocation that continues to
define the post-colonial condition.