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Postcolonial Speculative Fiction

"Othering" in Nnedi Okorafor's Lagoon

“An alien invasion in Nigeria? Whodathunkit…” This was my first thought when the plot of Nnedi Okorafor’s Lagoon started to become clear. Whoever heard of aliens having any interest in a nonwhite culture? This was the idea at the root of my surprise. Is it racist? Certainly not, I’m not that guy. It is, however, an example of how our implicit biases shape our expectations.
The absurdity of the thought occurred to me when I couched it in this way (all irony included for your benefit), “who in the world would write a story about aliens landing on earth and visiting a culture different from mine populated by people who don’t look like me?” What we have here is a case of “othering”, albeit much more benign than what Edward Said discusses in his book, Orientalism.
Okorafor addresses this in her book. Often, her characters perform this “othering” to each other, all while trying to jockey for the position of privilege and power:
Father Oke, a priest who is apparently a complete fraud, uses his position to obtain wealth and comfort. It’s unclear if he actually believes in his own religion. It seems that there is an explosion of churches in Nigeria in which slapping women suspected of being witches is common practice. There’s also the obvious and problematic remnant of colonialism with a Western pseudo-Christian religion gaining more and more followers in Nigeria. This isn’t a creation for the book, either.

One of the main characters, Adaora, is emblematic of the troubled relationship with the west. She is a Nigerian, born and raised. She is, however, educated in Western fashion as a scientist, a marine biologist. She works as a professor and has rejected the traditional homemaker role of women. She has significant conflict with Father Oke because her husband is a follower of his church.
The trio of main characters—named Adaora, Agu, and Anthony—are, very early in the novel, taken into the ocean by aliens. This begs many questions for me. It’s reminiscent of the middle passage because there all taken into the water by a foreign power and emerge changed in significant ways. They seem bound to a fate after the incident, rather than having the agency to choose for themselves. Alternatively, it also seems very similar to Christian baptism ceremony. Either of these have serious post-colonial implications. .
Okorafor’s writing evokes many difficult to answer questions about the post-colonial environment in Nigeria, as well as containing many references to the slave trade and middle passage. Okorafor weaves an interesting story which is also very thought provoking because of the connotations involved. She demonstrates how the effects of colonialism and the slave trade have lingering consequences.

Okorafor, Nnedi, Lagoon, Saga Press, 2016.
Said, Edward W. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 2004.

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The choice of using Nigeria as the country chosen by high order beings to introduce advance technology was a brilliant move by Okorafor. It turns the idea of who is entitled to receive superior knowledge on its head. When reading about Nigeria, the country sounds chaotic, with cultures colliding, traffic rubbernecking, and people everywhere living out in society. Not like Americans tucked away in front of their TVs. When the aliens introduce themselves in Lagos Nigeria the chaos gets amped. I kept wandering are they going make it or burn it all down? The location is the ultimate reminder that America is not the definition of a Global society.
Contents of this reply:
1. "Othering" in Nnedi Okorafor's Lagoon “An alien invasion in Nigeria? Whodathunkit…” This was my first thought when the plot of Nnedi Okorafor’s Lagoon started to become clear. Whoever heard of aliens having any interest in a nonwhite culture? This was the idea at the root of my surprise. Is it racist? Certainly not, I’m not that guy. It is, however, an example of how our implicit biases shape our expectations.
  The absurdity of the thought occurred to me when I couched it in this way (all irony included for your benefit), “who in the world would write a story about aliens landing on earth and visiting a culture different from mine populated by people who don’t look like me?” What we have here is a case of “othering”, albeit much more benign than what Edward Said discusses in his book, Orientalism.
  Okorafor addresses this in her book. Often, her characters perform this “othering” to each other, all while trying to jockey for the position of privilege and power:
  Father Oke, a priest who is apparently a complete fraud, uses his position to obtain wealth and comfort. It’s unclear if he actually believes in his own religion. It seems that there is an explosion of churches in Nigeria in which slapping women suspected of being witches is common practice. There’s also the obvious and problematic remnant of colonialism with a Western pseudo-Christian religion gaining more and more followers in Nigeria. This isn’t a creation for the book, either.
  
  One of the main characters, Adaora, is emblematic of the troubled relationship with the west. She is a Nigerian, born and raised. She is, however, educated in Western fashion as a scientist, a marine biologist. She works as a professor and has rejected the traditional homemaker role of women. She has significant conflict with Father Oke because her husband is a follower of his church.
  The trio of main characters—named Adaora, Agu, and Anthony—are, very early in the novel, taken into the ocean by aliens. This begs many questions for me. It’s reminiscent of the middle passage because there all taken into the water by a foreign power and emerge changed in significant ways. They seem bound to a fate after the incident, rather than having the agency to choose for themselves. Alternatively, it also seems very similar to Christian baptism ceremony. Either of these have serious post-colonial implications. .
  Okorafor’s writing evokes many difficult to answer questions about the post-colonial environment in Nigeria, as well as containing many references to the slave trade and middle passage. Okorafor weaves an interesting story which is also very thought provoking because of the connotations involved. She demonstrates how the effects of colonialism and the slave trade have lingering consequences.
  
  Okorafor, Nnedi, Lagoon, Saga Press, 2016.
  Said, Edward W. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 2004.
The idea that Ayodele sucking the three main characters into a tsunami is an allegory for the Middle Passage and even Christian baptism is so interesting to me. The Middle Passage makes sense, but I think there's a stronger claim in the ways that it's similar to baptism. They are fully emerged in water and are permanently changed by a force that is unknown and greater than them. Because they were chosen they have a unique purpose in helping Ayodele peacefully transition to Nigeria and prepare it for colonization. It's very similar to the missionary work expected of baptized Christians. I do have a question though: you propose that these allegories are postcolonial. Do you think that this was purposefully done by Okorafor or maybe just something she unknowingly did? Is it "good" or "bad?"
Contents of this reply:
1. "Othering" in Nnedi Okorafor's Lagoon “An alien invasion in Nigeria? Whodathunkit…” This was my first thought when the plot of Nnedi Okorafor’s Lagoon started to become clear. Whoever heard of aliens having any interest in a nonwhite culture? This was the idea at the root of my surprise. Is it racist? Certainly not, I’m not that guy. It is, however, an example of how our implicit biases shape our expectations.
  The absurdity of the thought occurred to me when I couched it in this way (all irony included for your benefit), “who in the world would write a story about aliens landing on earth and visiting a culture different from mine populated by people who don’t look like me?” What we have here is a case of “othering”, albeit much more benign than what Edward Said discusses in his book, Orientalism.
  Okorafor addresses this in her book. Often, her characters perform this “othering” to each other, all while trying to jockey for the position of privilege and power:
  Father Oke, a priest who is apparently a complete fraud, uses his position to obtain wealth and comfort. It’s unclear if he actually believes in his own religion. It seems that there is an explosion of churches in Nigeria in which slapping women suspected of being witches is common practice. There’s also the obvious and problematic remnant of colonialism with a Western pseudo-Christian religion gaining more and more followers in Nigeria. This isn’t a creation for the book, either.
  
  One of the main characters, Adaora, is emblematic of the troubled relationship with the west. She is a Nigerian, born and raised. She is, however, educated in Western fashion as a scientist, a marine biologist. She works as a professor and has rejected the traditional homemaker role of women. She has significant conflict with Father Oke because her husband is a follower of his church.
  The trio of main characters—named Adaora, Agu, and Anthony—are, very early in the novel, taken into the ocean by aliens. This begs many questions for me. It’s reminiscent of the middle passage because there all taken into the water by a foreign power and emerge changed in significant ways. They seem bound to a fate after the incident, rather than having the agency to choose for themselves. Alternatively, it also seems very similar to Christian baptism ceremony. Either of these have serious post-colonial implications. .
  Okorafor’s writing evokes many difficult to answer questions about the post-colonial environment in Nigeria, as well as containing many references to the slave trade and middle passage. Okorafor weaves an interesting story which is also very thought provoking because of the connotations involved. She demonstrates how the effects of colonialism and the slave trade have lingering consequences.
  
  Okorafor, Nnedi, Lagoon, Saga Press, 2016.
  Said, Edward W. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 2004.
Hey Mary! I suspect that the middle passage analogy is made up in my mind, like I was looking for something and found it because of my preconceived expectations. The baptism thing, I think that was an intentional choice by the author. It seems to fit too perfectly to be a coincidence. And they both have strong post-colonial flavor. the baptism does especially. Baptism is a Christian rite, which is to say it is a Western tradition. its very presence in Africa indicates a colonial, or in this case post-colonial, presence.
Contents of this reply:
1. "Othering" in Nnedi Okorafor's Lagoon “An alien invasion in Nigeria? Whodathunkit…” This was my first thought when the plot of Nnedi Okorafor’s Lagoon started to become clear. Whoever heard of aliens having any interest in a nonwhite culture? This was the idea at the root of my surprise. Is it racist? Certainly not, I’m not that guy. It is, however, an example of how our implicit biases shape our expectations.
  The absurdity of the thought occurred to me when I couched it in this way (all irony included for your benefit), “who in the world would write a story about aliens landing on earth and visiting a culture different from mine populated by people who don’t look like me?” What we have here is a case of “othering”, albeit much more benign than what Edward Said discusses in his book, Orientalism.
  Okorafor addresses this in her book. Often, her characters perform this “othering” to each other, all while trying to jockey for the position of privilege and power:
  Father Oke, a priest who is apparently a complete fraud, uses his position to obtain wealth and comfort. It’s unclear if he actually believes in his own religion. It seems that there is an explosion of churches in Nigeria in which slapping women suspected of being witches is common practice. There’s also the obvious and problematic remnant of colonialism with a Western pseudo-Christian religion gaining more and more followers in Nigeria. This isn’t a creation for the book, either.
  
  One of the main characters, Adaora, is emblematic of the troubled relationship with the west. She is a Nigerian, born and raised. She is, however, educated in Western fashion as a scientist, a marine biologist. She works as a professor and has rejected the traditional homemaker role of women. She has significant conflict with Father Oke because her husband is a follower of his church.
  The trio of main characters—named Adaora, Agu, and Anthony—are, very early in the novel, taken into the ocean by aliens. This begs many questions for me. It’s reminiscent of the middle passage because there all taken into the water by a foreign power and emerge changed in significant ways. They seem bound to a fate after the incident, rather than having the agency to choose for themselves. Alternatively, it also seems very similar to Christian baptism ceremony. Either of these have serious post-colonial implications. .
  Okorafor’s writing evokes many difficult to answer questions about the post-colonial environment in Nigeria, as well as containing many references to the slave trade and middle passage. Okorafor weaves an interesting story which is also very thought provoking because of the connotations involved. She demonstrates how the effects of colonialism and the slave trade have lingering consequences.
  
  Okorafor, Nnedi, Lagoon, Saga Press, 2016.
  Said, Edward W. Orientalism. Vintage Books, 2004.

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