Lit Soc Independent Research Presentation
Senior Lit Soc was treated to an erudite talk by Leo H and Krish B in Fifth Year on their independent research into Orientalism, which they then used to inform their analysis of their GCSE set text ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe. Leo and Krish moved seamlessly from close analysis of poetry extracts from Byron’s ‘The Giaour’ to Dante’s ‘L’Inferno’, then applying this critical interpretation of Christian supernaturalism to 20th Century novels, considering Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ and how ‘Things Fall Apart’ responds to the latent racism that a post-colonial view can recognise, seeking to redress this with a depiction of Igbo culture that is complex, frank and celebratory.
Leo and Krish spoke with superb eloquence and insight, preparing a detailed and thought-provoking presentation, which was only bettered by their responses to the difficult questions posed in the discussion at the end, in which they showcased intellectual agility and maturity, particularly when discussing their wider reading, such as Adichie’s novel ‘Purple Hibiscus’, which was inspired by ‘Things Fall Apart’. This academic voraciousness certainly augurs well for their performance in their upcoming GCSE exams!
