The Subtle Plague: Materialistic Visage of Neocolonialism and Its Consequences in Armah’s Fragments

This paper examines the materialistic visage of neocolonialism in Ayi KweiArmah’s Fragments. While neocolonialism is often seen in African leaders’role as stooges of the erstwhile colonial powers in order to perpetuatethemselves in office, this paper argues that the masses’ unbridled penchantfor foreign goods and life styles is itself another form of neocolonialism,albeit subtle. This paper not only sees this development as part of the “newrealism” which came in the wake of political independence but also positsthat the way forward in the continent may lie in nonconformity, itsrepercussions notwithstanding and a return to the way of production, humanrelationship and reciprocity as symbolized by the visionary Naana