Master's Thesis Title: "Rewriting Colonial History: A Postcolonial and New-Historicist Reading of Things Fall Apart and Weep Not, Child"
Master's Thesis Title: "Rewriting Colonial History: A Postcolonial and New-Historicist Reading of Things Fall Apart and Weep Not, Child"
A Master’s thesis was defended at the Faculty of Linguistic Studies at the Arab Open University – Jordan, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, by student Zainab Gharaybeh, specializing in English Literature. The thesis was titled: "Rewriting Colonial History: A Postcolonial and New-Historicist Reading of Things Fall Apart and Weep Not, Child."
The defense committee comprised the following distinguished members:
Dr. Amjad Al-Syouf – Primary Supervisor and Committee Chair
Dr. Ola Kattaneh – Internal Examiner
Dr. Akram Shalghin – External Examiner
The thesis explored the re-reading of colonial history in Africa through a comparative study of the novels Things Fall Apart by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe and Weep Not, Child by Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, drawing upon postcolonial and new-historicist theories. The study sought to reveal how both authors re-represented the colonial experience from the perspective of colonized peoples, deconstructing colonial discourses that aimed to marginalize African identity and culture.
Furthermore, the thesis examined themes of resistance, identity, history, and cultural memory, illustrating how the African novel transformed into a tool for rewriting history and reclaiming marginalized voices. It highlighted the forms of cultural, psychological, and social resistance that confronted colonial hegemony, demonstrating the role of literary works in questioning colonial narratives and reconstructing historical consciousness from an African perspective.
On this occasion, we highly commend the efforts of the thesis supervisor and express our profound appreciation to the esteemed members of the defense committee. The Arab Open University extends its warmest congratulations to student Zainab Gharaybeh on this outstanding academic achievement, wishing her continued success and excellence in her academic and professional endeavors.
