The Use of Non-Colonial Language in "Potiki"


The first thing to notice about the writing style of this novel is the third person, omniscient perspective that the narrator has. Similar to in “Things Fall Apart,” the narrator is knowledgeable of the characters and their innermost thoughts. And just the same, the narrator does not take a historical voice when describing the events and characters. That is, the narrator does not explain what is happening around the world. The narrator, instead, fully understands the inner workings of the community of focus, yet does not expand beyond that. This allows the reader to understand the society and characters more fully while creating an atmosphere where we share some of the same unknowingness and isolation that this Maori tribe feels, just the same as the tribe Okonkwo was in felt.
              Along with this, relating to the class reading before this one, the use of “colonial language” does not exist within the text. The writer produces this work to be told, as best as it can, from the perspective of Maori natives. Because of this, the language used to describe the Maori people and community is not reliant on the features that differ from white Europeans and Americans. Stereotypes are not relied on to explain people’s customs, tempers and actions as is done in so much colonial-influenced writing. Instead, everything in this story is written as if it were by a Maori, or at least someone who respects it for what it is and not how it relates to Western culture and peoples. Along with this, the characters and society are not described in terms of pure praise and nostalgia. The writing is fair and from this fair-minded worldbuilding Patricia Grace produces, a much richer experience can be gained as everything feels more natural and these issues can be approached from a perspective (such as mine) which never experienced these same things before.  

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