The Portrayal of Tradition and Modernity in Ousmane Sembène's Xala

Ousmane Sembène in Xala portrays the intersection of tradition and modernity in postcolonial Senegal. His works point out the issues which the African society faced due to colonialism, and Xala is no exception. Western modernity was regarded as superior and African tradition as inferior by colonizers. People started adopting a Western lifestyle to appear superior and civilized. Sembène highlights some issues such as loss of language, customs, and cultural identity, which were the impact of the long term colonial rule, leaving a lasting mark in postcolonial Senegalese society. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the clash between tradition and modernity through various instances by examining the shift in power from colonizers, who distorted the image of indigenous people or traditional communities to bourgeoisies, taking their place after independence. This paper will explore how Sembène critiques this transformation and exposes the internalized colonial legacy within the postcolonial elite.