The Old Man and the Medal

Ferdinand Oyono's "The Old Man and the Medal", first published as "Le Vieux Nègre et La Médaille" in 1956, is one of the best of the African novels dealing with the clash of cultures during the era of European colonial rule in Africa. The protagonist is Meka, a village elder, who has always been a good colonial subject. When he is summoned to receive a medal at a ceremonial presentation, his ideas begin to change. Meka, his wife, and other villagers are well-drawn characters. The English translation reads very well, and preserves the elegant vocabulary and sentence structure of the original French. The novel is an indictment of colonialism, but with a subtle and often humorous approach. "The Old Man and the Medal" was among the first African novels I encountered, but it is also a book that I have enjoyed re-reading as I have learned more about Africa.