What Napoleon Could Not Do

What Napoleon Could Not Do Plot Summary

Introduction

When Ghana gained independence in 1957, becoming the first sub-Saharan African nation to break free from colonial rule, the world watched with anticipation. What would freedom mean for this pioneering nation? The path forward proved far more complex than the jubilant independence celebrations might have suggested. Beneath the surface of political sovereignty lay deeper questions of cultural identity, economic self-determination, and psychological liberation that would shape generations of Ghanaians. This historical journey reveals the persistent shadows of colonialism that continue to influence how Ghanaians see themselves and their place in the world. Through intimate portraits of families torn between traditional values and Western aspirations, we witness how immigration policies create painful separations, how marriage traditions adapt across oceans, and how the pursuit of "papers" becomes a modern quest for legitimacy. For anyone seeking to understand how colonial legacies shape personal identities long after independence flags are raised, this exploration offers profound insights into the complex relationship between Ghana and America, and how individuals navigate the space between inherited traditions and self-determination in a post-colonial world.

Chapter 1: Colonial Legacies: The Struggle for Post-Independence Identity (1957-1980s)

Ghana's independence in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah marked a moment of tremendous optimism. As the first sub-Saharan African nation to throw off colonial rule, Ghana became a symbol of African possibility and pride. Nkrumah's famous declaration that "the independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa" positioned the country as a leader in pan-African identity. Yet beneath this political transformation lay deeper questions about what it meant to be Ghanaian in a post-colonial world. The generation represented by Mr. Nti in the narrative came of age during this pivotal transition. Having grown up under British colonial rule, they witnessed the shift to self-governance while carrying the psychological imprints of colonialism. Education had been designed to create "Black Englishmen" who valued European culture above their own. This colonial education system remained largely intact after independence, continuing to teach Ghanaian children that Western ways represented progress and civilization. Mr. Nti's generation thus inherited ambivalent attitudes toward their own cultural traditions, often measuring success against Western standards rather than developing indigenous metrics of achievement. The early decades of independence saw Ghana struggling with economic and political instability. After Nkrumah's overthrow in 1966, the country experienced a series of military coups and brief civilian governments. These political upheavals coincided with economic challenges, as Ghana's cocoa-dependent economy suffered from falling commodity prices and mismanagement. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, once-prosperous Ghana faced severe economic decline, with shortages of basic goods and deteriorating infrastructure. The "light-off" (power outages) that plague the Nti family symbolize these broader development failures, as the promises of independence gave way to the harsh realities of post-colonial economic struggles. This period also saw the emergence of a profound identity crisis among educated Ghanaians. Traditional family structures and values clashed with Western-influenced aspirations. The Nti family embodies this tension, with Robert finding purpose in Lutheran faith, Jacob yearning for America while feeling trapped in Ghana, and Belinda pursuing education abroad. Their diverse paths reflect the fragmentation of post-colonial identity, as Ghanaians navigated between traditional community obligations and individual ambitions shaped by Western ideals of success. For many Ghanaians during this era, America emerged as the ultimate symbol of opportunity and validation. This idealization of America reveals the psychological impact of colonialism—the persistent belief that true success and fulfillment could only be found in the West. Mr. Nti passes this perception to his children, viewing America as the promised land where true potential could be realized. This orientation toward external validation rather than internal development became a defining feature of post-colonial Ghanaian identity, creating a generation that measured their worth against their ability to access Western opportunities. The colonial legacy thus persisted long after formal independence, shaping how Ghanaians viewed themselves and their possibilities. The struggle for genuine psychological independence proved far more challenging than the political battle against colonial rule. As one character reflects, true freedom requires not just political sovereignty but the ability to define success and identity on one's own terms—a journey that would continue to challenge Ghanaians in the decades to come.

Chapter 2: American Dreams and Ghanaian Realities: Migration Aspirations (1980s-2000s)

The 1980s marked a turning point for Ghana as economic hardship intensified under military rule. In 1983, Ghana experienced its worst drought in half a century, devastating agriculture while famine threatened. That same year, Nigeria expelled nearly one million Ghanaians who had migrated there for work. Facing these compounded crises, Ghana accepted International Monetary Fund structural adjustment programs that required austerity measures, further straining ordinary citizens. Against this backdrop of economic desperation, America's image as a land of opportunity grew even more powerful in the Ghanaian imagination. For the Nti family, America represented not merely material wealth but validation of worth. When Belinda's academic brilliance earned her a scholarship to the prestigious Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, it created both pride and painful comparison for her brother Jacob. Despite his computer science degree from a Ghanaian university, Jacob viewed his life in Ghana as merely waiting—a temporary state before his real life could begin in America. This perception reflects how thoroughly colonial mentality had been internalized, creating a generation that could not imagine fulfillment within Ghana's borders. The period witnessed increasing Ghanaian migration to America, creating transnational families stretched across oceans. Technology transformed these relationships, as international phone calls—once prohibitively expensive—became more accessible. Jacob and Patricia maintained their marriage primarily through these calls and packages sent through intermediaries. These tenuous connections highlight how immigration policies and geographical distance strained family bonds. When Patricia becomes pregnant with another man's child while still married to Jacob, her decision reflects not just personal desire but the practical reality that Jacob may never join her in America. The contrast between American dreams and Ghanaian realities is poignantly captured through Jacob's repeated visa rejections. He meticulously prepares for embassy interviews, memorizing facts about American monuments like Mount Rushmore, only to be denied each time. The arbitrary nature of these decisions reveals how immigration systems often fail to recognize human relationships and aspirations, reducing complex lives to paperwork and procedural outcomes. Jacob's fixation on America becomes the central tragedy of his story—a life suspended in waiting for a future that never arrives. For those who did reach America, like Belinda, success came with its own complications. Despite her elite education at Hotchkiss and later Yale, Belinda remains without permanent legal status, unable to visit Ghana even for her mother's funeral. Her experience reveals the cruel paradox of American immigration policy—welcoming the "best and brightest" from developing nations while keeping them in perpetual uncertainty. This immigration limbo becomes another form of colonization, as former colonial subjects remain dependent on the arbitrary decisions of Western bureaucracies. By the early 2000s, Ghana had achieved greater political stability and modest economic growth, yet the orientation toward America persisted. The American dream had become embedded in Ghanaian culture, passed from parents to children as the ultimate measure of success. This outward focus came at a cost, as talented Ghanaians directed their energies toward leaving rather than building opportunities at home. The period thus reveals how post-colonial economic challenges and persistent psychological colonization combined to create migration aspirations that shaped individual lives and national development trajectories for generations.

Chapter 3: Marriage Across Oceans: Tradition in a Changing World

Traditional Ghanaian marriage practices underwent profound transformations as families adapted to the realities of transnational relationships. Jacob and Patricia's marriage exemplifies this evolution—a union arranged by Belinda and celebrated in Ghana with Patricia represented only by a photograph. The ceremony follows Ashanti customs, with Patricia's uncle Tot standing in for her and Mr. Nti presenting a gold ring as bride price. This hybrid approach reveals how tradition bends to accommodate modern circumstances without breaking entirely. The historical context of Ghanaian marriage helps explain these adaptations. Traditionally, marriages were often arranged between families rather than individuals, with emphasis placed on community approval and family alliances. The exchange of bride price—gifts from the groom's family to the bride's—symbolized respect and compensation for the loss of a daughter's labor and reproductive capacity. These practices persisted even as they accommodated modern realities like immigration. Patricia's mother embraces Jacob's family with excessive hospitality during the wedding ceremony, washing their hands in warm water and preparing special food, demonstrating traditional Ghanaian values of hospitality while masking the transactional nature of a union designed primarily to facilitate Jacob's immigration. The 1980s through early 2000s saw increasing numbers of "paper marriages" among Ghanaians seeking paths to America. These arrangements existed on a spectrum from purely transactional to genuinely affectionate, with many falling somewhere in between. Jacob and Patricia's marriage begins as a practical arrangement but carries expectations of developing into a genuine partnership. When Patricia becomes involved with another man in America, the marriage's fragility is exposed. The subsequent divorce proceedings require another traditional ceremony where accusations fly and the original gold ring becomes a contested symbol of the failed union. Gender expectations within marriage reveal both continuity and change during this period. Mr. Nti believes that "a man needs someone at his side. Preferably a woman," reflecting traditional patriarchal views. For Jacob's father, a "long, happy marriage" depends on "the wife's character," placing the burden of marital success primarily on women. Yet economic realities were shifting these dynamics, as women like Patricia gained financial independence through migration. Her ability to support herself in America fundamentally alters the power balance in her marriage to Jacob, challenging traditional gender hierarchies. Religion played a significant role in shaping marriage expectations during this era. Ghana's growing evangelical Christian movement emphasized monogamy and nuclear family structures, sometimes in tension with traditional extended family obligations. Robert, Jacob's deaf brother, finds fulfillment in his Lutheran faith and marriage, suggesting alternative models of success outside migration. His religious community provides support and purpose that Jacob, fixated on America, lacks. Meanwhile, Belinda's marriage to Wilder, though initially a means to secure her immigration status, evolves into a complex relationship shaped by American racial politics and Wilder's Vietnam War trauma. These marriages across oceans reveal how Ghanaians navigated between traditional values and modern realities, often finding that neither fully satisfied their deepest needs for connection and belonging. The gold ring that passes from Mr. Nti to Patricia's family and becomes contested in divorce symbolizes how marriage itself became a battleground for competing values and expectations in post-colonial Ghana. Traditional practices persisted but were transformed by migration, economic changes, and cultural globalization, creating new hybrid forms that reflected Ghana's position at the crossroads of tradition and modernity.

Chapter 4: The Power of Papers: Immigration Limbo and Divided Families

The period from the 1980s through the early 2000s saw American immigration policy become increasingly restrictive, creating a state of perpetual limbo for many Ghanaians seeking legal status. This bureaucratic maze of visa applications, green card lotteries, and immigration interviews became a recurring motif in the lives of families like the Ntis. The power of papers is most evident in Belinda's situation: despite her elite American education and marriage to a wealthy American citizen, she remains without a green card for over ten years, unable to return to Ghana even for her mother's funeral. Immigration status fundamentally shaped life possibilities during this era. Jacob's repeated visa rejections crush his hopes of joining Patricia in America, leaving him in a state of suspended animation in Ghana. The arbitrary nature of these decisions highlights how immigration systems often fail to recognize human relationships and aspirations. When Jacob's nephew Alfred asks why his uncle can't visit America, the adults struggle to explain a system that seems designed to exclude rather than welcome. The visa officer's power to approve or deny applications with minimal explanation creates a profound sense of powerlessness among applicants, echoing colonial dynamics where Europeans controlled Africans' mobility and opportunities. For those without papers, life becomes a series of compromises and deceptions. Patricia works under a false name in America, hiding from immigration authorities while building a new relationship with a Ghanaian marine who offers the promise of legal status. The novel shows how immigration limbo forces people to make difficult moral choices, weighing loyalty against survival, tradition against opportunity. When Patricia becomes pregnant with another man's child while still married to Jacob, her decision reflects the practical reality that Jacob may never join her in America. The immigration system thus becomes a force that strains marriages and family bonds beyond their breaking points. The psychological impact of immigration limbo extends beyond practical limitations to affect identity and self-worth. Without secure immigration status, characters experience a profound sense of impermanence that undermines their ability to build meaningful lives. Belinda's frustration with America's "cruelest joke"—welcoming her as "among the best" only to deny her permanent status—reveals how immigration limbo becomes a form of psychological colonization, keeping former colonial subjects in a state of perpetual uncertainty and dependence. This limbo becomes a metaphor for the broader post-colonial condition, where formal independence does not necessarily translate into true self-determination. Family separation emerged as a defining feature of Ghanaian experience during this period. When Belinda's mother dies, her inability to return for the funeral creates a wound that never fully heals. This absence becomes emblematic of how immigration policies force impossible choices that damage family bonds. Similarly, Jacob and Patricia's marriage across oceans, sustained primarily through phone calls and packages, reveals the fragility of relationships stretched by geographical distance and immigration barriers. The gold ring that symbolized their union becomes contested in divorce proceedings, highlighting how material objects gain heightened significance when physical presence is impossible. By the early 2000s, papers had become a form of currency more valuable than money in many Ghanaian communities. Families pooled resources to send their most promising members abroad, hoping they would secure legal status and help others follow. This strategy created new hierarchies based on immigration status rather than traditional measures of success. Those with papers gained power and prestige, while those without remained dependent and marginalized. This system perpetuated colonial dynamics in new forms, as access to the West became the primary determinant of status and opportunity in post-colonial Ghana.

Chapter 5: Black Identity Across Continents: Race, Nationality, and Belonging

The experience of Blackness differs profoundly between Ghana and America, creating complex identity challenges for Ghanaians who move between these worlds. In Ghana, a predominantly Black nation, identity is primarily structured around ethnicity, language, and nationality rather than race. The Nti family identifies first as Ashanti and Ghanaian, with racial identity remaining largely implicit until contact with Western racial frameworks. This contrasts sharply with America, where race often overshadows other aspects of identity, particularly for Black immigrants. Belinda's journey illustrates this collision of identity frameworks. At sixteen, she arrives in America focused on academic achievement rather than racial politics. Through her friendship with Kara, a light-skinned Black American woman, she begins to understand American racial categories and histories that differ significantly from Ghanaian conceptions of identity. When Belinda attends her former friend Edith's wedding to a white American man, these contradictions surface as she navigates a predominantly white space while sporting militant red hair—a deliberate statement of Black identity suggested by her husband Wilder. The period from the 1980s through early 2000s saw increasing scholarly and popular attention to the distinctions between African and African American experiences. Ghanaians in America often found themselves navigating complex terrain between these identities. Laurent, a Congolese driver Belinda meets in Washington, D.C., demonstrates how African immigrants develop strategic approaches to American racial dynamics, putting on his "Black American" identity like the hat he wears for work and removing it when among fellow Africans. This code-switching reveals how immigrants learn to navigate American racial categories while maintaining distinct cultural identities. For Jacob, Black identity takes yet another form through his online relationship with Hotch'91, a white American woman with whom he engages in role-playing that she later describes as "Massa's-wife-and-the-slave-type shit." This disturbing dynamic reveals how colonial and racial histories continue to shape intimate relationships, even in virtual spaces. Jacob's willingness to participate in this fantasy suggests both his desperation for connection to America and the complex psychological effects of post-colonial identity formation, where desire for Western approval can override dignity. The novel also examines how Black Americans like Wilder view Africa and Africans. While Wilder financially supports the Nti family and marries Belinda, his understanding of Africa remains limited, filtered through his own experiences of American racism. His hatred of white America stems partly from his Vietnam War experiences, creating a political consciousness that differs significantly from Belinda's more optimistic view of America. Their marriage thus becomes a site where different conceptions of Blackness and its political implications must be negotiated. By the early 2000s, Ghana had begun actively cultivating connections with the African diaspora, particularly African Americans. The government promoted "roots tourism" and commemorated the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in America. Some African Americans even relocated to Ghana, seeking connection to ancestral homelands. Yet these encounters often revealed as many differences as similarities, highlighting how centuries of separation had created distinct cultural identities despite shared ancestry. The varied experiences of Blackness across continents thus reveal how racial identity is shaped by historical context, geography, and personal experience, defying simple categorization or assumptions of natural solidarity.

Chapter 6: Development's Broken Promises: The Metaphor of Failed Light

Electricity—or its absence—serves as a powerful metaphor throughout Ghana's post-independence history for the unfulfilled promises of development and modernity. The recurring "light-off" (power outages) that plagued the country from the 1980s through the early 2000s symbolized the gap between independence aspirations and everyday realities. When Patricia's mother asks Mr. Nti during the divorce proceedings, "Do you have light?"—ostensibly inquiring about electricity—she is also questioning his status and worth in a society where reliable power represents privilege and advancement. The historical context helps explain this metaphorical significance. At independence in 1957, Ghana had higher per capita income than South Korea and similar development indicators to many Asian nations that would later become "economic tigers." Nkrumah's ambitious development plans, symbolized by the massive Akosombo Dam completed in 1965, promised to transform Ghana into an industrial powerhouse. Yet by the 1980s, economic mismanagement, political instability, and unfavorable global economic conditions had derailed these dreams. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) implemented power rationing, creating a schedule where neighborhoods received electricity for limited hours. This unreliable infrastructure forced families like the Ntis to adapt their daily routines around the presence or absence of light. The period from the 1980s through early 2000s saw Ghana implementing structural adjustment programs required by international financial institutions. These policies emphasized privatization, reduced government spending, and integration into global markets. While eventually contributing to macroeconomic stability, they initially deepened hardship for ordinary Ghanaians while failing to deliver reliable basic services like electricity. The novel situates the Nti family's experiences within this broader context of development policies that prioritized abstract economic indicators over tangible improvements in daily life. Light and darkness extend beyond literal electricity to metaphorical illumination and obscurity. Jacob reflects that "in America, everywhere shone with light," contrasting this imagined brilliance with Ghana's darkness. Yet Patricia later warns Belinda about America's "darkness" that "you can't see," referring to the country's racial history and ongoing inequities. This juxtaposition suggests that different forms of darkness exist in both societies—Ghana's visible infrastructure challenges versus America's hidden but equally damaging social problems. Religion provided another framework for understanding development failures during this period. The church song that Alfred practices, with its refrain of "Goodbye darkness. Hello light," connects these metaphors to spiritual and millennial hopes. The promise that "When he comes, darkness will turn to light" speaks to a desire for divine intervention in the face of earthly failures. This religious dimension reflects how, when human systems and post-colonial governments fail to deliver progress, people turn to spiritual solutions. Ghana's dramatic growth in evangelical Christianity during this period partly responded to development disappointments, offering hope and community amid material struggles. By the early 2000s, Ghana had achieved greater political stability and modest economic growth, yet infrastructure challenges persisted. The metaphor of failed light thus captures a fundamental aspect of post-colonial experience—the gap between independence promises and everyday realities. When Alfred eagerly anticipates the promised six hours of uninterrupted electricity that will allow him to watch a Rambo DVD, his excitement reveals how even simple pleasures become contingent on unreliable systems. This persistent uncertainty about basic services shaped a generation's understanding of governance and possibility, creating both resilience and skepticism about development promises that repeatedly failed to materialize in their daily lives.

Chapter 7: Family Bonds: Resilience Amid Separation and Cultural Change

The Nti family embodies how Ghanaian families adapted to the challenges of post-colonial life, particularly the strains of geographical separation and cultural change. At the center stands Mr. Nti, whose patriarchal authority is increasingly challenged by changing circumstances. His son Robert, though deaf and initially underestimated, builds a successful life as a Lutheran pastor and entrepreneur. Jacob, despite his education, remains dependent on his father and sister. Belinda, geographically distant in America, maintains financial connections to the family through her wealthy husband Wilder while emotional bonds fray. These diverse trajectories reveal how traditional family structures bent without breaking entirely during this period of rapid change. Traditional family obligations persisted even as family members scattered across continents. Belinda sends regular shipments of food and gifts to Ghana, fulfilling her financial responsibilities while remaining physically absent. This pattern of remittances became increasingly common from the 1980s onward, as Ghanaians abroad supported extended families at home. By the early 2000s, remittances constituted a significant portion of Ghana's GDP, creating new forms of dependency and obligation. When Belinda's mother dies, she makes the painful decision not to return for the funeral, fearing she would not be allowed back into America due to her precarious immigration status. This absence becomes a wound that never fully heals, symbolizing how immigration policies force impossible choices that damage family bonds. Communication across these divides became both essential and fraught. Robert's deafness requires family members to learn sign language, creating an additional layer of potential disconnection. Young Alfred serves as an interpreter between his deaf parents and the hearing world, taking on responsibilities beyond his years. Meanwhile, Jacob and Belinda stop speaking after their mother's death, their silence reflecting deeper resentments about her role in his failed marriage and her apparent American success. These communication challenges mirror broader issues of translation between cultural worlds, as family members navigate different languages, technologies, and social contexts. Gender roles within families underwent significant transformation during this period. Traditional expectations that women would serve as primary caregivers while men provided financially were complicated by migration patterns and economic realities. Women like Patricia gained unprecedented independence through migration, altering power dynamics within marriages and families. Meanwhile, men like Jacob who remained in Ghana sometimes struggled with feelings of inadequacy when unable to fulfill traditional provider roles. Robert's marriage offers a counterpoint, as he and his wife build a successful family business together, suggesting alternative models of gender partnership emerging within Ghana. Children like Alfred represent the next generation navigating these complex family dynamics. Born to deaf parents and with his uncle Jacob living in the family home, Alfred grows up with multiple adult influences and responsibilities beyond his years. His fascination with American action films like Rambo reflects the cultural globalization affecting even young children in Ghana. Yet his daily life remains shaped by local realities like power outages and extended family obligations. Through Alfred, we glimpse how the next generation inherits both the challenges and resilience of post-colonial family structures. The novel suggests that family ties ultimately prove more resilient than romantic relationships or national allegiances. Despite their conflicts, the Nti family maintains connections through financial support, occasional phone calls, and shared concern for Alfred's future. When Belinda finally speaks with Patricia about Jacob's divorce, her primary concern is retrieving the gold ring that symbolizes their family's investment in the failed marriage. This focus on recovering family property rather than emotional reconciliation reveals how practical considerations often supersede sentimental ones in families stretched between continents. The family ties that bind the Ntis may fray and strain, but they never completely break, suggesting that kinship remains a crucial anchor in the turbulent waters of post-colonial life.

Summary

Ghana's journey since independence reveals how colonial legacies continue to shape individual lives and national development long after formal rule ends. The persistent orientation toward Western validation—particularly American approval—reflects a form of psychological colonization that proves more difficult to overcome than political subjugation. Through families like the Ntis, we witness how immigration policies create painful separations, how traditional practices adapt to transnational realities, and how the pursuit of "papers" becomes a modern quest for legitimacy. The recurring metaphor of failed electricity illuminates the gap between independence promises and everyday realities, while diverse experiences of Black identity across continents reveal how racial consciousness is shaped by historical and geographical context. These historical patterns offer profound insights for understanding contemporary global inequalities and migration debates. The power imbalances established during colonialism continue to structure relationships between nations and individuals, creating systems where former colonial subjects remain dependent on Western approval and access. Yet the resilience of family bonds and cultural adaptability demonstrated by Ghanaians suggests pathways toward more authentic self-definition. True decolonization requires not just political sovereignty but psychological liberation—the ability to define success and identity on one's own terms rather than through Western validation. As nations and individuals navigate between inherited traditions and self-determination, this history reminds us that genuine freedom emerges not through escape to other shores but through the difficult work of building meaningful lives wherever we find ourselves.

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D.K. Nnuro

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