description Mister Johnson Overview
Mister Johnson is a 1939 novel by Irish-born British writer Joyce Cary. Set in colonial Nigeria, it follows a young Nigerian clerk working for the British district administration at Fada, whose exuberant ambition and disregard for rules create conflicts with the colonial bureaucracy. The book uses comic and picaresque elements while presenting a contested portrait of colonial society, making it relevant to readers of twentieth-century fiction and colonial literature.
help Mister Johnson FAQ
Where is Joyce Cary's Mister Johnson set?
Mister Johnson is set in colonial Nigeria, particularly around the British district administration at Fada. The setting shapes the novel's conflicts over authority, bureaucracy, and cultural expectations.
Who is Mister Johnson in the novel?
Mister Johnson is a young Nigerian clerk working for the British administration. His exuberant ambition and disregard for rules repeatedly bring him into conflict with the colonial bureaucracy.
When was Mister Johnson published?
Joyce Cary published Mister Johnson in 1939. Cary was an Irish-born British writer who drew on his experience of colonial West Africa.
What does the novel criticize through Johnson's work at Fada?
The story exposes tensions within colonial administration by showing how official rules collide with Johnson's ambitions and local realities. Its picaresque elements also make the bureaucracy appear absurd and unstable.
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