Monge Beidi is a famous Cameroonian writer and representative figure of French literature in Africa. His anti colonial writings had a significant impact on African literature in the second half of the 20th century. Bedi's "Colonial Quartet" reproduces the various forms of African society during the colonial period, focusing on the two main axes of cultural identity and social structure, focusing on the growth of African youth, changes in religious beliefs, and the evolution of tribalism, and analyzing the transformation of African society. The Cruel City "and" Mission Accomplishment "explore the cultural identities of traditional and modern Africans; The Poor Christ of Pangba City and The Miracle of the King reveal the transition from colonial society to class society and the reconstruction of social organization. Bedi is the first indigenous writer to describe African cities, religions, and social classes, and his stance has exemplary significance. The historical mission of the "Four Chapters" is reflected in investigating colonial social contradictions, analyzing the evolution of social organizational structures, and exploring the future path of modernization in Africa. This article explores how Bedi expounds on the cultural identity dilemma in Africa, examines social transformation under the influence of external forces, and discusses the logical thinking of political communities during the transition period.

The dilemma of cultural identity

Deeply explored the dilemma of cultural identity in Monge Beidi's "Colonial Quartet". Beidi explores individual identity in modern space through the "crossing boundaries" and "growth" of African youth in urban and rural spaces. The experiences of Bonda and Medaz respectively represent the challenge of rural youth to colonial cities and the alienation of urban youth from traditional rural culture. Their alienation characteristics reflect the "shrinkage of subjectivity", and in the process of adapting to modernization and pursuing subjectivity, African youth have gained growth. Bedi focuses on depicting the identity reshaping of African youth and their association with cultural traditions. The journey of Bonda and Medaz constituted a thorny road of testing, and their transformation began with a series of tests along the path of growth. Beidi's exploration of cultural identity points to the problems that "modern individuals" will encounter in the civilizational conflicts and modernization processes triggered by colonialism. He called for a dynamic connection between cultural traditions and social development, rather than cultural restoration. The core of Bedi's anti colonial writing lies in the process of oppressed and deprived Africans regaining their subjectivity. His vision of citizenship ignored the prevalent ethnic issues in Africa and eagerly hoped for a "unified" citizenship, falling into the trap of radical idealism. Beidi proved the necessity of reshaping cultural identity, but failed to clarify its feasibility. The 'growth ecology' of African youth can be understood as an internal perspective, through which Bedi observes the internal crux of colonial social contradictions. Colonialism and tribalism have formed obstacles to the integration of internal and external factors in the transformation process of African society.

The 'conspiracy' of Western missionary work

Explored Meng Beidi's criticism of Western missionary activities in his "Colonial Quartet". Bedi revealed the "conspiracy" relationship between missionaries and colonial officials, as well as the hypocrisy of missionary behavior and the colonial authorities' manipulation of African society, through his works "Poor Christ of Pemba City" and "The Miracle of the King". He depicted a utilitarian "supply and demand model" between missionaries and locals, pointing out that missionaries neglected the integration of Christian doctrine and local society when promoting their doctrines, while locals converted to Christianity more out of fear of colonial threats and pursuit of material interests. Beidi also pointed out that although missionaries and colonizers have different means, their goals are the same, which is to demand that the colonized obey exploitation and give up resistance. The colonial government was more pragmatic in the issue of religious integration, but the relationship between the church and the colonial authorities was difficult to distance, and the missionary activities even played a role in fueling the enslavement of Africans. Beidi believes that colonial rule triggered the "cause" of local people's religious conversion, as well as the "result" of failed missionary work. Underneath the surface of religious conflicts lies the response of social organizational structures to external intervention. The starting point of Bedi's criticism of missionary behavior lies in the illegal use of colonial authorities. He did not completely deny the values and concepts of foreign religions, but pointed out that there is a systematic contradiction between them and local culture. In addition, Bedi also analyzed the intervention of colonial authorities in African society, including the shaping of "African traditions" and the "reshaping" of local power classes, which not only changed the exercise of colonial power, but also predicted the birth of a new political community.

The Logic of the New Political Community

The Miracle of the King showcases the origins of local elites through conflicts between foreign religions and local ethnic groups. In the book, the middle school students come from well-off families, but they uphold traditional values, support tribal culture and parental authority, gradually forming a national consciousness and joining the People's Progressive Party. And his distant relative Chris came from a poor background and was indifferent to the social situation, representing the passive position of the lower class in political struggles. Chris's contempt for patriarchy reflects the dissatisfaction of ordinary people in the colony with the "chiefs" or "agents" appointed by the colonizers. Ethnography during the colonial period rewrote African history and fabricated a new tribal system, reflecting the characteristics of the direct rule model. The evolution of the patrilineal system confirms the changes in the social structure of Africa, where colonial rule altered the traditional form of social organization. Mami described colonial society as a pyramid shaped oppressive structure, with colonial officials and missionaries at the top, exploited ordinary people at the bottom, and the middle class including tribal elders and religious leaders, as well as rising social elites in the colonial system. This emerging group has two social characteristics: one is to break away from being colonized and become a secondary trafficker in the colonial society and economic system; Secondly, their younger generations became local intellectuals, namely the first generation of intellectuals who received education in colonial schools. The 1946 French constitutional reform was a key milestone, replacing colonial rule with an alliance system, strengthening the political connections and personnel mobility between France's mainland and overseas colonies, and triggering a chain reaction at the political and social levels. The constitutional reform has shaped a group of local intellectuals, who, along with the middle class, are about to take over power from colonizers and become the powerful class in the new political community. However, constitutional reform did not bring convenience to Chris's academic journey, and Bedi holds a refutation attitude towards externally led changes. Bedi's portrayal of the friendship between Bituma and young colonial official Pameri reveals the dependence of colonial intellectuals on foreign elitism. Beidi has a keen insight into the political situation in Africa, foreseeing the idealism of local elites in national governance guided by the Western model, and foreshadowing the grass snake gray line buried by the racial struggle during the colonial period for the class struggle during the independence period. Bedi's anti colonial writings demonstrate a historical political thinking, delving into the fabric of African society, exploring the struggles between colonialism, tribalism, foreign religions, and indigenous ethnic groups, laying the groundwork for criticizing Western neo colonialism and laying the ideological foundation for his later anti colonial writings. Bedi's anti colonial writing has the significance of pursuing African intellectual liberation, but it does not belong to stereotyped ideological literature. He straightforwardly presented the atrocities experienced by the colonies to the world, reproducing without reservation the connections between colonial governments, Western clergy, tribal elites, and their struggles against the colonized. The foresight and value of Bedi's literary ideas have been confirmed, and his depiction of the colonial period is still thought-provoking today.