V.S. Naipual wrote A Bend in the River from the perspective of a child of British and the grandchild of Indian immigrants. That perspective became useful for Naipaul when he went to craft A Bend in the River, which talks about the experiences of a man named Salim as he navigates the complex life in his African country and his desire to escape that country to a more prosperous place. Along the way, Salim runs into quite a few challenges. He must deal with poor economic conditions, violence, cultural differences, racism and colonialism, and a lack of opportunity.
Throughout his journey, Salim also meets and falls in love with several women. First, he falls in love with a young woman named Zabeth. He later falls in love with two other women, one of whom lives in London. The theme of love plays an important role in the events of A Bend in the River. Naipaul's novel examines the lengths someone—in this case, Salim—will go to find and ultimately preserve the loving relationship that he has created. In Salim's case, that means going back to his native Africa and illegally selling ivory. In other words, Salim is willing to sacrifice everything for the possibility of love.
A Bend in the River is also a commentary on colonialism and the lengths to which European (predominantly white) countries subjected countries in Africa. Although some critics have said that A Bend in the River glorifies and excuses colonialist attitudes, Naipaul's novel sharply criticizes colonialist countries and how they treated their colonies. The novel shows how white colonialists destroyed much of the culture of the countries they colonized. For instance, Father Huismans is forced to hide the masks which were representative of traditional religions for fear of prosecution. Similarly, the colonialists consistently prevented their colonies from governing themselves and allowing people to deal with internal disputes, showing their destructive force and power.
