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While the District Commissioner only appears a few times in the novel’s final section, the presence of his character serves as a powerful reminder of the oppressive colonial forces that groups like the Igbo face. The District Commissioner serves as the figurehead of the European governing system that the white men attempt to establish in Umuofia, much like the way in which Mr. Smith is the leader of the church. Under the guise of enforcing law and order, the District Commissioner and his team use fear tactics and physical abuse as a means of putting an end to Igbo customs. The title of the book that he plans to write after his time in Africa, The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger, offers insight into the motivations behind his actions. Rather than using his position to actually mitigate conflict, the District Commissioner believes that his culture is superior and aims to bring native tribes under his control regardless of the cost. This mindset, of course, is the backbone of European imperialism, and the fact that Achebe never names the District Commissioner allows him to symbolize this endeavor more broadly. Achebe emphasizes that the brutality and ignorance displayed by the District Commissioner in Umuofia is not limited to one character, one time, or one place. Shifting the narrative voice to the District Commissioner’s perspective in the final paragraphs of the novel also suggests that he will ultimately succeed in taking control of the village, leaving the reader with a bleak but authentic look at the human cost of imperialism.
