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An essay about Nigerian society
Things fall apart analysis theme
Things fall apart analysis theme
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Everyone sees the world just a little differently, and perspective can often stand as something which sets people apart. Controversy abounds in the world, and many people do not see eye to eye, especially when cultures clash, as they do in Things Fall Apart, a novel about the African Igbo culture. This novel by Chinua Achebe tells the story of the village Umuofia, a place which stands untouched and unmarred by the hands of Europeans. In the end, the Christian Europeans and the African natives clash, resulting in a changed world for the people of Umuofia. In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the Igbo people are portrayed as civilized in that their way of life seems just to them, but to an outsider, their decisions seem peculiar which is due to the fact that a foreigner does not know the culture as intimately as those who are a part of it, which establishes the importance of perspective and an open mind in viewing other cultures. Generally, most people their decisions through before they act. For the Igbo people, their gods serve as the people’s conscience; …show more content…
Achebe explained this idea very simply by explaining, “what is good among one people is an abomination with others” (Achebe 141). In answering whether or not Umuofia can be classified as a civilized group, everything revolves around perspective. Readers may interpret a text, but they should not blatantly call a group of people uncivilized. Umuofia’s ideas may differ from what an average American may have experienced, but referencing Achebe’s own words, people do not always agree on ideas and practices. The entire point of Things Fall Apart is for Achebe to prove Africa did not need the Europeans to civilize them; this quote clearly outlines his idea on the subject. No one should look down upon a culture that does not belong to him or her. By calling a people uncivilized, they themselves are the uncivilized
The Igbo and Christians hold contrasting views about the spiritual world, which cause strain. The Christians believed that there was one God manifested in three individuals. When a Christian missionary and his translator arrive in Mbanta they talk to the Igbo people about the Christian faith because they view the Igbo conceptions of gods as wrong. The narrator states, “He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they died went before him for judgment” (Achebe 111). The narrator says that the missionary tells the Igbo people that the authentic God dwells above and that every man who died went in front of him for discernment. Chinua Achebe shows that the Christians refused to see the similarities between Christianity and the Igbo religion because they saw the Africans ...
Culture makes us who we are. Each individual has their own culture from their experiences in life and is developed from societal influences. The various cultures around the world influence us in different ways which we experience at least once in our lifetime. There are occasions, especially in history, where cultures clash with one another. For instance, the English colonization in Africa changed their culture. Chinua Achebe, the author of Things Fall Apart, portrayed this change in the Igbo people’s society, especially through the character Okonkwo in the village of Umuofia; the introduction of Western ideas challenged him. In the novel Things Fall Apart, the author Chinua Achebe introduces to us Okonkwo whose character’s response to the
By utilizing an unbiased stance in his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe promotes cultural relativity without forcibly steering his audience to a particular mindset. He presents the flaws of the Ibo tribe the same way he presents the assets—without either condescension or pride; he presents the cruelties of the colonizers the same way he presents their open mindedness—without either resentment or sympathy. Because of this balance, readers are able to view the characters as multifaceted human beings instead of simply heroes and victims. Achebe writes with such subtle impartiality that American audiences do not feel guilty for the cruel actions of the colonizers or disgusted by the shocking traditions of the tribesmen. The readers stop differentiating the characters as either “tribesmen” or “colonizers”. They see them simply as people, much like themselves. With this mindset, the audience starts to reflect upon their own cultural weaknesses. Conversely, the colonizers forcefully declare their religion onto the tribesmen instead of neutrally presenting their beliefs. Achebe prevails over his anger to present his opinion without forcefulness and with open-minded consideration. Yes, the colonizers succeed in converting many tribesmen into Christians; however, their success is subjective because they destroy African culture in the process. Ultimately, Achebe is successful in delivering his political views, but he does so by encouraging open-mindedness and cultural relativity instead of forcing his individual ideals upon his readers.
Ari Brace Mr. Liepa Honors Global Literature 4 May 2014 Adapting to Change Chinua Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart, is a story about a society on the verge of a cultural change. The main character, Okonkwo, is driven throughout the story by fear and a drive for success. He relied on the village of Umuofia to stay the same because he used the structured culture to feel safe and appreciated. He lives in a constant state of fear because he wants to find his own meaning in life.
Achebe writes Things Fall Apart to revise the history that has been misplaced. He writes to the European and Western culture. This fact is evident because the book is written in English and it shows us the side of the African culture we wouldn’t normally see. Achebe is constantly ...
The Colonization in Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe’s African novel called Things Fall Apart, explores the colonization of an African tribe. The story takes place in Umuofia an Ibo village located in Nigeria where Okonkwo lives including his family, friends, and other members of the tribe. Okonkwo had started out rough in life because of his father, but became a wealthy and successful farmer who just never wanted his children to turn out like the lazy man his father was. Although Okonkwo didn’t always show his feelings towards most things he really did care and in the end this just wasn’t enough to save his clan or himself from the power that the white men had over the clan. As a consequence of the natives actions things really did fall
...rough, straight from the source, individual Umuofians. The community is built by every single Umuofian, it takes all of those feelings, opinion, problems, hopes and fears to form Umuofia. A true picture of Umuofia would not have been complete without the individuals who compose Umuofia being represented. Achebe captures the color and richness of this community, and its downfall, by showing the events through the eyes of the very people who make it what it is. Achebe puts Umuofia in it’s place within the European world, with perspective as well. Europeans think Africa is merely a good story to read about. While the Africans themselves, have to live with each action and ramification that the Europeans simply read about. Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart for the purpose of educating Westerners about Africa, hopefully they will read is as more that just a good story.
The novel, Things Fall Apart by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe surrounds an Igbo village in modern-day Nigeria and tells the intertwining stories centering on the protagonist Okonkwo. Okonkwo faces internal conflicts between him, and the pre-colonial Igbo society which eventually leads to a clash of cultures. The way Achebe has written this story has captivated and educated many people all around the world since its initial publishing in 1958. Igbo culture and American culture have their similarities and differences that can be analyzed in many ways. Both Igbo and American culture show huge devotion to religion, live residential lives, rely on crops, and have a love for music and entertainment.
In his novel ‘Things fall apart’, Chinua Achebe captures the traditional lifestyle and culture of the Igbo people before and after the British colonialism. The main character in the book is Okwonko who is both hard-working and brave. According to the Igbo tribe, the destiny of an individual was determined by a combination of forces. These forces include the ancestors, the lesser gods and chukwu. Personal Chi was also partly responsible for the destiny of an individual according to the beliefs of the Igbo people.
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is a powerful novel about the social changes that occurred when the white man first arrived on the African continent. The novel is based on a conception of humans as self-reflexive beings and a definition of culture as a set of control mechanisms. Things Fall Apart is the story of Okonkwo, an elder, in the Igbo tribe. He is a fairly successful man who earned the respect of the tribal elders. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected member of the tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace graphically dramatizes the struggle between the altruistic values of Christianity and the lust for power that motivated European colonialism in Africa and undermined the indigenous culture of a nation.
The novel "Things Fall Apart" examines African culture before the colonial infiltration. Achebe's novel forces us to examine the customs and traditions that make up an informal culture. At times we may find some their practices appalling, but Achebe makes us realize that the traditions and customs are what essentially hold the Ibo together. Achebe wrote 'Things Fall Apart" with the intention of changing the common view of African culture. He wrote the novel from an insider's perspective, revealing that African culture was not solely based on barbaric and mindless rituals. Achebe reveals the affects of the colonial infiltration on African societies. Through his novel he examines how colonization disturbed the unity and balance of a once strong cultural society.
Set in a pre-colonial Nigeria, Things Fall Apart author Chinua Achebe illustrates the viewpoint of a Nigerian man, Okonkwo, whose village begins to experience aspects of colonialism, the influence of a nation over a dependent country, territory, or people, with the arrival of missionaries in the fictional village of Umuofia. However, with the end of colonization in most African countries, like in Nigeria in the 1960’s, the negative effects of western influence began to rise. Territorial disputes became a common issue that arose in areas such as Nigeria. Events such as the Nigerian Civil War, reigning effect of territorial disputes in Nigeria, are due to the neglectful placement of borders during colonialism and is concurrent with events in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
From the poem “The second coming” by Yeats, which Chinua Achebe quoted at the end of the novel “Things Fall Apart”, the poet suggested that the coming of Jesus would never be the arrival of an era of peace and holy land but the era of chaos and destruction of the world. This is true in Achebe’s novel, for the arrival of the white had not only brought their religion but also colony therefore subsequently led to the collapse of the ancient African society. By focusing on Okonkwo’s life and death, Achebe presented the imagines of the African culture and how they had fallen apart. The reason why things fell apart, though not mentioned by the author in the novel, was caused by series of conflict between Okonkwo’s belief and what he had gone through
Things Fall Apart tells the story of an African tribe, specifically following the story of Okonkwo, a man that desperately tries to portray himself as masculine in order to become successful and not be compared to his allegedly effeminate father. Throughout the novel, many developments occur, one of them being the attempt at colonization by a group of Christians. Immediately, there is tension, since customs between the two groups of people greatly differ, in addition to the attempts of the Christians to have inhabitants of the tribe abandon their supposedly “primitive” lifestyle for a “better” one. The aforementioned lack of understanding regarding culture likely leads to any accounts of it-- specifically those made by the Christians-- that
The concept of civilization has been defined through the eyes of modern Western culture. We generalize civilizations as societies with a structured government such as America’s democratic government, or Cuba’s communist government. Often times if a government isn’t similar to Western civilizations, the people are seen as uncultured or barbaric. In Chinua Achebe’s Things