Igbo Culture

1296 Words3 Pages

Changes affected every area of life, from language to religion, customs and education. Even English governmental system replaced traditional one in order to change prevailing laws. Some among Igbo community realised that losing their traditions for something new is unacceptable and threatens not only their culture but also themselves. The Igbos fought in order to protect community, however changes were unavoidable. Those who converted to Christianity as firsts were outcasts looking for hope in the newness, like women who gave birth to the twins few times. This is one of the main reason people switched to their religion. The Christian missionary in Mbanta opposes to the Igbo gods in the belief that tell people to kill each other in wars against …show more content…

As Diana Rhoads mentioned in her essay “Culture in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart”: “while the European tradition allows men to fight their brothers over religion, the Igbo law forbids them to kill each Rother, it is an abomination to kill a member of the clan. Further, the long history of Crusades and holy wars and of religious persecution in Europe occurs because men can fight for gods, but it is not the Igbo "custom to fight for their gods." Rather, heresy is a matter only between the man and the god.” (63). Igbos reveal themselves more tolerant than the Europeans Uchendu, for example, is able to see that "what is good among one people is an abomination with others" in opposition to white men telling autochthons that their customs are bad and their god are not true gods. “Culture in Achebe's Things Fall Apart Christian religion are equally irrational, but both operate along similar lines to support morality. To the Christians it seems crazy to worship wooden idols, but to the Igbos it seems crazy to say that God has a son when he has no wife.” (Rhoads …show more content…

From the beginning till the end Achebe deals with disappearance of native culture and power of white civilisation. Religion and customs were important factors in creating the harmony that existed before colonialism, as well was the language. Igbo was an oral language before the coming of the Europeans and it remained unwritten until the late 1800s. The missionaries developed the Igbo alphabet and orthography in order to translate the Bible for their new converts. The British established schools in Igboland teaching pupils translated English children’s literature and educating future catechists and translators. Ibo language also developed enabling the Igbo writers to share their literature and culture with the rest of the world. Due to British education system, educated Igbo became bilingual, speaking English in school and Igbo at home. It is highly significant that Achebe chose to write the novel in English, he aimed as readers the Westerners as much, if not more, than the Nigerians. His goal was to portray the real pre-colonial Africa and struggles the colonialism brought and by using words and tales translated from the Igbo language he still managed to capture it’s

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