From an early age, students in the United States learn the rhyme “In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue” to memorize the date when the widely celebrated Italian colonizer, Christopher Columbus, landed off the coast of America. However, what the school poem does not mention about Christopher Columbus is that is 1492, after sailing the ocean blue, he committed genocide. After his arrival in their home country, Columbus forced American Indians into slavery and utilized barbaric punishment against them, including amputation, and dismemberment by dogs. In his legacy, disease carried by settlers and warfare with colonialists killed millions of native individuals. Yet, despite Columbus ' crimes, history largely remembers him
A single story is told of American Indian groups that portrays them as “savage” people who, if not for benevolent white colonizers, would have gone bereft of virtue or civilisation. Single stories, like those told about pre-columbian America, are dangerous. When a place is given only a single story, a a perspective becomes a definition and creates incomplete prejudices about many people and many, vastly different, stories. The folly of the single story are not limited to the West, for example, history shows pre-colonial Africa in a solely negative light as an unaccountable, primitive land saved from its inherent darkness by European colonizers In his novel, Things Fall Apart, Achebe challenges history’s single story of Africa by telling the tale of Okonkwo, a strong tribesman living in the the Igbo clan of Umuofia whose complex life and culture are stereotyped and stigmatized by European Colonizers. Throughout Things Fall Apart, the novel disputes the single story of early Africa by representing the complexities and advancements that existed without European influence of an indigenous African group called the Igbo, including the Igbo people’s advanced conversation skills, their ordered justice system and their strong
When the egwugwu, or spirits that act as justices in the clans’ court cases, hear a domestic abuse case between a man and his in-laws, they explain their role in the Umuofian legal system: “We have heard both sides of the case… our duty is not to blame this man or to praise that but to settle this dispute” (93). When the author writes the word “settle”, he illustrates that Umuofia 's justice system is an example of a contradiction to the single story of Africa because it shows that Umuofians possess the ability to self govern, function through disputes nonviolently and mete out justice within their clan. While historydepicts precolonial Africa as violent and full of upheaval, the egwugwu’s desire to “settle” the case indicates they possess civilally minded intentions not possible under the single story of Africa and can effectively handle their clan’s government. In a similar manner, the word “duty” underscores the idea of a complex society in precolonial Africa because it indicates that Umuofians can carry responsibilities. That the Umuofians have a concept of “duty” indicates they can rely upon each other and so can function as a working society with active members. By using the term “both sides” to describe the egwugwu case, Achebe reminds the reader that there is
Christopher Columbus was a man who much credit was given to for a very small deed. In fact he discovered a new world, but that world was only new to him and the men of his previous generations. What about the many Native Americans whose fathers and father’s fathers shed their blood for the land in which they had lived for so many years. How could one such as Christopher Columbus who was looking for freedom and hope cause so much bondage and destruction? One man’s victory turned out to be devastation for millions.
Though a vast majority of students learn about Columbus’ great conquests and celebrate him as a hero, very few know of the horrible atrocities he caused when he first landed in America. While considered a hero by most in the United States, Zinn argues that people should think twice about Columbus’ actions, and question whether his behavior to the Indians was necessary. In quotes one and five, Zinn clearly depicts his thoughts on the atrocities done by Columbus and other colonists to the natives living in America.
In some respects, we can attribute the founding of America and all its subsequent impacts to Christopher Columbus. Columbus a hero in the United States, has his own holiday and we view as the one who paved the way for America to be colonized. However, people tend to forget the other side of Columbus, the side that lusted after gold and resources that often belonged to the native inhabitants he came across in his exploration. In his insatiable greed, he and his crew committed countless atrocities, such as torture and killing of defenseless natives. Columbus’s discovery of these new lands contributes profound and negative effects as future colonists arrived. “Zinn estimates that perhaps 3 million people perished in the Caribbean alone from raids, forced labor and disease” (Zinn, 1980). Columbus was seen as a cruel man, who saw the peaceful inhabitants as right for the conquering and lead to the devastation of the native population, yet is celebrated every October.
For generations upon generations, students have been taught about the “hero” Christopher Columbus who had discovered our new world. However, to say he was a hero would not exactly be the truth; Columbus was an eccentric man who cared much more about his profits than the well being and even lives of the natives. It is documented in journals that he and his crew had slaughtered entire villages at a time, and that he had even killed people just for the point of testing how sharp his sword was. Not only did Columbus and his crew have a thing for violence, on multiple accounts crew members wrote down every single successful rape of women; and used the voyage to help begin a slave export for the royalty of Spain.
In conclusion, this paper was not written to trash Columbus, it was not written to convince people he was a mass-murder, which he was. It was to simply inform, and state the facts. Whether or not he is a villain is something every single person has the right to decide for themselves. When it comes to killers in history, Columbus isn’t a man who stands up to other mass murders, but as a Mariner, he is one of the worst, when it comes to how he treated the Natives, he was a murderer, and a subtle one at that. Christopher Columbus was a great explorer, who changed the world. Christopher Columbus was a murder who took the lives of innocent people, and enslaved and murdered them.
Set in Africa in the 1890s, Chinua Achebe's ‘Things Fall Apart’ is about the tragedy of Okonkwo during the time Christian missionaries arrived and polluted the culture and traditions of many African tribes. Okonkwo is a self-made man who values culture, tradition, and, above all else, masculinity. Okonkwo’s attachment to the Igbo culture and tradition, and his own extreme emphasis on manliness, is the cause of his fall from grace and eventual death.
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”.
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
Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart is a narrative story that follows the life of an African man called Okonkwo. The setting of the book is in eastern Nigeria, on the eve of British colonialism in Africa. The novel illustrates Okonkwo?s struggles, triumphs, and his eventual downfall, all of which basically coincide with the Igbo?s society?s struggle with the Christian religion and British government. In this essay I will give a biographical account of Okonwo, which will serve to help understand that social, political, and economic institutions of the Igbos.
...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.
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart explores the struggle between old traditions within the Igbo community as well as Christianity and "the second coming" it brings forth. While on the surface, it appears the novel narrows its focus to a single character, Okonkno and his inner battles, one can read deeper into the text and find an array of assorted conflicts in the realm on human vs. human, human vs. nature, human vs. society, and society vs. society. For the purposes of this paper I shall focus on the labyrinth of human vs. human and human vs. society in the framework of the role of women in Igbo society and how men assign and dictate these roles. I will also briefly explain the importance of women in terms of motherhood and wifedom.
Ian Smith, a British politician, once said, “I would say colonialism is a wonderful thing. It spread civilization to Africa. Before it they had no written language, no wheel as we know it, no schools, no hospitals, not even normal clothing.” Although many people believed in the benefits of colonialism in the past, people now have changing opinions after learning the stories told by the Africans. Chinua Achebe wrote a novel, Things Fall Apart, in which Okonkwo, a Nigerian native, and his Igbo clan deals with white men trying to colonize, or pacify and control, the Igbo clan in the 1900’s. Due to the differences of religion and culture, the white men believes that the Igbos display barbarity and lack education,
The white man considered Africans to be primitive savages. They were seen as inferior, second-class citizens. Chinua Achebe was an African novelist who sought to give the African people a voice. Achebe gave a prospective of African culture that had been missing from the literature. The white man primarily composed works of literature, therefore there was a skewed representation of African culture. Achebe conveyed a greater understanding of African culture through his first novel Things Fall Apart. This analysis will examine Okonkwo’s power and lack of freedom through his wealth, property, and actions.
Before the arrival of the Europeans, Achebe did a excellent job portraying how the life of Igbo was before they were forced to oppose their own culture. To support this theme, Achebe included detailed descriptions of social rituals within each family, the justice system, religious practices and consequences, preparation and indulgence of food, the marriage process and the distributing of power within the men. Achebe shows how every man has an opportunity to prove himself worthy to achieve a title on the highest level, based merely on his own efforts. One may argue that the novel was written with the main focus on the study of Okonkwo’s character and how he deteriorates, but without the theme that define the Igbo culture itself, we would never know the universe qualities of the society that shaped Okonkwo’s life. The lives of the Igbo people was no different to the actual lives of the Ibos people back in the early days of Africa. Just like in Things Fall Apart, in actual African tribes there was never a ruler. “Very interesting thing about these villages is that there is no single ruler or king that controls the population. Decisions are made by including almost everyone in the village” (AfricaGuide). Using the theme, Achebe educated readers on by mirroring real African life in her
Upon an initial reading of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, it is easy to blame the demise of Okonkwo’s life and of the Umofia community on the imperialistic invasions of the white men. After all, Okonkwo seemed to be enjoying relative peace and happiness before then. He did have a few mishaps; one of them resulted in him being exiled for eight years. Nonetheless, he returned to his home town with high spirits and with prospects of increased success. However, everything has changed. The white men have brought with them a new religion and a new government. Okonkwo’s family falls apart. The men in his village lose their courage and valor; they do not offer any resistance to the white men. Consequently, Okonkwo kills himself in disgrace and Umofia succumbs to the white men. However, the white men are not the only people responsible for demise of Umofia. The Igbo culture, particularly their views on gender roles, sows the seed of their own destruction. By glorifying aggressive, manly traits and ignoring the gentle, womanly traits, Umofia brings about its own falling apart.