Similarities Between Death And Death

Things Fall Apart, Death and the King’s Horseman, and So Long a Letter all have similar and different qualities on how the concept of death is viewed in their respective cultures. A western English-speaking reader knows that death is the end of a biological, physical, and mental life. Western culture generally accepts end of life due to “natural” causes such as disease or old age. Any “human involvement” in taking a life is treated as a crime or sickness. In Death and the King’s Horseman, death is not the ‘end of life’ but rather a transfer to another land. In Things Fall Apart, death is taken extremely seriously by the culture, and is seen as the ‘end of life.’ Finally, in So Long a Letter, death is not taken seriously, as some of their traditions

Things Fall Apart is similar to Death and the King’s Horseman because Elesin, the King’s Horseman, and Ikemefuna are placed in their roles and really do not have say in what happens to them. Elesin knew it was his culture’s tradition for him to die once the King dies. Ikemefuna also had no input in this matter, and was killed due to his father’s actions three years prior. In some ways, this can be related to a western English-speaking reader’s perspective of tradition. For example, if someone is born into a family of doctors or engineers, their family may hope but not expect or require them to follow that path. The difference between that situation and what Elesin and Ikemefuna are placed in is that the western English-speaking teenager has options. He or she can choose to not follow their families wishes, whereas Ikemefuna and Elesin are basically forced to be killed based on their culture’s values and traditions. Overall, death in the Umuofian and Yoruba cultures is a tradition that is sacred to their society, and western English-speaking readers may not completely understand why the cultures choose to kill someone for a ritual. Furthermore, Elisen in Death and the King’s Horseman tells the women of the marketplace, “life is honour. It ends when honour ends” (Soyinka 11). Elisen understands that because the King died, his final task is to die and join the King in the world of the dead. It

It is a letter written by Ramatoulaye, who’s husband recently died, to her best friend Aissatou. The major difference between So Long a Letter and the other two texts is that there is no sacrificial killing in Ramatoulaye’s culture. Her husband died naturally of a heart attack. In the other two texts, Ikemefuna and Elesin were ordered to die. Ramatoulaye’s culture is similar to one of a western English-speaking background because there is no “human involvement” in the killing of Ramatoulaye’s husband, Modou. Just like in western cultures, theirs has specific traditions that they do when someone dies. For example, when someone dies in Judaism, family members hold a shiva for several days following the funeral; this honors the life that was lost. Similarly, the widow must be in isolation for four months in order to follow the tradition of their culture. In the novel, after Ramatoulaye’s husband, Modou, dies, her culture demands that she be in isolation for four months. Although she is supposed to be disconnected from society, Ramatoulaye shares her house with her co-wife, Binetou. “The presence of my co-wife beside me irritates me. She has been installed in my house for the funeral, in accordance with tradition” (Ba 3). Ramatoulaye is supposed to follow these strict traditions in her society following the death of her husband. This relates to a western English-speaking reader because Ramatoulaye’s