Chinua Achebe establishes the ideas and morals of where one comes from, such as culture, ancestry, and not abandoning one's culture when modern options are available for religion or cultural norms. In the early commencement of the novel, Things Fall Apart , readers learn about the Ibo tribe norms and traditions which are remembered and passed down through generations. A large custom among the Ibo people is honoring the gods that give them good harvest and happy lives, “Every year,” he said sadly, “before I put any crop in the earth, I sacrifice a cock to Ani at the owner of all land. It is the law of our fathers” (Achebe, 17). The people of this tribe take every responsibility for the environment and how they take care of the land around them, …show more content…
The crops that the Ibo people collect are also very important to their daily norms, giving to neighboring citizens or cooking for their families. Living on farms, the Ibo tribe people are able to grow lots of crops yearly that would be substantial for their needs depending on the family size. Each family would have specific crops that each member would be in charge of, “His mother and sisters worked hard enough, but they grew women’s crops, like coco-yams, beans, and cassava. Yam, the king of crops, was a man’s crops” (Achebe, 23). Even though specific genders would have specific crops to take care of and pick, the families ate their harvested crops together. Although families ,like Okonkwo's’, lived on large plantations and grew plenty of crops for the year, special holidays and religious ceremonies where a feast would be present. “Nwoye’s mother carried a basket of coco-yams, a cake of salt and smoked fish which she would present to Obierka’s wife” (Achebe, 110), large offerings are presented to the family in which the …show more content…
Okonkwo, who was at the top of the chain in his village was now having to start from the beginning in a new village, “But it was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth, like learning to become left handed in old age” (Achebe, 131). Okonkwo and his family were forced to start at the beginning of a new life in a new village, it set Okonkwo back all those years he had used to build himself to the top. In his eyes this was a downfall and he thought he was looked down upon heavily. Okonkwo re-built his farm, his “obi” and his wives houses too all from new land he received. As long as prayers and sacrifices were made the Ibo people believed that everything would be alright. “When the rain finally came, it was in large, solid drops of frozen water which the people called “ the nuts of water of heaven.” (Achebe, 130), the people of Nigeria calling the hail that falls from the sky “nuts of water of heaven”, proves that they did not know or have not seen hail or snow before. The change in season is strange in this text because the weather has been rainy but not described as cold enough to snow. In literature snow or hail is represented to foreshadow death or hibernation of something. As a reader, it is concluded that something in the near future will result in death or hibernation. As if on queue, “stories of these
Many societies have beliefs rooted deep in ancient religion. Some beliefs include polygamy, polytheism, and patriarchy, or rule by men. One such culture is that of Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Polytheism and polygamy are custom in the clan, and the role of each family member is very defined. The men are overly domineering. The women and children are treated poorly and often beaten. Life in Achebe's Umuofia would seem very different to someone living in modern day America.
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.
Nnoromele, Patrick C.. “The Plight of a Hero in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.” Chinua Achebe's
Culture collisions are in our everyday lives here in America in our own little towns. We might not notice our culture changing because it is a part of our everyday lives. Culture collisions cause some people to triumph and some people to fail. In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the Ibo tribe did not see these culture clashes everyday until the “white men” showed up and influenced the Ibo to change their ways. Achebe shows how many of the characters react to this culture shock. Obierika is one of the main characters that shows his sense of identity through this culture collision.
...to their clan, the faith in their gods, the villagers quickly gave up their possessions to follow this loving, accepting way of life that the clan had. denied them. Works Cited and Consulted Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Oxford: Heinemann, 1996.
Culture: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time. The idea of culture is stressed greatly, and at the same time distorted in the novel Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe. Through the main character and protagonist of the book, Okonkwo, we recognize the distortion of African culture that takes place within the Umuofia tribe when threatened by the intruding missionaries, and how this deeply affects Okonkwo, who would do whatever it takes to protect his tribe and the culture and traditions that lie within it. Okonkwo's character is collectively made up of his wealth and honor, his dedication to his tribe and everything that it withholds, his fiery personality, and lastly, his pride and courage. All of these traits are what make Okonkwo the prestigious man he is, and I believe his character is what makes the story truly tragic.
Nigeria has a rich culture stemming from the many civilizations that inhabited the land. In the novel Thing Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe brings light on to the great Igbo people, a society Nigeria hosted for centuries. The tale follows a man named Okonkwo as he tries to make amends for his father 's failures and a name for himself within his village. This path leads Okonkwo to become reckless and unreasonable. Through this, readers are exposed to the village’s judicial system, revealing that the clan’s laws based off sexism, superstitious nature, and deep religious ties.
Chinua Achebe is highly successful in developing a new and distinct form of African English. The text, written in English, incorporates figurative language such as proverbs, folktales, similes, and metaphors from African culture. Despite this, some writers argue that since the novel is not written in Achebe's native tongue, it should not be considered an African novel. In "Decolonizing the Mind," Thiong'o argues that language is not only a means of communication but also a reflection of culture. Therefore, by writing in English, Achebe is losing a part of his culture and background.
Humans’ natural instincts are to deny a new aspect and stick to older ones. Nevertheless, old and new aspects are intertwined. Traditions and change are ever present in society, without them society would not prosper. Traditions are the foundations of society. However, just like any other foundation, sooner or later it must be altered or changed, even in the most miniscule way. The Umuofia Tribe, though prosperous only knew traditions. When change is mentioned and brought to the tribe, the tribe is dumbstruck, most do not know how to respond, while other embrace the change with open arms. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, traditions and change are depicted as equally beneficial to society.
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
In this book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the weather plays a very important role in the lives of the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. The rain and or lack of rain demonstrate how much this tribe depends on the weather for their survival. It also affects them in several different ways such as their emotions, physical world, and the spiritual or religious world.
Throughout Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, struggle between change and tradition is one of the most relevant issues. The Igbo villagers, Okonkwo, and his son Nwoye all experience this problem in many different ways. The villagers have their religion defied, Okonkwo reaches his breaking point and Nwoye finally finds what he believes in. People have struggled to identify and cope with change and tradition throughout history, and will continue to struggle with this issue in the
Chinua Achebe is an accomplished African author, poet, writer, historian, educator, novelist, civil rights activist, politician, and a professor. He immensely contributed to the Africa literature, making the world give attention to literary works by African. His father and mother were poor and illiterate. They never wanted him to go to school, but he benefited from the schools established by the Christian missionaries. Achebe is a talented and amazing writer.He had always shown interest in promoting his community cultures and traditions. Achebe developed a hobby for reading at a young age, which became part of him as a man. He was influenced to become a writer as a result of his perception of Joyce Cary writings. His books were unique in style and writing as he skillfully blends Ibo words with English. Achebe wrote critical essays and novels at some certain period to address political situations of Nigeria. He relocated to the United States after surviving a fatal car crash. His works have inspired thousands, making him a great mentor for the younger generation. Many of the novels are incorporated into the school curriculum in many west African countries.
Have you ever wondered what would happen when two cultures collide? Well in the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, a culture clash takes place, with the main character Okonkwo’s village being overtaken by Christian white men seeking to influence and change his tribe and possibly other tribes.
This paper examines how Achebe’s writing reflected African history. I believe that Achebe wanted to inspire social change on how we view Africans. In a television interview published by the Public Broadcasting Service, Achebe wanted the story to be true (Achebe, Chinua. Interview with