Things Fall Apart Research Paper

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Traditional African Culture Falls Apart In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe explores the breakdown of traditional African culture in the 1800s. Achebe writes about the Igbo people of Nigeria and the influence of Christian missionaries on their culture and society. In this remarkably written story, Achebe utilizes a formal European writing style combined with traditional African storytelling to investigate the violent transition of the life and mindset of the Igbo people as a result of European influence. The European people and Christian missionaries attempt to instill new principles, ideas, governmental procedures, and cultural norms within the Igbo society. Both groups, the general European people and the Christian missionaries, oppress the Igbo people in a unique but undeniable fashion. This oppression, due to the European’s feeling of superiority, sparks division and confusion within the tribe, families, and the individual Igbo people of Nigeria. Although the Christian missionaries did not physically abuse the citizens of the tribe, they oppressed the people emotionally. On page 145, a missionary says, “We have been sent by this great God to ask you to leave your wicked ways and false gods and turn to Him so that …show more content…

They used a forceful and violent approach to accomplish the enforcement of their European principles. Igbo culture was based upon worldly status found in titles, number of wives, and huts, and traditionally, the Igbo people used cowrie shells as their primary source of currency. The European people were not fond of any of these ideas, so they used Biblical principles to forcefully eradicate the culture of its caste system, alter its economic system, restructure the government, and attempt to eliminate titles and status norms. Due to the violent nature of their approach, the actions of the Europeans could be considered similar to a Marxist

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