Chinua Achebe and the Language of the Colonizer A powerful instrument of control used by the colonizing powers is the instrument of language. Language forms a huge part of the culture of a people - it is through their language that they express their folk tales, myths, proverbs, history. For this reason, the imperial powers invariably attempted to stamp out native languages and replace them with their own. As Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin point out, there are two possible responses to this control
Things Fall Apart portrays the fall of a traditional Igbo society after colonization by the Europeans. With the arrival of the white men came the arrival of their traditions, which soon overshadowed ancient indigenous culture. Instead of respecting and embracing the Igbo traditions, the white men were intolerant of their customs, and they pressured the natives to adapt to Western Ways. Though this novel only illustrates one author’s portrayal of the outcome of the relationship between the native
life of the Igbo tribe and its members. It also shows the culture and customs of the tribe. The Europeans perspective on imperialism was that it was good because of the changes to religion, costumes, and language. European colonization in Africa had many impacts on Africans. One of the biggest impacts of colonization was the changes of traditional African religion. The Europeans thought that converting the Igbo people would allow the Igbo people to get rid of the bad things. While the Igbo tribe were
it when it is dry. I sow the yams when the first rain has fallen, and stake them when the young tendrils appear…” (3.6). The igbo people used rituals very often to convey respect towards their gods. The everyday language spoken by the Igbo people was very unique in its own way, borrowed from West African language, it is known as the Kwa language. The daily life of an Igbo member is similar to other West African tribe life but then again very particular with their beliefs, customs, and
The Word “Igbo,” in the Compendium of the World’s Languages, represents both a race and their Language which remains an inseparable part of Africa, especially West Africa, and should be understood as such in this project. Igbo as language is usually assigned to the Kwa group of Languages of Niger-congo, though certain affinities with the Bantu language and Efik have been pointed out. Central Igbo is of a compromise standard based from Onitsha and Owerri to Calabar. Its codification was recognized
Nigerian tribe, the Igbo, during the post-colonial era of the 1890s. The novel centers around a certain family consisting of a dominant power, Okonkwo, and his three wives and several children. The role of women in pre-colonial Africa is stressed through the myths, proverbs, and interactions with other characters in Igbo society. Achebe intends to show us that although women in Igbo culture are perceived to be in a lower hierarchy than men, they still hold significant roles in the Igbo way of life.
tribal village of Umuofia, where those who practice Ibo. The Ibo, also known as Igbo, worshipped gods who they believe protected them, advised them, and chastised them. The Ibo were represented by priests and priestesses. The gods helped guide the community and individuals. Each villager had its own personal god, or chi, that influenced his/her actions.
part of the Nigerian culture. Proverbs are used by people of all ages and statures to tell others about the importance of something. People in the Igbo Tribe use proverbs everyday as they are an important part of their culture and traditions, and the art of conversation is regarded very highly throughout the clan. The Igbo culture is a very oral language. “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten”. This quote shows how important proverbs are in everyday life as they are referred to as
achieve universality through a sensitive interpretation of socio-cultural situations of Igbo community. Achebe uses his African background to explore the human conditions of pride and power, defeat and dejection, love and loss. Though firmly set in Africa, his novels have a universal appeal. Achebe claims to be an insider to the Igbo world and a recorder of the cultural history of his people. Achebe shows that in Igbo system nothing is absolute, and anything and everyone is counterbalanced with the consciousness
Christians introduce themselves to the Igbo people, as well as their religion, it seems as if the Igbo society begins to fall apart. The social scale that they had developed before seemed to no longer matter as much, and violence was looked at differently than how the Igbo culture saw it. So many things changed simply because of the introduction of the Christian people into the Igbo peoples’ lives. Body paragraph: When you first are introduced to the Igbo people in Things Fall Apart, you are
Achebe exemplifies the significance of storytelling and language within the Igbo society and shows how quickly the abandonment of the Igbo language for English can lead to the ‘desecrat[ion]’ of its cherished traditions. By embellishing the novel with folktales and ‘Ibo’ expressions, Achebe illustrates the complexity of the Igbo community and shows that their language is too delicate and elaborate for direct translation into English. The Igbo prize conversation as an art form and believe that ‘proverbs
"He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger." This refers to the District Commissioner's chosen title for a book he has written that would have the African people, the Igbo tribe specifically, as the main subject. From the title itself, one can say that the writer has an unfavorable bias against his subject. But come to think of it, there are many factors why it would be impossible for the District Commissioner to write
In “Chapter 24” of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe adopts a spiteful and grevious tone, and utilizes diction, symbolism, and figurative language to capture the pinnacle of the extirpation of the Igbo tribe. Achebe uses intense diction throughout the chapter when construing Okonkwo’s feelings about his fellow clansmen and the Europeans. Since his tone is meant to provoke emotion, he laces his sentences with temerit words like “vengeance,” (Achebe 199) and “tumult,” (Achebe 203). The use of his diction
masculinity. Chinua Achebe succeeds his goal of regaining the dignity of the Igbo tribe; through honouring traditions, describing multiple perspectives, showing that Okonkwo has human characteristics by having the fear of failure.
Even after the imposition of the written language in Africa during the 19th century, the oral tradition abided as an essential part of African societies (Obiechina 123). Until these days, the rural population and urban population alike have remained in close touch with the local oral traditions (Obiechina 124). Since the authors themselves have been raised experiencing both traditions – the written form of literature as well as the oral tradition, it comes as no surprise that the modern African
their heritage. One of the most important African writers, Chinua Achebe was strongly concerned with political and social effects of British colonialism in the Igbo society. His novel, Things Fall Apart, is not an exceptionally positive one, utilizing the story to delineate a pioneer control that enters and afterward realizes the demise of the Igbo society (How Does Chinua Achebe Portray Colonialism Using Things Fall Apart?essay). Achebe paints a picture of how the colonizers treat the colonized and to
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe written in 1969, the author has established that the Igbo society has a patriarchal system. As a feminist, one can analyze how female characters in the novel are portrayed as insignificant, weak, and submissive due to the patriarchal system they live in. The author tries to create awareness of the social gender construction in the Igbo society throughout his novel. The main character Okonkwo is portrayed as a very masculine figure, unlike
Things fall a part is an outstanding African literature. The author of the novel is Chinua Achebe and presents the culture, society and history of Ibo community. The novel presents the Ibo community as a native African community and brings about the comparison between the community and Christianity. With the introduction of Christianity, the Ibo community was confused since the missionaries wanted them to adapt Christianity and abandon their cultural beliefs and practices (Rhoads 68). An analysis
consequences as seen through Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, slave trade in Nigerian history, and the Indian Ocean Trade. In Achebe’s text, two cultures colliding resulting in the destruction of those cultures is shown throughout his novel. The Igbo clan clashes with the christians and they will not agree on anything causing major conflicts. The first seen example of the refusal to accommodate the Christians
Many young people find themselves asking questions about their identity, such as, “Who am I, really, deep inside?”; “How much does the way I act in public really reflect my private self”, and “Who are we humans, in the wider scheme of things, as sentient beings?” (Cote and Levine, 2016, p.4). However, it is hard for anybody to really know the exact answer to the above questions. Psychologists believe that many factors can affect identity formation such as genetics, socio-historical factors, culture