Cosmopolitanism In Kwame Appiah's Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart there are many cultural collisions created by the introduction of Western ideas into Ibo culture. One example of a cultural collision caused by the introduction of Western ideas into Ibo culture is when Okonkwo’s first son, Nwoye converts to Christianity. This causes a cultural collision between Okonkwo and Nwoye because Nwoye wants to become a Christian, but Okonkwo doesn’t like the white men or Christianity. This cultural collision is caused by the white men bringing in western ideas to Ibo culture. This collision is very important to the book because it leads to the destruction of Okonkwo and fuels his anger. This collision shapes the meaning of the novel as a whole by symbolizing many things

In the novel Thing Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo, the protagonist, is a stubborn, hard-working, strong, and brave person. He has committed an accidental crime in his village, Umuofia and is expelled and goes to his motherland. The village is called Mbani, where he gets numerous help and care from his mother’s kinsmen. Okonkwo was received well by Uchendu, Okonkwo’s uncle, and learns more about Mbani’s culture and what they value. However, the culture of Mbani that Okonkwo, a stubborn man, experiences did not change him at all.

The character of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was driven by fear, a fear of change and losing his self-worth. He needed the village of Umuofia, his home, to remain untouched by time and progress because its system and structure were the measures by which he assigned worth and meaning in his own life. Okonkwo required this external order because of his childhood and a strained relationship with his father, which was also the root of his fears and subsequent drive for success. When the structure of Umuofia changed, as happens in society, Okonkwo was unable to adapt his methods of self-evaluation and ways of functioning in the world; the life he was determined to live could not survive a new environment and collapsed around

In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo faces a lot of different challenges in his life. When he returned to his motherland after being exiled everything he knew was different. In the end he could no longer overcome the challenges and he chose to end his life. He rebelled against change in his religion, faced racism, and struggled with complications in his life style. This novel suggests that we see things fall apart when people choose to judge others based on their religion, race, and lifestyle.

Throughout life, one is faced with choices between individualism and communitarianism. Such choices are reflected in many works of literature, including Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart and Kwame Anthony Appiah’s Cosmopolitanism. The current report examines the first reading in the context of the second. Achebe’s story is about the clash between tradition and change in an African village; Appiah’s work advocates a unified perspective from which we are seen to be connected through basic humanism. The basic assumption of this author is that when one applies Appiah’s idea of obligation to others in Cosmopolitanism to the character of Okonkwo in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (who is also the book’s protagonist), the character changes in terms of how his fate or destiny is conveyed, as well as other aspects of his development.

In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo and Mr. Brown are very different people with different beliefs because of their past experiences and fears. Okonkwo is very self conscious and fearful that he will fail. He has also grown up in Umofia, where people are not often punished for beating their wives. That causes to believe that women are less than men and that violence is the answer to problems. Mr. Brown is very sure of his speaking skills, and is willing to hand over some control to other people. He has grown up without a lot of violence, and believes that education, equality, and peace it the answer. The fundamental differences between Okonkwo and Mr. Brown’s core beliefs as to how society should run derive from Okonkwo’s fear of

In both novels, the unanimity between the characters and their communities provide them with a sense of stability and control. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is closely affiliated with, “a fight which the old men agreed was one of the fiercest since the founder of their town engaged a spirit” (Achebe 1). Similarly, Saul and his family are also related to the founding of their island to the extent that, “only the Indian Horse family can go to Gods Lake” and that it is their “territory” (Wagamese 20). The fact that both protagonists are associated with the origin of their living accommodation evokes a sense of oneness between the characters and their communities. Moreover, the sense of belonging both communities instill into the characters further implements the notion of stability and control. In

In the novel Things Fall Apart, strength and pride are very important aspects of the main character, Okonkwo, however, these traits may sound like excellent traits to possess but because of the way he was raised, Okonkwo harbours many of his emotions under an outer shell of violence, strength and pride. His traits can be shown by looking at where he has come from in his life, for example, Okonkwo has acquired a large amount of wealth in his life because of his hard work and dedication which he also puts towards his family, unfortunately, his family also suffers greatly because of this due to Okonkwo’s high expectations of his children and his violent ways when they do not live up to them. Secondly, Okonkwo possesses hidden emotions that

It is worth noting that Nye is, ultimately, cosmopolitan – like Kwame Anthony Appiah. For her, identity not only cuts across American-Palestinian borders (in Appiah's case English-Ghanian), but across global lines. What Appiah says about cosmopolitan identity applies to Nye hundred percent. Illustrating what cosmopolitan identity, in the postmodern world means, Appiah says:

Appiah was raised by his father, leader of the independence movement of the Gold Coast, and his mother, an English woman. He goes on to speak on his experiences living in Kumasi, the capital of Ghana’s Ashante region and the many faces he would meet on his walks down the city. He cites specific people at times, as if these memories were some of his fondest. While in Ghana, Appiah experiences a broad cultural understanding by being utterly enveloped and consumed by cultural integration and unity. It is without doubt that he would propose and praise the ideas of cosmopolitanism when he essentially grew up in a cosmopolitanism society. He goes on to state, “I never thought to wonder as a child, why these people traveled so far to live and work

The Igbo people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa, they emphasize on personal achievements, and taking titles which means leadership and respect (Ohadike Don C., p. xxvi-xxvii). In the book Things Fall Apart, the main character, Okonkwo is affected by the influences of the Igbo society and vows to become a man of the highest title and to gain respect from all the lands. Okonkwo and his family live in male dominant society where men are superior to women, therefore, Okonkwo thinks he is the owner of his household, and constantly beats his three wives and children. Okonkwo develops arrogant characteristics and a fear of being weak from the traditions of the society, and throughout the book he puts up a hard exterior and beats

“…those differences that most deeply affect us in our dealings with each other-are not to any significant degree biologically determined.” (Appiah 35). Kwame Appiah makes it crystal clear in this chapter that he does consider biological explanations of race as a legitimate explanation. He is very critical of the way that W.E.B DuBois viewed race. He spends the entire chapter laying out DuBois’ views on race just to illustrate how and why he disagrees with DuBois’ perspective. Through critiquing DuBois’ arguments, Appiah slowly showcases his perspective of race, which is that it has no biological or sociohistorical foundation.

The fight for peace and understanding of the common man is an ongoing battle that has gone on throughout the ages. These fights usually happen between different cultures of people, but sometimes it can even happen within cultures. They all have one thing in common, however, they are a result of the misunderstanding of one another as human beings. One of the core principles introduced in Kwane Anthony Appiah’s Cosmopolitanism is the acceptance and understanding of people in different cultures. This book goes into extensive detail about the assimilation, understanding and respect for different cultures and by extension the people that are a part of the culture. The absence of this mutual respect can and will only cause conflict, grief and pain. Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart is subject to an environment that perfectly demonstrates how destructive people can be without this mutual respect for other people, including those that are a part of your own culture. One character in particular, Okagbue Uyanwa, performed practices that would be considered completely taboo or simply insane in today’s American culture. The actions and the role that he plays in the story are both a result of his cultural beliefs and the opposing beliefs of people in different cultures. If Uyanma followed the cosmopolitan way of living the life of his patients and by extension the entire tribe would have been completely different and heavily altered.

There are several major themes displayed throughout the book of Cosmopolitanism, but the theme that stuck out to me was unwillingness to accept different cultures. I believe that if Reverend James Smith would had displayed this trait the outcome of the book would have been completely different. Reverend Smith was a close minded person, and if you did not believe what he believed than he would not respect you and would treat you like you are a nobody. Throughout the book the Reverend is constantly bashing on the beliefs of the Igbo beliefs and customs. When one applies Appiah's idea of being kind to all in Cosmopolitanism to Reverend James Smith in Things Fall Apart, the character changes by treating the Igbo people with respect and kindness.

Most men in society do not like to be seen as feminine, so they do whatever they can to prove their masculinity and overall power. In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s main goal in life is to be as masculine as possible. He does not let anyone drag him down, even if it means hurting them in the process. In the end, Okonkwo’s attempts to be masculine and powerful highlight his failures as a father, husband, and son.