Igbo In Things Fall Apart

Poor people had always been the backbone of the U.S. Their contribution to building America has always been overlooked. Rich people look upon the lower class with distaste, calling the unfortunate ones, “savages.” This is why Zinn named Chapter 3 of his book, “People’s History,” “Persons of Mean and Vile Conditions.” He wanted to shed light on those who were taken advantage of while history was in the making— the slaves, the poor people, the Indians also known as the “persons of Mean and Vile Conditions,” in the eyes of the wealthy. Since the rich does not want to be categorized with the poor, they have several techniques and strategies to maintain the status quo where the rich white people were on top of the social pyramid, the poor blacks and Indians on the bottom. For example, some of the techniques are to prohibit interracial marriage between the blacks and whites so “that the white population could remain ‘pure’ and in control.” (Zinn 35), “Negroes were forbidden to carry any arms while the white….would get muskets……the distinctions of status between white and black servants became more and more clear.” (Zinn 56) Authors of history textbooks, traditional historians, and politicians will definitely argue about the assertions made by Howard Zinn. They will say something similar to, “Zinn is unpatriotic.” But isn’t it unpatriotic to call the people whose back the U.S. was built upon, “persons of mean and vile conditions”?

This novel is the definitive tragic model about the dissolution of the African Ibo culture by Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo, a great and heroic leader, is doomed by his inflexibility and hubris. He is driven by fear of failure.

Respect was earned with strength and meant everything to Okonkwo. The Europeans came and took over the Ibo people's land, resources, and religion, which began to anger Okonkwo, who was not a forgiving man. Forgiveness was forbidden by Okonkwo; there was only consequences.

Due to European colonization, the Ibo society have lost their education system, religion, and the punitive system. Firstly, the Ibo society lost their education system. The novel, Things Fall Apart, states, “One of the great men in that village was called Akunna and he had given one of his sons to be taught the white man's knowledge in Mr. Brown's school” (Achebe 179). Before colonization, the parents taught education in Ibo society. Children learned how to cook, farm, and how they act from their parents. With colonization, children receive education in schools and not from their parents. Secondly, Christianity replaced the Ibo society. The novel, asserts, “One of the greatest crimes a man could commit was to unmask an egwugwu in public, or

The most populous country in Africa with a population of more than 160 million people is Nigeria. Nigeria is home to more than 300 tribes, one of the largest tribes being the Igbo tribe. In the novel Things Fall Apart the igbo culture partly consists of the practice of Polygyny and father-son inheritance. The Igbo tribe are still considered to be harmonious to land through festivals and are famous for their culture around Yams.

Achebe’s text does indeed show how when cultures collide and there is refusal to change, there will be many negative consequences. First, one character, Okonkwo refuses to convert to the new religion of Christianity because the beliefs of Christians contradicted those of the Ibo culture and, as a consequence devastation follows him. Foremost, the Ibo people believed in many different gods and goddesses of the land, so when the white missionaries came to Umuofia and said that “they worshipped false gods”(pg.145), it caused some of the people like Okonkwo distrust them. An example of this is shown where Okonkwo believes very strongly that the white missionary "man was mad" (pg.147) as he told the Ibo people about the Holy Trinity. This is also shown where some of the new converts in Mbanta “boasted openly that all the gods were dead and impotent”(pg.154).

-After Nwoye is lured into the Christian religion and abandons his culture and family, Okonkwo is ashamed and states, "you have all see the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people" (172). Nwoye's father disowns him only because he chooses a path untraditional to his culture. The serious, frustrated, and unhappy mood that is created in Okonkwo's statement gives the reader an idea of how much the Ibo culture values tradition, choice, and family.

Achebe also illustrates the Ibo judiciary and political system throughout the entire story. Similar to those in other cultures, the Ibo people had a very structured social order. In the beginning of the story on page 18, Achebe describes Nwakibie’s status in the Ibo village by stating he, “…had taken the highest but

There are many examples of people getting hurt in the Ibo tribe, like when Ikemefuna, the young boy, was sacrificed after a women from the Ibo tribe was murdered. Mr. Achebe records the incident, ?As the man who had cleared his throat drew

In “Things Fall Apart” Achebe talks about two different religions and beliefs. The Igbo society believe in many gods which some of their gods are focused on nature. They worship the earth and try not to dishonor the earth. They don't only worship nature gods but their ancestors are important gods and worship them for their guidance. When the missionaries arrive with their religion “Christianity” the Igbo society is wrecked. The missionaries believe in one supreme god. The god that is the creator of the world believing that men goes for judgement before him when he dies. As Achebe argues “In Things Fall Apart” that British colonialism has a disregard for Igbo Religion, tradition, and government. The British didn't acknowledge how the Igbo society were being

Achebe portrays the life of the Ibo tribe before the first touch of the white men.  Before the colonial infiltration the  Ibo had a very cyclic view of time.  Their beleifs and rituals were  practiced the same rit at the same time every year.  Where as the white man's traditions and view of time were much more linear.  Right from the Ibo's first encounter with the whites, the reader can observe the cycle as being unchangeably altered.   It is the coming of thei missionaries which brings the disruption.  After thousands of years of unviolated and untouched traditions, Okonkwo returns after just seven years of exile and finds his village turned upside down.  In addition, the Ibo people fail to recognize him as a leader.  "Their new religon and government and trading stores were very much in the people's eyes and minds, the talked and though about little else..' The whites swept away the Ibo tradition and heritage.  Here, Okonkwo can be seen as the "falconer" as depicted in Yeats' poem.  He was once looked upon as a respected leader, but now the "falcon" the Ibo people do not hear the falconer, Okonkwo.

This is evident in Okonkwo’s aggressive behavior; he is shown as violent towards his family and “ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives… lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper” (Achebe 10). One can reasonably assume that this behavior stems from the society surrounding Okonkwo. The customs of the Ibo’s has always been brutal; physical violence is not uncommon, nor is it frowned upon. This can consequently lead to harsh actions and behavior since it is seen all throughout the clan and is not considered wrong or immoral.

“Civilized Society is when the culture has a social order characterized by a government, a system of justice, a social structure, and some kind of belief system”. The Igbo people are indigenous people of Southern Nigeria. The Igbo culture has many unique attitudes. They comprised of polygamy marriages, beliefs in polytheism, farming customs, and showing of masculinity. In Things Fall Apart, the Igbo society is civilized because it established a justice/ government system as well as gender roles/ relationships.

Following Okonkwo’s seven year exile, the village Okonkwo once knew has changed due to the influence of Christianity and the influence of the British missionaries and officers. Okonkwo’s initial reaction is to arm the clan against the Colonisers and drive the British people out of Igbo.

Even though the Ibo are described as ‘primitive and savage’ by Mr. Smith, one of the missionary church leaders, the tribesmen evidently show their etiquette through their mannerisms. Proverbs, a form of Ibo mannerisms, are used quite frequently throughout this novel as ‘the art of conversation is regarded very highly [by the Ibo], and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.’ (Achebe. P.5:1986) The Ibo people are also not as violent and savage as many of the missionaries believed. This is shown when a villager from the Mbaino village kills a woman from the Ibo village, the Ibo village elders and those with titles, instead of initiating war against the neighbouring Mbaino, reach a peaceful agreement on the reparations from the Mbaino tribe.‘… [A]t the end it was decided to follow the normal course of action. An ultimatum was immediately dispatched to Mbaino asking them to choose between wars on the one hand, and on the other the offer of a young man and a virgin as compensation.” (P.8)