Imperialism In Things Fall Apart

It was easier for people to look at Africans as creatures with “Iron Collars” and “Grotesque mask” which is why Chinua Achebe wrote “Things Fall Apart” which was set during the late 1800s to early 1900s when British were expanding their influence in Africa in order to display the true idyllic beauty of the African people. In “Things Fall Apart”, Achebe uses irony to reflect the importance of customs and traditions through Obierika. Achebe uses an esprit tone to explain the “Flaws” others misinterpreted about the Igbo community. Achebe disliked how Europeans depicted Africans as “passionate instinctive savages”, so he refutes those depictions to give a viewpoint from the inside, the colonized and not the colonizer.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells the story of how one unified Umuofian community falls due to its own inner conflicts, as well as to the arrival of Christian missionaries. Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart to change the brutish image of Africa, for the Western world. The use of changing perspectives greatly aided Achebe in accurately portraying Africa as colorful, diverse and complex. For Westerners, viewing Africans as more than tribal and barbaric was a new concept, of which Achebe helped usher in. The story is told through the eyes of many Umuofians, which gives the reader a personal sense for the individuals within the tribe. When all the individual pieces of the story are brought together, the sifting perspectives creates a

Of Imperialism, English writer and composer Anthony Burgess once said, “Colonialism. The enforced spread of the rule of reason. But who is going to spread it among the colonizers?”. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe chronicles the life of underdog turned successful clansman Okonkwo, as well as the complexity of the Ibo culture in pre-colonial Africa. With the arrival of British missionaries, Okonkwo’s world crumbles as their cultures clash, and more African people begin to join the church. The Ibo people at first greatly underestimate the power of the colonizers, yet they make a deep and lasting impact on their culture. These missionaries completely change the lives of the Ibo people. Achebe’s main message is to communicate this clash of

Conversation in the Ibo culture is highly valued because it exposes the intentions of who is speaking. Proverbs are used to justify the opinions and motives of the speaker by using words of wisdom. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, is an ideal example of someone using proverbs to show the necessity of an intelligent conversation. In order to talk Okoye into lending him more money he says, “’Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.’” (7). This

The African civilizations are often thought to be primitive, unsophisticated regions made up of barbaric and merciless people.  However, this notion is a common misconception that has been portrayed by the British to justify slavery.  The author of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, attempts to educate his readers by disproving the common perception of African civilizations and by initiating a process of re-storying.  He believes that the African side of the story has not been told and he must tell their story so Africans are no longer victims of other people’s accounts.  While some may believe that Achebe is ineffective in educating his readers about this fallacy, Achebe clearly shows that the Igbo had components of an advanced civilization.  After thoroughly reading and analyzing this novel, I certainly understand Achebe’s desire to portray the Igbo as civilized despite contrary British literature.  Three major elements, including an organized religion, centralized government, and complex system of communication are portrayed by the author to indicate the intricacy of the Igbo.  Chinua Achebe effectively educates his readers that the Igbo had components of an advanced civilization prior to British colonization rather than being a primitive, barbaric society.

The right to progress other people is a daunting task, but it is not one that can not be achieved. The issue with progression is how it is executed. The most important rights are human rights, so the right to progress others must first preserve the people. Destroying cultures by using force is not acceptable. Bringing peace and freedom to make a choice is an alternative; one that could even be more beneficial than using violence.

“They came with a Bible and their religion, stole our land, crushed our spirit, and now they tell us we should be thankful to the Lord for being saved.” Through this quote, Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe (1760) illustrates one of the greatest conflicts still surrounding the civilizations of today, imperialism. Societies are torn and cultures forgotten for the expansion of more prominent civilizations. The book, Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, addresses and portrays this conflict in a similar tone as Pontiac once did, through the telling of an African tribe, the Ibo, and of a strong-willed man named Okonkwo. The village of Umuofia is home to the Ibo people, where many cultural traditions and beliefs surround their daily lives.

The tension between Europeans and Africans has been documented as early as the eighteen hundreds. The misconceptions and judgement was portrayed through literature works that showed Africans as less than, which caused written works to affect everyday life for the African people. Nineteenth century African literature work, Things Fall Apart, reflects on African culture while also analyzing short term European missionaries' toll on the culture in Nigeria. Things Fall Apart was surprisingly Chinua Achebe's first novel. This is shocking because Achebe's novel was a radical literature piece of his time period that reflected the truth about Africans instead of the negative light other books previously put them in.

When he beat his wife during the Week of Peace, the priest of the earth goddess told Okonkwo , “ ‘You will bring to the shrine of Ani tomorrow one she-goat, one hen, a length of cloth and a hundred cowries’ ” (Achebe 31). The justice was administered even to a leader of Umuofia, showing that no one in the village is above the law. Achebe uses this moment to demonstrate that the Ibo people have a fair justice system since all members of the society are treated equally before the law. Another example of the justice system being used is that when Uzowulu is accused of beating his wife too hard, he and his wife are taken to Umuofia’s version of a court, where the jurors listen to both sides before deciding what Uzowulu’s punishment should be (Achebe 93).

Throughout history, foreign people taken over the country and change the native’s way of life. “In some cases, the Europeans brought benefits, but for the most part, the effects were negative”, : taking their land, demolishing their culture, etc. Even though there are cons, there are some positive effects: trade, education, stable government, substantial economy, etc. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the “white man” colonizes Umuofia. While the colonizers generally benefit from taking over, the Umuofians experience tumult when their culture, religion, and government were overthrown by the Europeans. While there are negative effects of colonialism/imperialism, there are positive effects that benefit the indigenous population: Christianity gave the poor and women sanctuary, an efficient trade with the other nine clans, a proficient government, and a steady economy.

The African continent has been known for its natural resources and its diversity. The diversities of the place set it apart from the other continents. That why many people want to be in the land and enjoy its spectacular environment. Furthermore, its natural resources attract everyone over many years to settle and harness its resources, to be used elsewhere. In the process, indigenous people, tribal clan become the victim of forceful empire in their mist. The author, Chinua Achebe in his book Thing Fall Apart tries to captive and the detrimental effect of a colonization on a group of people. In the book, Achebe portrait the Igbo tribe as one of the victim of the imperialist mind in the African point of view. Although the British intention

In the Ibo community, masculinity and power to men is an essential aspect and having any one of those traits automatically makes one superior and well known. For example, the crop yams is a man’s crop and growing it symbolizes wealth, masculinity, and strength while growing the crops, coco-yams, beans, and

“The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.” (Chinua Achebe 1958) This quote is written by Chinua Achebe which shows the main theme of the novel Things Fall Apart, and even represents the theme within the article, “The Benefits of British Rule”. There are many cultures with different values or practices that might seem obscure to one group but normal to another, therefore no one can determine what culture is wrong or right, but it 's up to society to determine the best way of life. The novel Things Fall Apart and the article “The Benefits of British Rule” examine two different cultures facing similar scenarios. Both cultures, the Indian and

As a simply written novel with an incredibly complex theme, Things Fall Apart gives readers a touch of cultural shock which manages to leave them unwilling to return home after the last page. Chinua Achebe, the author, bases the plot around the experiences his people group has with imperialism and uses events throughout the story to prove his opinion on this controversial occurrence in history. The tale centers around Okonkwo, an Ibo man determined to stay traditional, which becomes problematic when Europeans begin to take over African tribes and reorganize their governments. This experience exhibits imperialism, which most know of as the policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries, or of acquiring

The psychological effects of colonization persist to this day. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart exemplifies the beginnings of colonization and the divide and conquer strategy used by the Europeans. Chinua Achebe on Conrad’s Heart of Darkness demonstrates how white people viewed the native Africans, a viewpoint that allows the dehumanization of Africans. Decolonizing the Mind by Ngugi wa Thiong'o contrasts African pre colonization culture with post colonization culture. Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime gives insight to the psychological system used to control the Africans after colonization is completed. Finally, Ruined by Lynn Nottage sheds light on the effects of the power vacuum left behind