The Destruction Of Igbo Culture : The African Perspective

Being successful can be by wrestling, wealth, titles, and wives to men in the Igbo culture which for them is their personal achievement to have these in life. For example, “He was a wealthy farmer and had two barns full of yams, and had just married his third wife”(8). This signifies the wealth the men have with yams and by having a title in their clan they can have more wives to show that they are able to support them and feed all of them. In contrast, Titles are a major symbol in men and their reputation, unlike women, care more about their families. For instance, “among these people, a man was judged according to his

Chinua Achebe once said, "the world is like a mask dancing...if you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place," (Goodreads). Renowned for his novel Things Fall Apart, in which he responds to the stereotypes of the British who conquered the continent of Africa in the era of New Imperialism, Achebe explores Igbo culture through many aspects of daily village life. Contradicting the racism employed by whites in the 1890s in order to justify slavery in earlier history, Things Fall Apart offers a new fresh perspective into the lives of ordinary villagers of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, before they are taken over by the British. Just as the whites in Europe, the tribe applies their own religion, customs, beliefs, and language to their lives. Through this lens the reader is able to extract a deeper meaning of the powerful message Achebe communicates by penning the famous novel.

According to Chimamanda Adichie, a Nigerian writer who believes in the power of story, if one traps oneself into the narrow world of “single story” about another person or country, that person would risk a crucial misconception. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is considered as the most authentic response to contemporary Western’s literature depiction of Africa, which usually obligates the readers to only look at the “single story” that is written with personal stereotypes under an ethnocentric point of view. As a result, in his famous Things Fall Apart, Achebe contrasts the perspective of the colonized on imperialism with that of the colonizing in order to provide an alternative to the Western literature’s “single story” of Africa.

Chinua Achebe’s, Things Fall Apart, is a story of a traditional village in Nigeria from inside Umuofia around the late 1800s. This novel depicts late African history and shows how the British administrative structure, in the form of the European Anglican Church, imposed its religion and trappings on the cultures of Africa, which they believed was uncivilized. This missionary zeal subjugated large native populations. Consequently, the native traditions gradually disappeared and in time the whole local social structure within which the indigenous people had lived successfully for centuries was destroyed. Achebe spends the first half of the novel depicting the Ibo culture, by

Chinua Achebe was educated in the West, though he hails from an African tribe. His exposure to both African and Western thinking gives him a unique perspective on the colonization of Africa, which is argued to be barbaric by some, but beneficial and necessary by others. In “Things Fall Apart,” Achebe perspective comes through as he masterfully describes a pre-colonization African tribe, and how colonization percolated through it. His authentic accounts of the positives and negatives of both tribal society and colonization leave the reader to answer the question of whether imperialism was morally justifiable or not.

Preconceived ideas about one’s culture often arises from stereotypes passed down from generation to generation. It is those stereotypes which shape one’s way of thinking, without being educated properly. In the novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, misunderstood culture is what drives the story of a small African clan called the Umuofia and the life story of Okonkwo, a fearless warrior and farmer. An in-depth look into pre-colonial African culture helps the reader discover and understand an unbiased point of view of a world one may not understand. In doing so, Achebe uses imagery as well as strong narration to describe the cultural norms and activities that the Nigerian tribe undergoes in everyday life. Through this he offers a nonbiased point of view, and communicates and accurate picture of pre-colonial African culture to a western reader.

How does the collision challenges the character’s sense of identity and how his response shapes the meaning of the work as a whole? Set in Pre-colonial Nigeria in the 1890s highlights the fight. The igbo culture is a terrible culture in which they are very uncivilized. The igbo culture is civilized by solid/traditional religious beliefs and the uncivilized or barbaric behavior. Darkness held a vague terror for these people, even the bravest among them. Children were warned not to whistle at night for fear of evil spirits. In Umuofia’s latest war he was the first to bring home a human head. It shows how the igbo culture can be civilized with religion. The Igbo culture of being uncivilized is family structure polygamy and gender inequality. Okonkwo’s

Things Fall Apart is a literary novel written and published by Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, or Chinua Achebe, in the 1959. Chinua was born on November 16, 1930 into a Nigerian village named Ogidi. Things Fall Apart is based in Nigeria around the year 1890. The book addresses topics including, “Nigeria’s white colonial government and the traditional culture of the indigenous Igbo people” (SparkNotes Editors). The book also contains several controversial topics involving, Christian missionaries being labeled, “foolish”, the subject matter of death and suicide, and the physical and verbal abuse that the women received. Chinua well portrays the “macho” and chiefly attitude of the African men in the Ibo society. But the question is, how exactly are women treated within the society? The well respected Okonkwo is a prime example on exactly how men treated women during this time period.

Chinua Achebe’s, Things Fall Apart, is a story of a traditional village in Nigeria from inside Umuofia around the late 1800s. This novel depicts late African history and shows how the British administrative structure, in the form of the European Anglican Church, imposed its religion and trappings on the cultures of Africa, which they believed was uncivilized. This missionary zeal subjugated large native populations. Consequently, the native traditions gradually disappeared and in time the whole local social structure within which the indigenous people had lived successfully for centuries was destroyed. Achebe spends the first half of the novel depicting the Ibo culture, by itself,

Don C. Ohadike claims that between 1900 and 1960, the colonial period, Igbos began gathering together in urban centers and discovered the similarities in their culture and language. Igbo farming communities stretched across Nigeria and were bordered by the Niger river, the Cross river, swamplands, and grasslands. Igbo religion was very prominent in their everyday life. Chukwu, they believed, was a supreme being so they didn't have any symbols of Chukwu because they didn't know what he looked like and they didn't have any shrines of Chukwu because they thought that he was everywhere. Ekwensu, the Christian equivalent of satan, supposedly made people commit crimes. Igbos also believed in life after death and that the spirits of the dead became unseen. The Igbo people had the theory that twins or triplets were abnormal and if born, they were thrown away

The Igbo people are a tribe that basis much of their beliefs around folklore. This folklore is a key part of their daily lives and their religion. These stories passed from generation to generation teach valuable lessons to the children of the tribe and prepare them for adult life. The following examples are some of the most important beliefs and the stories that accompany them.

Look at what it has come to, a ruined society. All of the Igbo stand before me, yet diminishing by the hundreds. With the introduction of christianity our society is falling quickly. I shelter all but those who tread beyond me shall be cursed along with all damned souls who have dared. My mantle is in jeopardy now and without the faithful we are sure to be replaced with an extremest faith. Perhaps it is a blessing that i have not my village, for they have proven to myself that they are not worthy to stand below

The spiritual level includes the spirit Anyanwu who represents the sun, the spirit Igwe who represents the sky, Andala who represents the earth, and other water spirits and forest spirits. Through items called taboos, the Igbo forge mediatory category of relations with nature and certain animals such as pythons, crocodiles, tigers, tortoises, and fish. The Igbo, sometimes referred to as Ibo, are one of the largest single ethnic groups in Africa. Most Igbo speakers are based in southeastern Nigeria, constituting about 17 percent of the population; they can also be found in significant numbers in Cameroon and other African countries. It is believed the Igbo originated in an area about 100 miles north of their current location at the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers.The Igbo share linguistic ties with their neighbors the Bini, Igala, Yoruba, and Idoma, with whom it is believed they were closely related until five to six thousand years ago. The first Igbo in the region may have moved onto the Awka-Orlu plateau between four and five thousand years ago. This Igbo site provides simple and easy-to-read insights into Igbo language and Igbo culture. Not only does the guide describe the wide variety of the traditions in this part of Nigeria, attention is also paid to normal day-to-day facets of life in the town and villages. The site contains a complete guide on Igbo language, highlighted in sample conversations (including native audio clips), includes an Igbo English dictionary and explains the basic Igbo grammar

The novelist states that it is the Igbo's political identity which is shaped according to a sufficient semi-democratic system. This ruling system comprises the ichie/oha "elders council" the masquerade cult, the ozo institution, the gods, oracles, and divination such as amadioha (the god of thunder), ogwugwu, ogbanje, ibinu ukpabi, agwu, onuochasi, agbara mmiri (water spirit), ohammiri/ogbuide (water godess among oguta igbo), mbari art (among owerri igbo), ahiajoku/ifejioku (yam godess), chiokike,( god the creator) etc. The system presents regulations and rules that people have to abide by, and whoever tries to break these rules will be punished by them.

In Nigeria there are many group of people with different cultures and traditions. Every group of people has unique life style that makes them different from other group. In specific Igbo people have their own life style. The Igbo people are the largest ethnic group of southeastern Nigeria. They have lived in villages that surrounded by their farms. Igbo people believe in Ancestor. In Africa, ancestor worship is the universal in this continent. They have many different festivals, but the main festivals are called masquerades. In addition, those practices played important role to the structure of the authority.