Things Fall Apart Igbo Culture

The novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe discusses the rise of an Igbo chieftain who came from great poverty to power and the eventual loss of Igbo traditions, rites, and the influence of his clan through his eyes due to western imperialism and colonialism. The intended audience for this novel is very broad, but if we tried to define it would primarily be people who have not experienced the Igbo culture and westerners or people who speak English. In this essay I will be focusing on the last six chapters: chapters 20 to 25. These chapters highlight the loss of power and customs of the Igbo people who have succumb to colonial rule. I fell Achebe is rhetorically effective and

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

Born in the town of Ogidi, in Eastern Nigeria which was a British colony at the time. Although Chinua Achebe first language was Igbo he was educated in English as a result of that he wanted to learn more and focus on his language and background to tell the story for many others like him. In the novel, “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua display that language is what uniquely separate each person by introducing beliefs, speech rhythms, and the Igbo language. Achebe's use of Igbo language, speech patterns, proverbs, and richly drawn characters creates an authentic African story that effectively bridges the cultural and historical gap between the reader and the Igbo. Say you were one of the characters in the novel Things Fall Apart and were faced with some of the obstacles similar, will you hold on to your beliefs or sway

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.

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

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,

The novel “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe, is a tale based on the traditional beliefs and customs of an Ibo village during late 1800’s Africa. Through the telling of this story, we witness the remarkable depth of Igbo culture through its functions of religion, politics, judiciary and entertainment.

In Things Fall Apart, the Igbo culture is depicted to be a civilized society with a strong sense of morality, emphasis on wisdom, and stable religion despite being a primitive society and misogynistic virtues. However, as the novel progresses it becomes evident how their sense of “morality” is truly flawed due to corrupt leaders and bias ethics that is revered by society. Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity implies the idea how even people born into Igbo culture can see it is corrupt and run by immoral cultural traditions. The Igbo culture does demonstrate civilized forms of dealing with societal issues. In order to stabilize the hatred that would have rushed due to Okonkwo’s accidental killing of Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s son, “The only course open to Okonkwo was to flee from the clan (Achebe 74)”.

The description given early in the novel clearly establishes his character as being a strong and wealthy man who is well respected among the rest of the tribe due to his superior fighting abilities and his influential personality. Having achieved such elite status within the Umuofia clan, Okonkwo appears to be old-fashioned as it is seen in his approach in raising his family and tribal people. However, Okonkwo’s character changes incrementally with the emergence of a boy, Ikemefuna, from a neighboring village, who was brought to him because of his brutal attack against his wife Ojiugo during the ‘week of peace’. Amongst the Umuofia clan, the ‘week of peace’ is a tribal ritual whose conditions are not to complete any evil sins in a certain week span. After having accepted Ikemefuna into the family, Okonkwo experiences a shift in his mental state. Shortly hereafter, he questions this change, which demonstrates his lack of willingness to change which is clearly demonstrated in the book in several different ways like in chapter Eight, Okonkwo proclaims to himself, “When did you become a shivering old woman, you, who are known in all nine villages for your valour in war” (Achebe 56). This represents that his character has become a weaker, less influential individual amongst the nine tribes where he is well known. Symbolically, this depicts a fragile reputation in Okonkwo’s status within the community to which he belongs.

The indigenous ethnicity depicted in Things Fall Apart is more concrete and can be defined simply as the Igbo culture. The text asserts this culture through the recollection and reinforcement of its history. Achebe strips the style and language of symbolism and metaphor, presenting the everyday ordinariness of the Igbo people. Things Fall Apart ‘unites humanity.’’ Unlike in King Solomon’s Mines these Africans are not detached and are relatable. This adoption of ‘scientific objectivity’ 5does not change in the text; the style remains constant (to the extent that there is no change in approach between pre-colonial and post-colonial Africa, portraying the transition as unremarkable). We as the reader trust the narrative being created for us, and therefore favour it over the alternative narrative of the District Commissioner, ironically titled The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger (Pg 152). Consequently, the novel can be seen as not only an accurate historical account of Igbo culture, but also a compassionate delineation of its collapse.

Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, is an excellent example of postcolonial literature. Throughout his novel he uses colonialism and colonial discourse and challenges the cultural stereotypes of the Igbo people.

This paper reflects the novel “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe in 1958. Achebe gives an overview of pre-colonialism and post-colonialism on Igbo, detailing how local traditions and cultural practices can “fall apart” in some scenarios through some introduced, externally created hassles elevated because of colonization. The protagonist named Okonkwo mentioned in the story is a proof showing the lifestyle of the tribe. My main objective and focus is to lay emphasis on Africa specifically the Igbo society, before and after the arrival of the Europeans in Umuofia community; the results of their arrival concerning Igbo culture, thus leading to the clash of cultures between the two categories. I will also draw on post-colonialism with respect to globalization.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was wrote in 1958 as a response to European Literature viewing Africans as savages who were then enlightened and found peace and safety by the Europeans. Chinua describes the Igbo people and showed the culture and showing the way of life of the Igbo people. This book shows this powerful and eye opening look into the complex society of these tribes and villages and how law and order is run. The major theme that is I will focus is that traditional development of the Igbo tribe alone and with the influence of the Europeans.