On page 425, Obzine says, “When I started in real estate, I considerd renovating the old houses instead of tearing them down, but it didn’t make sense. Nigerian don’t buy houses because they’re old. A renovated two-hundred-year-old mill granary,you know, the kind of things Europeans like. It doesn’t work here at all. But of course it makes sense because we are Third Worlders and Third Worlders are forward looking, we like things to be new, because our best is still ahead, while the West their best is already past and so they have to make a fetish of that past.” Now this a very powerful and analytical quote about development and perceptions of the developing world, and I am sure we could have an entire discussion on this one quote alone, so I add a few comments because I think it underlines some themes in the novel. As Nishant mentioned, when Ifemelu returned to Nigeria it is clear the country is becoming more materialistic and this could be occurring because the country is trying to follow the west. Stephen, offers the cell phone …show more content…
Furthermore, the television channels that Ranyinudo watch are American or British. Additionally, after the man that repaired them did an insufficient job constructing tiles in her flat, Ifemelu assertively threats the man and forces him to properly implement the tiles and she even admits that she would have made the man fix the broken tiles in the past ( 385 ebook). So, it is clear— at least from Ifemelu perspective— that more Nigerians are becoming more materialistic, but I would argue that materialistic is just another way of saying “westernized.” As Obzine mentioned in the quote above, while the mentality that the best days of Nigeria is ahead is optimistic, there seems to be a mentality to
1.Tariffs It is one of the political issues during the Gilded Age that brought changes in the way politics were conducted. The conventional tariffs were taxes charged on imported products to raise money for agencies that looked after goods and individuals entering America (“Politics in the Gilded Age”). On the other hand, the protective tariff was introduced to so as to govern industries and businesses in America. As a result, high tariffs ensured that producers competed on fair grounds with foreign products, as they raised the price of imported goods, and, therefore, made American products more attractive. Therefore, workers were encouraged to support political parties that supported high tariffs to avoid losing their jobs. 2.Rise and Fall
Nigerian society changed significantly with the introduction of European values. Of those changes one of the greatest was the introduction of individualism, rather than the pride people had in the tribal system. The rise of individualism changes every society, but the Nigerian society was greatly affected and saw more Nigerian trying to leave to live in other countries with greater opportunities. One example of this would be Elvis in the short story Graceland, who wanted to move to America to pursue a career as an Elvis impersonator. This profession is an odd one, especially considering the Nigerian culture, but with the rise in individualism there is more in an emphasis on individual dreams in the society. This dream job helps to illuminate the cultural difference that began to occur once western values and ideas took prominence in the Nigerian culture changing the culture into more a European or American society with individualism being a cornerstone in the society.
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In this paper I will discuss Nigeria, a country that was created by European imperialism. Nigeria is located on the Atlantic Coast in West Africa and is border by Benin, Chad, and Cameroon. It is the largest country in Africa. Nigeria has three main tribes which are the Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo and other tribes as well. The official language of Nigeria is English although, the Yoruba, Ibo, and Hausa tribes represent the principal native language. Dance and music are a focal point in the Nigerian livelihood. The traditional Nigerian uses dance at births and deaths, on happy and sad occasions, and in worship. Nigerian music consists of many instruments. They are the trumpets, brass, vocals, percussion frame drums, kettle drums, double bass, flutes, and the electric guitar. Drums are considered very important to the Nigerian music and dances. In the Nigerian culture, art serves as a social or religious purpose. Nigeria is a celebratory country. Many holidays and festivities are observed by the Nigerian community to preserve their cultural heritage. Two of the most common are the National Day and The New Yam Festival. Traditional Nigerians have
This serial-turned-novel was directed at an audience composed of people who could speak Yoruba, which limits the audience rather drastically. Yoruba is a major language in Nigeria, and today roughly 28 million people speak it. However, this book was not written with all Yoruba speakers as the intended audience, rather the more limited group of literate people (approximately 1/3 of the population in the late 1920s) living around the then capital city of Lagos. It is obvious upon reading this novel that I, a Jewish-caucasian-American who is woefully unfamiliar with Lagos, am not a member of the intended audience. This serial, in order to establish its factuality, takes on a distinctly Lagosian flavor.
When one country takes over and colonizes another, it is inevitable for cultural exchanges to occur. A lot of African people, including the Nigerians, had picked up quite a few British customs. The influence of Great
Nigeria, during the nineteenth century, consisted of various villages and cultures. For instance, in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Achebe depicts a small village named Umuofia of the Igbo tribe by allowing his audience to read how European colonization extinguished the Igbo culture and what roles the village members played. However, if Achebe would have written his novel during the sixteenth century, as an Aztec man during the Spaniards colonization of Mexico, women would be viewed differently, success would be given a different context, and the Igbo culture would be portrayed divergently.
Traditions and customs serve importance here because if you hold a position of a women in the tribe you have specifics mannerism to men like Okonkwo. Rules on how to address one another, gods and spirits are all different and hold meaning in the culture and symbolizes identity amongst tribe members. On the other hand, the British christians require an interpreter who is not from the Umuofia clan and has translated words that are not to clear to the native people. Furthermore, the schools which are built in the African land are also a factor to the receding rich Igbo language. These schools with christian missionaries that institute english customs and values bring despair to the traditions of the Igbo people and this is clearly shown in Okonkwo and his friends reaction to the British people. As a result of the colonization the language of both native people are lost in meaning and significance. A overbearing power instituting its own language upon another's is demeaning in many ways. When one takes another languages for granted important history can be lost. Important concepts and essence is lost in the
Before we begin, let’s take a look at the country and its environs. Nigeria a former British Colony, located in the western part of Africa, it shares borders with Benin, Cameroun, and Niger. A growing population of 150million, labour force of 51million (70% Agriculture, 10% industry and 20% service), urbanisation is less than 40%, GDP is over $300billion, Per capita income is $2300. Nigeria is blessed with different cultures, languages and ethnic groups (252 in total); this was due to the colonization of the British in the early 19th century (Columbia Encyclopaedia). The British amalgamated its protectorates in 1914 to enable stable control and governance which made them create one Nation of Nigeria formed from all the groups, community and empires around the Niger area under their control. Nigeria had her independence on the 1st of October 1960 and since then various civil wars, political and religious unrest in the country to share power and resources amicably.
Consequently, Ifemelu’s hair becomes the embodiment of her state of assimilation in America. The dreadful sacrifice of Ifemelu’s natural hair in order to submit to American beauty standards illustrates how a black woman must surrender their morality on the altar of success and significance. In addition, after Ifemelu’s father loses his job, he begins to use extravagant words in English in order to impress the people of his community. In Nigeria, the notion is that a man is must provide for his family. However, Ifemelu’s father’s failure to live up to these expectations force him to create his identity as an intellectual fraud, hiding behind society’s version of masculine
The country of Nigeria is located in West Africa, sharing land borders with Chad, Niger, Benin, and Cameroon. The country covers 923,768 square kilometers, making it the 32nd largest nation in the world. This is the most populous country in Africa with more than 160 million people living there. Nigeria has three major ethnic groups the Hausa-Fulani, the Igbo, and the Yoruba. These Three groups constitute about 70 percent of the population (Chigozie, 2016).
Grandparents provide care for their grandchildren. According to the text, 2010 7 million children live with grandparents (p.38). Most of the infants live with their grandparent because the parents are in drugs, teen pregnancy, family violence, and incarceration. Grandparetns dont have the legal rights with its an obtacle for the well-being of the infant. I will manage to work with this family by understanding the struggle that the grandparents are facing. I will guide them to institutions that help grandparents that are in the same situation they are facing.
Because Ifemelu is not born in America, she discovers race and racial inequality when she moves there as a result of receiving a Princeton fellowship. In Nigeria, there is no talk about race. Everyone is seen as Nigerian because they are born there. Ifemelu explains that “[She] came from a country where race was not an issue; [she] did not think of [herself] as black and [she] only became black when [she] came to America” (359). Her expectations of America areis that there are great educational opportunities and plenty of jobs, but what she discovers is racial
Ethnicity is how individuals perceive themselves, and unlike race it can be changed. There are countries in which there are several different types of ethnic groups, and in some cases that could lead to conflict within a country, but as research will show it is not the only cause, and in some cases the conflict was purposely organized. In such cases it is usually in a developing country, which is “defined according to their Gross National Income (GNI) per capita per year. Countries with GNI of US$ 11,905 and less and less are defined as developing (specified by the World Bank, 2012).” (CITATION) Developing countries that have established themselves as democracies tend to have weak institutions, where elections are more about connections
Corruption can be defined as the use of entrusted power to accumulate public wealthy for personal benefit. Corruption is not peculiar to any country, continent or state; it is sure a global issue which is an endemic to all government all over the world. However, corruption is prevalent in the Niger delta region of Nigeria; public officers in this oil producing state of Nigeria are corrupt. Consequently, it has defied the Niger delta from developing politically and economically which has left the states reputation in a mess. Radicalization of youths, abject poverty and -political instability are the three leading effects of corruption in the Niger delta region of Nigeria.