Saturday, December 21, 2019

Influence of Western Society in Thing Fall Apart by Achebe

When a foreign imperial force lays claim to a new colony, social displacement ensues. As the natives are forced to adapt to the colonizer’s more civilized lifestyle, the rich and cohesive indigenous community becomes increasingly fragmented and irrelevant in the emerging state. Consequences include the abandonment of diverse religious practices as well as the loss of native languages. In the novel Thing Fall Apart, Achebe draws his readers into the Igbos way of life, making the readers feel more connected as if they are members of the tribe, only to sharpen the pain that the readers must feel as they witness as the tribe’s erosion under the influence of the white missionaries who are introduced in the second half of the novel. Through his narrative, Achebe explores how conversion to westernized Christianity is actually the adoption of British mercantilism which subsumes and consumes the rich and comprehensive Igbo society, forcing the tribe to accept new teachings about their lives, religion, society, and most importantly, their place in the British Empire. In the first part of the novel, the readers are immersed in the Igbo society, learning about its way of life through the novels central character, Okonkwo. Often throughout the novel, the tribal members profess their dedication to their traditions and beliefs. The feast of the New Yam was held every year before the harvest began, to honor the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits ofShow MoreRelatedChinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Essay1736 Words   |  7 PagesAfrican literary tale Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, is a brilliant account of historical African culture and the destruction colonialism can cause upon such cultures. As the reader follows the narrative and complexity of the characters through the novel, a sense of pride, trust, and faith in history emerges. Yet, with the introduction of colonialism the characters must learn to embrace and adapt to a new culture and set of beliefs or face termination from society. The novel exploresRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1325 Words   |  6 PagesAbdulhameed AlHababi Western Civilization 2 December 2, 2014 Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Thing Fall Apart, first published in 1958, is Chinua Achebe’s first and most acclaimed novel. Achebe illustrates an approving rendering of Nigerian and African tribal life prior to and subsequent to colonialism. Achebe presents various aspects of a native African community, including war, women mistreatment, violence and conflict, while maintaining a balanceRead MoreImperialism In The 19Th Century Resulted In European Countries1726 Words   |  7 Pagescountries.When Chinua Achebe published Things fall apart in 1958, a novel criticizing the European aspects of imperialism, his aspiration was to teach readers that â€Å"their past-with all its imperfections-was not one long night of savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God’s behalf delivered them†(Chinua Achebe on the Role of the African Writer, 1964). Chinua Achebe helped change the western perception of African culture by using the characters and story of Things Fall Apart to give readers aRead Mor e People Fall Apart in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Essay1668 Words   |  7 PagesPeople Fall Apart in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe   Ã‚   Karl Marx believed that all of history could be reduced to two tiny words: class struggle. In any period of time a dominant class exploits a weaker class. Marx defines a dominant class as one who owns or controls the means of production. The weaker class consists of those who dont. In Marxs day, the age of Almighty Industry, the means of production were factories. But as a literary theory Marxism needs no factories to act as meansRead MoreA Study on the Author, Chinua Achebe 1467 Words   |  6 Pages A STUDY OF THE AUTHOR, CHINUA ACHEBE Chinua Achebe was born unto a Nigerian parents in Nigeria on November 16, 1930. He was from a family that born six kids; he being the fifth among them. Chinua Achebe’s parents were Isaiah Okafor Achebe and Janet Achebe. He begin an English at eight in Ogidi, Nigeria. Encouraged by his father, he was excited to learned English quickly. His father Isaiah Achebe was one of the first that converted from their religion to Christianity and he also foundedRead MoreEssay about Role of Women in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe1453 Words   |  6 Pages The role of women in society has grown and changed tremendously with the development of the world. Within the American culture, women’s rights have expanded to the extent of being able to vote for who runs our country or even possibly being the person that does run our country. Although the American culture has somewhat promoted the growth of a woman’s role in society, does not mean women receive the same respect in other cultures around world. For example, in Africa women are viewedRead MoreAchebe1599 Words   |  7 Pages Achebe’s Defense of The Ibo People in Things Fall Apart Option 1 The late Chinua Achebe is considered to be one of the most important voices in African literature. Born in colonial Nigeria in the 1930’s, Achebe joined the first wave of African writers who were determined to represent their country in a way that would truthfully depict the past and present. Before the arrival of the first wave writers, the history of pre-colonial Africa was portrayed as a place of barbarous activity. EuropeanRead MoreThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe1324 Words   |  6 Pages Chinua Achebe chose to write his novels in English to reveal a deep response of his people to colonisation and to make that response understood to people all over the world. Things Fall Apart was written in English to teach people worldwide of the struggles he faced and the people of Nigeria faced growing up. Many authors and critics have written about Achebe’s ‘Things fall apart’ adding their valued opinion on what he was trying to say and his decision to write in English. In the followingRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart972 Words   |  4 PagesJacen Buensalida Mrs. Smith English December 7, 2015 Unit 3 Embedded Assessment 2 In the novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart†, Chinua Achebe teaches us that two cultures are unable to thrive together when they are forcing themselves onto the other through his use of the main protagonist, Okonkwo. This novel, â€Å"Things Fall Apart†, is about the African culture of the Ibo people being invaded by western influences in which Okonkwo is trapped within the feud. This book depicts differences between the two collidingRead MoreEssay Things Fall Apart and its Representation: Chinua Achebe869 Words   |  4 Pages     The novel Things Fall Apart, displays Okonkwo, a local leader in the village of Nigeria. It describes how his family, comrades and the society and culture of lgbo inherit under the influence of British Colonialism and Christian missionaries during the late nineteen century. The protagonist Okonkwo is portrayed as a masculine and irritable solider who tries to prevent his villages from the invasion of Christianity, but eventually fails. He is a tragic hero who represents a culture that has been

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.