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Recommended: Igbo religion
When conflicts arise within a society or an individual, many rely on their faith and religious practices to overcome these issues. In the case for “Things Fall Apart”, the spirits represent the ultimate figure and play an important role in the culture for the people of the Umuofia society. The native belief of spirits is the first focus that comes from the novel. The whole idea of spirits is essentially based off a male god named Chukwu, who taught the early Igbo natives how to develop and survive on yams. Yams later on became the primary source for food and the foundation of the Igbo economy, showing the power and influence the spirit god Chukwu posses. The male god is then balanced by the female Earth goddess Ani, who holds nearly the same amount of …show more content…
Often these gods (spirits) communicate and instruct the men and woman of Igbo through a high priest or priestess. The spiritual gods of Igbo play a big role in the tribe, as many rely on them to settle and create resolutions with other tribes, answer decisive questions and take care of punishments in relation to justice. When news that a nearby tribe has killed an Umuofian woman in the marketplace, the people of Umuofia turn to their gods to see what is best fit for the punishment of the neighboring tribe who committed this act of murder. With the gods order, Okonkwo (representing Umuofia) is sent out, bringing back a young boy and a virgin girl as payment for the crime Mbaino (the tribe) has done. Another example of when the tribesmen call upon the spiritual gods is when consulting with Chielo, the priestess of Agbala (Oracle of the Hills and Caves). As she is possessed by a god, Chielo is one of the most powerful figures of the tribe bringing many go as a practice of rituals and practices. Those who come to the oracle often pose questions of various matters only to be answered by the
Set in Africa in the 1890s, Chinua Achebe's ‘Things Fall Apart’ is about the tragedy of Okonkwo during the time Christian missionaries arrived and polluted the culture and traditions of many African tribes. Okonkwo is a self-made man who values culture, tradition, and, above all else, masculinity. Okonkwo’s attachment to the Igbo culture and tradition, and his own extreme emphasis on manliness, is the cause of his fall from grace and eventual death.
The book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe details the account of an African tribal named Okonkwo as his life goes from great to horrible. While this book has many lessons that can be learned, I will be primarily focusing on the effect that Christianity had on the population of the African tribe. While Christianity is a religion of peace, its followers often do not follow this basic tenant. The first missionary, Mr. Brown, practiced compromise and tolerance. His replacement, Mr. Smith, was much more aggressive in his tactics. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe shows through the characterization of Mr. Smith a shameful and harmful look at the spread of Christianity during the British empirical period.
In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe certain themes are present in the the
Things Fall Apart - The Clan's Beliefs and Christian Beliefs. & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; There are many differences between the Clan's beliefs and Christian's beliefs. This is illustrated on pages 126-129, in the mention of the one true god.' Both the tribe and the missionaries have different perceptions of who this one true god is. The clan has trouble understanding the Christian beliefs as they have lived a tribal existence for so long. They have only ever been aware of their own culture, which makes it hard for them to adjust to the ways of the Christians.
“He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down.” This quote by Chinua Achebe describes the self-inflictions when a person purposely goes after another. This goes hand-in-hand with the Nigerian author’s magnum opus, Things Fall Apart. For the duration of the book, Achebe uses subtle events to create amplifying changes. He uses Okonkwo’s relationship with others, his learning about the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. Achebe also uses Okonkwo’s fear of change for the Ibo regarding to the missionaries and their spread of Christianity through the region. Creating universal and relatable characters, Chinua Achebe warns people of rash actions and their effects over time.
The men that come to Umuofia destroy the cultural balance of faith and religion that encompasses the native people in Africa. People in Umuofia depend strongly on the ancestors and gods in their culture. It is their tradition and their beginning, from which they govern their lives. Even the priestess that serves the god Agbala, "...was full of the power of her god, and she was greatly feared" (16). Without the stronghold of customs and traditions, only chaos exists. Peace, trust, and knowledge are thrown off when the new religion of Christianity is introduced. When the missionary explains that:
Okonkwo’s desire for respect motivates his quest to preserve the practices of Ibo culture, while Obierika preserves the practices of the Ibo culture with a more humanistic perspective. Achebe uses the differing approaches of Okonkwo and Obierika in maintaining the cultural doctrines of the Ibo people to reveal his sympathy for Obierika over Okonkwo. Okonkwo’s motives for maintaining the customs of the Ibo originate with fear. Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna while “dazed with fear,” drawing “his machete [to] cut him down” because, “he was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe 61). Though Okonkwo attempts to appear strong to the people of Umuofia, his fearful motivation speaks to a hidden internal weakness. Okonkwo’s focus on eradicating the taint of “his father’s weakness and failure” and his yearning for respect drive him to kill Ikemefuna instead of the more proper motive of simply effectuating what the Ibo conside...
When you think of the word “culture” what comes to mind? Many elements can contribute to
When turmoil comes about, many have merely one attribute to rely on to help them overcome certain disasters: their faith. The characters of Things Fall Apart are no exception. The people of Umuofia call upon representatives of the spirit world as a means of hospitality. They rely on their religion to settle resolutions with other tribes and to answer questions. They depend on the spirit world also to take care of punishments and in addition play a significant role on new born babies. Unfortunately, the strong reliance with the spirit world collapse when the White Christians invade.
In the book “Things Fall Apart”, evidence of a social structure was apparent within the Igbo community. This rigid social structure served as a purpose to balance the life of the people within the society, as well as promoting the downfall of the clan. The social structure was important in keeping a centralized society and preventing any sign of corruption within their clan. The social structure had advantages in keeping a balanced and equal society, supporting a division of labor, providing a surplus of food, individual huts, a communal society, and the development of some kind of government. In contrast, this social structure led others to reject to cooperate with the new religion and aided the lack of unity among the people. It also promoted a more patriarchal society, the inferior rank of women, and the lack of strong bonds between family members.
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is a powerful novel about the social changes that occurred when the white man first arrived on the African continent. The novel is based on a conception of humans as self-reflexive beings and a definition of culture as a set of control mechanisms. Things Fall Apart is the story of Okonkwo, an elder, in the Igbo tribe. He is a fairly successful man who earned the respect of the tribal elders. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected member of the tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace graphically dramatizes the struggle between the altruistic values of Christianity and the lust for power that motivated European colonialism in Africa and undermined the indigenous culture of a nation.
Like any good religion, the Igbo religion comes with many superstitions. Personal chi is one of the superstitions in the Igbo tribe. Chi can be a personal fragment of the Supreme Being, unique for each individual. It determines much of a person's success and character. "When a man says yes his chi says yes also" (19). But at the same time a man does not challenge his chi. "The evil you have done can ruin the whole clan. The earth goddess whom you have insulted may refuse to give us her increase, and we shall all perish" (22). Ezeani said this to okonkwo in response to his challenge against his chi, by beating his wife during the week of peace. Okonkwo BECAME THE EXAMPLE OF A person challenging his own chi. His desperate desire to succeed his chi, does not let him go any further than failure, destruction and death. Chi is simultaneously a destiny and an internal commitment, WHICH cannot be denied. The Igbo religion has a tendency to symbolize numerous amounts of divine gods. They HAD a god for every different natural phenomenon that occurred. These things of worship were things such as trees, pieces of wood, hills, caves etc. For every symbolic god there was a being in the clan that represented it. Ezeani the priestess, of the goddess of the earth, represented the goddess of earth (Ani). The clan seeks knowledge from the god through the oracle of the hills and caves. Other symbols in the Igbo religion are the sacred silk cotton tree and the evil forest.
many brutal wars, such as the Crusades, yet also founded many hospitals and charities, proving it difficult to categorize religion as a positive or negative influence. Author Chinua Achebe acknowledges this debate in his novel Things Fall Apart. This novel takes place in Nigeria during the late 19th century and shows the Ibo tribe’s transformation after Christian missionaries arrive. Achebe suggests that Christianity can guide a society by including outcasts but can also destroy a society by breaking family values and establishing schools.
Throughout history, there have been many instances of people struggling to identify and cope with change and tradition, and this is no different in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
All throughout history, we see this dichotomy between tradition and modernity. On one hand, we have tradition, the force living perpetually in the past and refusing to change. On the other hand, modernity leaves tradition behind in favor of progress. These two concepts, much like oil and water, dare to divide but coexist as a debatable founding solution. Not only are the themes Western ideas, but they have been present and are found in literature all around the world, from China to Africa.