The Arrow of District 9 Arrow of God written by Chinua Achebe is set in the 1920’s located in Nigeria. The book focuses on the main character Ezeulu, the Igbo people’s chief priest. Throughout the text we see Ezeulu have conflicts with other tribes and with Christian missionaries, get sent to prison for denying a position from the British, and Ezeulu having difficulties within his own tribe and their yam harvest (Achebe). All the events that happened in Arrow of God lead to a much deeper meaning. If we take a look at a look at the very complex film District 9 produced by Peter Jackson, we see a very different but similar story. This is a “mockumentary” type film that explores the life of a MNU executive, an alien and his son, the Nigerian gang, and a mercenary soldier employed by MNU (IMDb). In both stories, Arrow of God …show more content…
It seems to be Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism is the idea of natural selection through sociology and politics. It attempts to reform society through state intervention or other means. The poor were the “unfit” and should not be aided and wealth was a sign of success ("Social Darwinism”). In both stories we see a “government” type swoop in and try to change things and expect the people who already are there to live this way. In Arrow of God, the Christian missionaries are the ones who come into Umuaro and try to convince the villages to believe in their god and live in a certain way. In District 9, the MNU raids the prawn’s district and are forcing them to move to new homes and live the way they say so. Both reflect Social Darwinism. Politics have been forced upon both worlds and there is a sense of natural selection ("Social Darwinism”). If the Umuaro people do not start believing the Christian way, then their resources are limited. If the prawn’s do not move to this new camp, then they are killed. It’s always a lose-lose for the
Nathan Price is the epitome of opposition in regard to cultural ignorance and global injustice. When Anatole is first introduced, he is invited to dinner with the Price family. At dinner Anatole tries to explain to Reverend Price that “Tata Ndu is concerned about the moral decline of his village”(127) because of the introduction of Christianity that is causing many Congolese to disregard their traditional religious duties. Anatole also tells Nathan that the villagers are carefully watching to see whether the Price’s god is capable of bringing them better luck than their local gods. In trying to explain this situation to Nathan, Anatole explains that most, if not all, of the congregation present in the Reverend’s church are known as “the lenzuka”(128). These are the people who have either shamed themselves or have had very bad luck. Such bad luck in fact, that many of the peo...
Both social darwinism and social gospel are ideologies surrounding the economics of urban and industrialization of the 19th century. Both of these were processes on the wealthy, and exactly how they would deal with poor and working class individuals. However, the specific execution on how these were done, as well as the goal were vastly different. Social Darwinism, just like Evolutionary Darwinism, really means survival of the fittest. The strongest survive and the weakest stay weak and eventually die. Relating this theory to economics; Social Darwinism is when a wealthy person keeps his money for him and his kin. Said person usually holds an attitude of, “the rich should get richer and the poor should stay poor.” On the other side of the economic
The message of political alignment is a vast and varying concept, one that will be debated for as a long as party divisions exist. This divide however exists in not just the Christian community. We begin with the metaphor of a shepherds flock, blindly following what an individual says over ones own thinking. Boyd furthers this concept of alignment and how “many who left sincerely believe there is little ambiguity in how true Christian faith translates into politics. Since God is against abortion, Christians should vote for the pro-life candidate, they believe- and the preacher should say so” (Boyd 2). This blind adherence to one topic, one issue is unfortunately a failure on an intellectual level of all people, whether Christian or not. The
On arrival, the missionaries could barely comprehend the tribe. They had very little understanding of their culture, beliefs, and rituals the tribe admires. It seemed inept that they were willing to proclaim that the villagers’ beliefs were false. “The missionary told them that they worshipped false gods, gods of wood and stone.” They could not even distinguish that this also was a successful community, which works well under its method of divine law.
Evolution, otherwise sometimes called the “Devil’s hoax,” is a controversial topic that ignites a rather substantial reaction, particularly in Christian religious communities. Through the years, the heated debate over whether God or evolution is right has become a major breaking point for people of faith. Evolution suggests that God didn’t miraculously place humans in their present form on Earth and that the Bible isn’t the ultimate scientific truth. In this world, science is pitted against religious faith, suggesting neither can exist mutually with the other. The Lutheran church has taken it’s own stance in the controversy, making a muddy splash in a worldly puddle between the real dirt of science and the sanctified Holy waters of faith. In doing so, the church provides explanations of figurative language and contextual issues that show how the two are not one in the same and offer a world where science and faith can freely live side-by-side, happily ever after.
Throughout Part I of Caleb’s Crossing,by Geraldine Brooks, children are viewed, and treated, entirely different by Puritan society as opposed to that of the Wampanoag. This can be clearly seen because Bethia is the daughter of an important, and devout, Puritan figure while Caleb is the son of the leader of the Wampanoag. Caleb is raised in traditional Wampanoag fashion, allowed to run around and remain unchecked while adults labor at agriculture and other chores. The Wampanoag philosophy on children can be most accurately portrayed by the quote, “... they say that since adult life is full of hardship, childhood should be free of it" (44). This
However, the very fact of these changing American demographics roused the alarm of danger in many of the elite. America was threatened by a murky and nefarious other, these people infiltrating our country who don’t look like us, talk like us, have the same culture of us, follow our religion and our tradition. They keep to themselves in small ethnic enclaves. They’re depurifying our country. Their existence is a direct threat to us. They’re a danger.
Social Darwinism is the theory of evolution that only the most fit will survive, and the weaker will die off. Frank Norris wrote McTeague with the theories of Social Darwinism. His characters demonstrated Norris’ views on urban society, that only the “fittest” with survive. Norris shows that humans born into a lower social class will not be able to advance classes, and those of lower class will inevitably die off, leaving only the survival of the fittest. Norris illustrates Social Darwinism by McTeague and Trina’s life deteriorating as the attempt to advance social class; and the immigrants,Zerkow and Maria, failure at procreating.
Arrow of God follows the Igbo people and centers around the Ulu priest Ezeulu. At the beginning of the story the British colonials enter the area, and their missionaries begin to set up churches and spread the word of Christianity. Ezeulu and the Igbo villagers believe that their
Religion is a symbolic representation of society. The sociological approach to religious belief looks at how society behaves on a whole, to answer the question, “Why are people religious?” We express our participation in religious events through plays, acts of confession, religious dances, etc. To begin to understand why we have such term, let’s understand the common elements of religion. There are different types in which people believe in or follow and that is: animatism, animism, ancestral spirits, god and goddesses, and minor supernatural beings. Beyond these different elements, such one is to have religious leaders to follow.
In the book “The Time Machine” written by H.G Wells, the author examined a social influence called Social Darwinism, a theory that explains how a different environment influences specie’s survival and evaluation,
My readings on Humanism makes vivid an issue that I thought was a part of a cultural conflict in my local UU community where I had indicated I had not left the Catholic and the Mormon Church for another brand of the same constructions. As I reflect on the readings, I am inclined to think that this is the nature of traditional humanism to entertain the rigidity of what's familiar.
These cultures are the Zuñi Pueblo Indians of New Mexico, the Dobu tribe of New Guinea, and the Kwakiutl Indians of the Pacific Northwest. All three of these societies have different cultural fabrics. Benedict produces the assumption that the structures within these cultures represent a “cultural context” and a large amount of what is considered “human nature” must be because of the influence of a culture (Benedict). Individuals, as they are born, are thrust into a mold that society dictates. If an individual does not conform to the norms of a society, they are automatically deemed an outcast or are abnormal. After introducing these cultures, Benedict describes the various attributes of their respective cultures. The Zuñi Pueblo Indians, she describes, are gentle and austere, because it is what their society dictates. As a part of their culture, the Zuñi Indians avoid dealing with frustrating situations and conflict. The Southwest cultures in general continually put off situations in which frustration will arise. The Zuñi culture therefore forms the actions of the people within society because they are all around calm people. On the other end of the spectrum, the Kwakiutl Indians in the Pacific Northwest immediately react to a situation. This culture emphasizes a strong and fierce attitude within society. Any individuals who do not conform to this ideal are considered abnormal. The Kwakiutl Indians and the Dobu tribe of New Guinea overlap their values and morals in this situation because they, too, often fight and it is their first impulse (Benedict). All these cultures and the individuals in the society are influenced by their society and the rules that individuals have put into place. Human nature is most definitely influenced by the society and how certain situations are handled in a
With the rise of countries, including Germany and Italy, there was also the rise of Social Darwinism, this was the idea of the survival of the fittest. Countries started to advance in their technology and machinery, including artillery. With the rise of Social Darwinism, colonial expansion was viewed as gaining necessary resources. Colonies offered access to raw materials and served as domestic industries and used in a state economic crises. Christian missionaries were also important in colonial expansion, they protected the populations from the cruelties of the authorities and conquerors. They were protected by the colonial military when some reached out to dangerous places. Social Darwinism also brought racism. Whites thought that they were
I believe you can believe in God and the theory of evolution at the same time. They seem to be already be compatible but I guess that would depend on what view you would be coming from. Natural selection is the most logical to me.