Imperialism in Efuru Imperialism has had a profound effect on the world that cannot be underestimated. While the flags of European powers no longer fly over countries and the sun finally sets on the Union Jack, the scars of colonialism are still present. During the centuries of European globalization many viewed colonialism not only as a necessity for the economic power, but also for the expansion of sciences, and political power. This view was supported by many intellectuals during the height of the British empire including Herbert Spencer who defended it scientifically, philosophically, and politically but also by Rudyard Kipling who defended the cause artistically. Only in recent times has the west been able to truly discover the horrors …show more content…
Her family’s cannon is a unique symbol in the book which represents Efuru’s family connection to the slave trade. Western Africa had a long history associated with the slave trade even before full colonialization. The people of this region traded slaves and other raw goods for luxury items, weapons, and other goods from other parts of the world. This dynamic only worsened after rapid European expansion. With the birth of the colonies in the New World, Europe was hungry for a cheap workforce in order to extract the resources of the new colonies. The Native Americans proved too difficult to use as a workforce and were prone to European illnesses. So consequently the Europeans turned to Africa to provide the resource and thus the transatlantic slave trade was born. Europeans traded guns in exchange for human beings to brought over to the New World to work on plantations. Nations that received these guns used them to attack other nations for slaves to be sold for more weapons and so on. Efuru’s ancestors were a part of this relationship and the cannon is a symbol not only for European dominance but also her family’s cooperation and involvement with the Europeans and the slave trade. What makes this particularly interesting though is how Efuru resisted to be a part of her father’s class and turned more toward a …show more content…
The main focus of this idea being between the dibia or traditional medicine verses the hospital or the medical knowledge of the British. Both systems provide benefit to Efuru and neither are really painted in a particular negative light. In the novel Efuru struggles to have a child throughout the book so she visits a dibia to find out why. She is warned that she will struggle to concieve by an old and trusted dibia and that her marriage is in trouble. The dibia claimed he would do his best to put an end to the struggle but dies before informing Efuru what is determined to break her marriage apart. This moment in the novel can be interpreted as the failure of traditional medicine to keep up with the far more advanced medical knowledge of the colonizers. As the dibia is unable to put a stop to the tragedy that is headed for Efuru. Yet for what it is worth the traditional medicine does provide a unique insight that the British hospital cannot. For instance, dream interpretation which would later only become a part of mainstream medical thought when the ideas of Freud and Jung became accepted. From the dibia, Efuru is able to learn and understand her destiny to become a priestess of the lake goddess. Where the traditional medicine fails the imperial medicine succeeds and vice versa. Near the end of the book Efuru becomes ill and is unable to get better
When one thinks of imperialism they often refer to the concept with very strong feelings. The general population will either agree with it or disagree. There tends to be no middle ground. The best way to look at imperialism is with an impartial mind. If one looks at imperialism with an open mind then they are able to see both the strengths and the weaknesses that it harbors. Throughout history one is most likely able to name several circumstances where imperialism took place and also point out the obvious aftermath of. Imperialism tends to have a greater good behind it, but unfortunately may have been executed poorly.
When the Age of Imperialism began in 1875, it effected Africa in many ways. Nowhere was the competition for colonies more intense than in Africa. Europeans went after North and South Africa splitting up the continent. Egypt and Sudan were taken over by Britain to obtain the Suez Canal. Imperialism helped to develop Africa’s economy and turned it into a continent of colonies.
Introduction: The epoch of imperialism cannot be defined simply as a proliferation of inflated egos tied to the hardened opinions of nationalists, but also a multi-faceted global rivalry with roots of philosophies tainted with racism and social Darwinism. The technique of each imperialist was specific to the motivations and desires of each combative, predominantly Western power and subsequently impacted the success of each imperialist and its colonies. Driven by industrialization, Europeans are aware of the urgent need for raw materials and new markets to maintain a constant rate of expansion and wealth. Imperialism became a competition; in general, the European countries led with fervor while the non-Western regions deemed likely to be stepped on.
In a poem written by Rudyard Kipling, “Take up a White Man’s Burden… The savage wars of peace… Fill full the mouth of Famine… And bid the sickness cease,” (Doc. F). This poem illustrates that the European powers intended to aid Africa and be a cure to their issues. At the same time, judging from the words above, Europe also saw it as an obstacle, perhaps even a hindrance. Whether that is true or not, the article Technology and Imperialism quantifies, “Method of getting quinine from cinchona tree bark,” as well as evidence portraying the making of revolutionary weapons such as machine guns (Doc. C). With such technological advancements including a cure for a deadly disease, Europe had it’s opportunity to colonize Africa, and took it. They were ahead in every way possible, and therefore inhabited Africa, even if meant to support
New imperialism was the mid nineteenth and twentieth centuries cultural equivalent to a modern day mafia, its roots entangled in the economic, cultural, and humanistic aspects of life. The sole objective of the nations entailed the exploitation of their controlled state. Gestating from the change in control of Asian and African nations to the Europeans by means of political deviance, malicious sieges, and strategic military attacks. The juxtaposition to the modern equivalent endures as the aforesaid is sheltered by the fairytale that these nations were in need of aid and by doing so the Europeans were the good guys. The ideas of new imperialism are greatly influenced by those of the enlightenment. Taking place during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the enlightenment was an intellectual movement with the goal of social progress (Genova, 1/11). Armed with scientific thought and reason, enlightenment thinkers set out to explore the fields of science, economics, and human nature. Brilliant minds such as Voltaire, Kant and others all across Western Europe collaborated to further knowledge. The enlightenment laid the foundation on which new imperialism sprung, embedding the ideas of an incessant need to explore not only the scientific world but the physical world as well. The enlightenments goals and ideas significantly influenced new imperialism, because the enlightenment created a need for new means and a purpose to accrue them.
Imperialism widely occurred all through history as the conquest of weaker cultures by cultures that were more technologically advanced or had more power. Imperialism was basically the formation of a mighty empire. It’s the creation of unequal cultural, economic, and territorial relationships, based on domination and subordination, usually between states and often in the form of an empire. Occurring when one country over powers aggressive or passively over another country. During the late 1800’s and into the 1900’s this was immortalized in a poplar concept, “The White Man’s Burden” by the British poet Rudyard Kipling who in 1899 urged America to “take up the white man’s burden” and colonize the Philippines. Kipling’s phrase is the essence of a racist view that the people in uncivilized worlds are victims, incompetent of helping themselves. His concept claimed the need of humanitarian imperialism intervention was a noble aim of allowing the spread of superior values; the responsibility of white Europeans to teach “proper” European civilization to barbaric nations of color incapable of ...
This movie relates to imperialism in many ways, but mainly economic imperialism. Economic imperialism refers to economic analysis of seemingly non-economic aspects of life, such as crime, law, the family, prejudice, etc. In the movie, there are two groups of people who make up the world, the humans and the Na’vi. The humans are the dominant race, while the Na’vi are the recessive race. Although the Na’vi people were weaker than the humans, they still pulled through and ended up beating the humans due to their persistence to protect their land. Just like in the real world, many armies would fight over materials that another country had and claim it as their own. This was commonly used by the British who would take over a country and make it
During Imperialistic times South Africa was a region of great resources that was greatly disputed over (Ellis). Europe’s main goal during these times was to compete against each other and played a “game” of which country can imperialize more African countries than the other. Imperialism was a curse to South Africa, because many wars, laws, and deaths were not necessary and would not have happened if South Africa were not imperialized.
Following the invasion, Mussolini announced that Ethiopia was now a part of his Italian Empire. This led to the Emperor taking a pilgrimage to churches in one of the holiest cities in Ethiopia, despite the substantial risk of him getting captured before making it back to his home in Addis Ababa. Many Ethiopian officials relocated to a southern Ethiopian town named Gore after the council agreed that the capital, Addis Ababa couldn't be properly protected and fortified in time. All members of the imperial royal family excluding Selassie himself relocated to Jerusalem directly from Djibouti while council determined whether the Emperor should be sent to Gore with the remaining government officials or to accompany his family to Jerusalem due to exile. After serious consideration, council agreedSelassie should leave with his family away from Ethiopia and present Ethiopia's case to the League of Nations for all of the world
There were two different time periods where Imperialism occurred. The first wave of imperialism, called the 'Old' Imperialism, lasted from around 1500 - 1800. The 'New' Imperialism lasted from around 1870 - 1914. The three main differences that we will discuss today are the differences in economics, politics, and the motive behind all of this.
As many people know, Imperialism has shaped the culture and customs all over the world. Imperialism is the dominance of one country over another politically, economically or socially. Western culture can be seen in all parts of the world; from Asia to Africa, to the Indies and the Americans. The downside of having the bits of western culture all over the world, is how it got there. Western influence was forced upon places in Asia, specifically India, Indonesia with a hellacious price; lives and poverty.
In the early 1500s, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to travel to Africa, and colonize it. After many years more Europeans began to travel to Africa and colonize it also. The European imperialism in Africa had a negative impact in the 1500s to 1967. Many of the effects of imperialism were shown in the different countries and regions throughout Africa. The impacts of imperialism were most severe in South Africa, Congo, and West Africa.
Throughout history, imperialism has led countries to extend their rule over weaker countries and then colonized those countries to expand their own power. Imperialism allows the ruling countries to use the weaker countries for their resources. Colonizing other countries would then lead to growth and a better reputation for the dominating country. There are many examples of imperialism throughout European history. When many European countries “scrambled” for Africa, it seemed as though Africa had no say in anything. During the 19th century, Europe found a way to use Africa for their own growth and power. Using Africa for their resources, the Europeans colonized Africa without a second thought. European imperialism in Africa had a negative impact because of social disarray, cultural loss, and death it caused.
Although there are many other important factors, the main cause of the rise of imperialism was most certainly economic. The Age of Empire, by Eric J. Hobsbawn, provides an interpretation of New Imperialism. Hobsbawn calls imperialism “a natural by-product of the international economy” (Sherman pg 177). He is basically saying that imperialism is dependent on the rivalries of competing industries, which continually drive the international economy. Hobsbawn also dictates the need for external markets. The Industrial Revolution created many products that needed markets, thus creating a need of colonies. Hobsbawn believed that the overproduction of the Industrial Revolution and the Great Depression could be solved. He also realized that many businessmen knew that they could make a large profit off of China’s large population. For example, if every one of the three hundred million Chinese purchased one box of tin-tacks the businessmen knew that there would be a huge profit, consequently increasing the desire for colonization of weaker countries.
The ideology of imperialism is the practice of forcefully extending a nation's authority over the territory, political system, or economic life of another country. European men practiced imperialism and focused their attention on Africa in the 19th century. The fact that Conrad decided not t...