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Features of postcolonial literature in contrast to colonial literature
Salient features of post colonial literature
Salient features of post colonial literature
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The events of Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart and the film Sugar Cane Alley detail the lives of a fictionalized Nigerian village and sugar cane harvesters in remote Martinique, respectively, during similar time periods of the 1900s. Both works contain explicit references to Christianity, and how the imposition of religion and white culture have negatively affected the African characters. European religious practice was used as a means of pacifying as well as terrifying the Umuofian people and the inhabitants of Sugar Cane Valley. European hegemony was marked by a shift from traditional aspects of enslavement and settler colonialism to an “industrial” colonialism in the late 1800s. As factories and machinery rose in prevalence, it was quickly realized that a means of supporting their industry and workers could be found elsewhere than Europe. These lands were populated by people considered by their white oppressors to be “savages”, …show more content…
José, the protagonist, is a young man of African descent living in Black Shack Alley with his grandmother, M’Man Tine. The people who work harvesting sugar cane are the close descendants of only recently freed slaves – they live in conditions of poverty similar to that of slavery due to the wealthy, ruling white class. Catholic imagery is found throughout the film – notably, M’Man Tine keeps a portrait of Jesus Christ in her shack in Black Shack Alley, and later, above her bed. This portrait serves as a visual cue to the reach of French colonialism and an iteration of French power – the idols of white religion hang in the houses of black oppressed peoples. Perhaps Jesus, to M’Man Tine, represents the notion of life after death and a means of escaping the physical and psychological toil of harvesting cane, much in the same way the converts in Things Fell Apart looked for solace in
As wise John Berger once said,“Never again shall a single story be told as though it were the only one”. A “single story” is the story of a culture that we learn from stereotypes and conspiracies developed throughout time in our society. In “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe defies the single story of African culture while still tying their native language in to show the importance between a physical differentiation of culture, and the similarities with morals and values they have in common. Through gender roles and proverbs used in the language of this book, we have a cultural insight of Nigeria through a new set of eyes given to us by Achebe that detures us from the single stories that we were taught to by our society.
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.
In Things Fall Apart, Achebe shows the ruthlessness of the missionaries in pursuit of new converts. Domestic support for the missions depended in large measure upon the tangible success of their preaching, ''success'' being reflected in the numbers of conversions. This relentless focus on "success" caused the "cultural rape" of the people of Umuofia.
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.
“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe is based on the post-colonial era of Africa, at the turn of the 19th century. The novel follows the life of an Ibo village in Nigeria, called Umuofia. In the beginning there is a sense of unity and togetherness. In the ending, there is a sense of defeat, anger and hate. Achebe explores the conflict between the arrival of the Europeans and the Umuofian natives. The novel describes the rise and fall of Ibo culture, customs and traditions due to the influence of white colonisation. The highest points of Umuofia come from their bravery and proverbs. The lowest points in their timeline come from the unmasking of the egwugwu and their weakened society.
When society is made richer through veiled intentions, it is hard to gauge whether it was made richer at all. This was the case for the Igbo people in Things Fall Apart. On one hand, their society took several beneficial turns as a result of the Missionary’s intervention. On the other, their presence caused a great divide within the Igbo clan, shattering their culture into a million pieces, impossible to put back together once again. Unfortunately, the Igbo were not the only victims of such exploitation; other African tribes were taken over by various European powers in the same manner. When the industrial revolution struck in Europe in the nineteenth Century, the need for raw materials skyrocketed. Africa, rich in natural resources, became a prime target for such necessities. However, it is hard to say whether the increased wealth and adopted modern social customs were worth the exploitation they were achieved through. While the Christian
Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart was written about European colonization Africa. Throughout the novel language, social structure, and religion are all brought over by Europeans. Things Fall Apart focuses on the difference between genders in Igbo culture, a system of tribes, in Nigeria. Achebe uses a patriarchal society to describe the divide between the Igbo people. Okonkwo, the protagonist, is a great example of how all the authority in this African culture belongs to men. The representation of demanding African men, story telling, deprived African women, and Okonkwo’s fatal falling in Igbo society all contribute to the significance of what masculinity really is throughout Achebe’s book.
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart portrays Africa, particularly the Ibo society, right before the arrival of the white man. Things Fall Apart analyzes the destruction of African culture by the appearance of the white man in terms of the destruction of the bonds between individuals and their society. Achebe, who teaches us a great deal about Ibo society and translates Ibo myth and proverbs, also explains the role of women in pre-colonial Africa.
In the early 1880’s, the powers of Europe started to take control of regions in Africa and set up colonies there. In the beginning, colonization caused the Africans little harm, but before long, the Europeans started to take complete control of wherever they went. The Europeans used their advanced knowledge and technology to easily maneuver through the vast African landscape and used advanced weapons to take control of the African people and their land. The countries that claimed the most land and had the most significant effect on Africa were France, England, Belgium, and Germany. There were many reasons for the European countries to be competing against each other to gain colonies in Africa. One of the main reasons was that the Europeans believed that the more territory a country was able to control, the more powerful it could become and the more powerful it would be seen as by other countries. Other reasons for the desire to control African land included the many natural resources that could only be found in Africa, such as diamonds, gold, and as time progressed, rubber. It also provided new markets in surrounding places so that manufactured goods could be sold for a larger profit. The Europeans had many motives for imperialism in Africa. Yet the true motives were often shielded as they tried tom present themselves as humanitarians when in reality they were making Africa a terrible place to live with brutality and harsh treatment of the African natives. The ways of the Europeans had many physical and emotional costs for the people of Africa. The imperialism process also took a toll on the people of Europe. The European imperialistic colonization in Africa was motivated by the desire to control the abundant natural resources an...
In contrast introducing to a one-sided conception of colonization by victimizing Africans, Achebe highlights problematic practices such as leaving newborn twins to die in the wilderness. The missionaries’ interpreter tells the people of Mbanta, “They [your gods] are gods of deceit who tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent children” (Achebe, 146). Although the Europeans invaded their land and disregarded their culture, there are some ways in which Africans benefited from their arrival. Along with religion, Europeans also brought education and several innovations that improved African’s quality of life. Moreover, women in Umuofia are revered for the same feminine qualities that deem them inferior. Similarly, colonization assumes a unique place in African societies; a position in which it is condemned because of its deviation from of African values, yet respected for its larger societal benefits. In the novel, colonization is negatively regarded as the spread of the white man’s religion and language, but it is also accredited for saving outcasts of the clan and educating generations of Africans. In a similar fashion, God’s Bit of Wood, authored by Senegalese author Sembene Ousmane, also illustrates a paradoxical conception of womanhood, thus symbolizing Africa’s complex relationship with
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart provides for an account of the colonization of the Niger region of Africa from the perspective of the colonized instead of the European colonizers. Things Fall Apart described the traditions and daily life of the Igbo people and the effects of Christian colonization on their society. The African-told narrative provides important insight into pre-colonial traditions and practices, many of which have been lost today. Understanding the traditions that the Igbo people followed in a religious-like manner is important in discerning how it was possible for the African continent, specifically Umuofia, to be overrun by European colonizers. Achebe presents the Igbo people as strictly adhering to their religious beliefs and
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is centered around Okonkwo, a self-made success by the standards of his people, who returns from exile to see his clan falling apart. At first, it seems as though the white men who brought Christianity were the source of the Igbos’ downfall, but through closer examination, one sees that the society was destined for ruination from the start. The society looks down upon many of its members, and the ideal Igbo “hero” is a problematic and destructive character. The white men bringing Christianity to Umuofia was not truly the cause of the society’s deterioration; rather, their skewed perception of what a “hero” is, along with the mistreatment and marginalization of certain groups inevitably causes its downfall.
When it comes to religion in works of literature, some people that try to influence a particular religion on to others can be portrayed as quite forceful. They could think that their religion is the greatest one of them all and ignore all other religions. In his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe portrays colonizers exactly like this, wanting others to know that their religion is the only one that matters. The colonizers come to Umuofia to let the people of the village know about Christianity. At first, the villagers think that they were mad, but later on some of them would soon convert to Christianity. The colonizers are portrayed like this because that could be what colonialism is like. They want to politically control the village of Umuofia by sending settlers to the village and making them tell the natives of their religion. They are somewhat successful as they have converted some natives to Christianity. As the story progresses, some even find out that their religion may not be for everyone.
In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, religion is the central focus. It develops Okonkwo’s culture and causes conflict later on. In fact, it is the people of Umuofia’s tradition to have a week of peace before they plant the seeds for the next harvest. This is to honor their earth goddess, but Okonkwo breaks this
There are many themes evident throughout Things Fall Apart, but one of the most prominent is the struggle between change and tradition, in the sense that some people change, but others don’t. Nwoye’s callow mind was greatly puzzled” (Achebe 89). Nwoye finds the missionaries hymn soothing, but it leaves him more confused about what he believes. Nwoye finally finds the courage to convert after a violent encounter with Okonkwo, “He went back to the church and told Mr. Kiaga that he had decided to go to Umuofia where the white missionary had set up a school to teach young Christians to read and write” (Achebe 93).