Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

566 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Central theme of achebe' things fall apart

In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, he openly goes against the colonizer’s idea of the African native. Within the Nigerian culture, which Igbo tribes would fall under, there are four different aspects of culture; the aspects are: material, institutional, philosophical, and creative (Chinyere Ohiri 49-50). In this story, the colonizer commonly goes against the philosophical aspect of the Nigerian culture. With this essay, the philosophical aspect of culture will be defined; the way that the colonizer goes against the ideas of the Igbos; and finally how Achebe shows that he goes against the ways of the colonizers.
According to Chineyere Ohiri, the philosophical aspect “is concerned with ideas, beliefs, and values” (49); in this time period, the Europeans commonly thought of the African people as uncivilized and uneducated heathens. The Africans did not have a formal education system where students sat in a classroom and listened to a lecture or even attend college; usually, the Africans had little formal education or “book smarts” but far more “street smarts”. These people knew how to properly plant and maintain land, along with survival hunting skills. Many of these people spoke in proverbs, as well. Little did the Europeans know, but the African people were actually quite intelligent when it came to survival skills.
Not only did the Europeans look down up the Africans because of their lack of “intelligence” but they also looked down upon them because of their religious views, which was another philosophical aspect of culture. In African religion, the Africans generally put a lot of emphasis and “belief in mystical forces – such as amulet, charms, herbs, sorcery, witchcraft and medicine” (Essien 237). Along with this, the Africans hav...

... middle of paper ...

...the readers through the story that the Africans are actually very intelligent. He wants his audience to realize that these people are not stupid but actually very smart, especially when it comes to farming and survival.

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Sarah Lawall and Maynard Mack. 2nd ed. Vol. F. New York: W.W. Norton, 1984. 2922. Print. The Twentieth Century.
Chinyere Ohiri, Innocent. "Promoting Aspects Of Culture Through Theatre-Related Establishments And Organizations." Culture & Religion Review Journal 2012.2 (2012): 49-50. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Essien, Essien D. "Notions Of Healing And Transcendence In The Trajectory Of African Traditional Religion: Paradigm And Strategies." International Review Of Mission 102.2 (2013): 236-248. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.

Show More
Related

  • Themes In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe certain themes are present in the the

    Read More

  • The Art of Benin

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over time concepts of ‘Race’, defined as a distinct group with a common linage, and ‘Primitive’ which pertains to the beginning or origin, , have been inextricably linked with the perception of Africa. The confusion of the two in the minds of people at the end of the 19th centaury, and some of the 20th, caused a sense of superiority amongst the ‘White Races’ that affected every aspect of their interaction with ‘the Black’. The ‘Civilisation’ of Africa by conquest and force was justified by these views.

    Read More

  • Tragic Hero In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    The concept of a tragic hero is one of the most notable and widespread literary tropes, having been in existence for over some 2000 years. As defined by Aristotle in his Poetics, a tragic hero is someone who undergoes a struggle far more potent than deserved. Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, exhibits a tragic hero through its protagonist, Okonkwo. Achebe achieves this status through his tragic flaw of excessive pride, his ultimate demise caused by said pride, and his ability to evoke fear and pity within the audience.

    Read More

  • Culture And African Culture In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    591 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, is certainly the world’s most widely read African novel; it focuses on the life of Okonkwo a respected male in the early 1800’s in the Umuofia tribe of the Igbo people. Things Fall Apart, has gained much acknowledgment and recognition by virtue of its unique portrayal of life in the early 1800’s in colonial Africa. It has sparked controversy and debate between scholars; as a result of it being written by an African in 1958, this type of writing had never been seen before. This particular controversy was actually what Chinua Achebe, a celebrated 20th century Nigerian novelist was anticipating, when he composed Things Fall Apart, to describe Nigerian culture and the clash between indigenous African cultures with the traditional European culture.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Basil Davidson's 'Different But Equal'

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the first segment of his film series, Different but Equal, Basil Davidson sets out to disprove the fictitious and degrading assumptions about African civilization made by various Western scholars and explorers. Whether it is the notion that Africans are “savage and crude in nature” or the presumed inability of Africans to advance technologically, these stereotypes are damaging to the image and history of Africa. Although European Renaissance art depicts the races of white and black in equal dignity, there was a drastic shift of European attitudes toward Africa that placed Africans in a much lower standing than people of any other culture. The continent of Africa quickly became ravished by the inhuman slave trade and any traditional civilization

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart - White Missionaries Caused Umofia to Fall Apart

    1626 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nnolim, Charles E. "Achebe's Things Fall Apart: An Igbo National Epic" Modern Black Literature. ed. Okechukwu Mezu New York: Black Academy Press, 1971, 55-60.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    1125 Words  | 3 Pages

    Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is an African novel which happened in 19th Century. Achebe narrates the story mainly about Okonkwo’s whole life in one of the nine villages called Umuofia in Nigeria and the clashes as well as influences to the village from colonization of Europeans. The clashes include reactions and misconception after the first arrival of white people and the effect which missionaries bring about to the village from many aspects such as belief, family and culture. Beyond that, there are large amount of description of the background and details of the villagers’ daily lives are provided to readers for acquainting with Ibo culture. As a consequence, the changes which white people bring about to the village are vivid and unimaginable compared with their previous peaceful life. The conflicts generate from violence and misunderstanding between the Europeans and villagers with addition of colonial process among villages which lead to replacement of Christian domination rather than the Ibo culture.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Representations In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    1503 Words  | 4 Pages

    In conclusion, the representations of race within Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart highlight the larger issue of the humanistic qualities and undertones of individualism within the Igbo and British cultures, and the Negro and Caucasian races respectively. These are addressed via the scholarly work of Carey Snyder, assisting the reader by pointing to the intricacies of the Achebe’s perspective and its effect on the ethnographical value of the novel.

    Read More

  • The Use of Witchcraft in Modern Tanzania

    1617 Words  | 4 Pages

    Witchcraft has been rampant in various parts of Africa. However, the practice of witchcraft has been on the decline in modern society as compared to the period before the rise of colonialism (Toyin 250). In most part of Africa, there is a conglomeration of tribal healers, sorcerers, and wizard considered having different forms of powers in controlling the fate of society (Toyin 209). Consequently, this has led to the emergence of thousands of practitioners in different parts of Africa. The magic practitioners claim to have enormous powers such as the ability to create rains in times of drought, power to expel evil spirits, to recover lost things, and even to make one healthy (Sanders 338). On the other hand, this has led to the believers by millions of Africans on the monotheistic faith. In fact, most of the Africans believe the magicians have power over nature by the use of a spell or hidden incantations (Petraitis 1). Consequently, this has led to some of the communities lag behind in terms of development as the practice continues to be entrenched in the systems (Green and Mesaki 343). Moreover, the practice has been associated with the poor state of the economy in places that it is widely practiced. The practice has remained prevalent in Africa and Tanzania society (Toyin 297). For example, in the last two decades, thousands of Tanzania have been accused on witchcraft and even murdered by citizens due to the archaic practices (Petraitis 1). In the region, the practice is widespread among the female octogenarians. Moreover, those who practice witchcraft are believed to have certain characteristics such as Red eyes (Petraitis 1). The mark has been used notably in Tanzania to lynch octogenarians believed to pract...

    Read More

  • African and African American according to Achebe and Douglass

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although Achebe conveys many different themes in his writing Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe expresses the importance of tribal beliefs in African Culture.

    Read More

  • Christianity in Northern Africa

    1597 Words  | 4 Pages

    Gaiya Musa A.B. Christianity In Africa’s Study In The Christian Presence In Africa Up To 1900. Jos: Ade

    Read More

  • Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay on the Role of Women in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    1828 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart explores the struggle between old traditions within the Igbo community as well as Christianity and "the second coming" it brings forth. While on the surface, it appears the novel narrows its focus to a single character, Okonkno and his inner battles, one can read deeper into the text and find an array of assorted conflicts in the realm on human vs. human, human vs. nature, human vs. society, and society vs. society. For the purposes of this paper I shall focus on the labyrinth of human vs. human and human vs. society in the framework of the role of women in Igbo society and how men assign and dictate these roles. I will also briefly explain the importance of women in terms of motherhood and wifedom.

    Read More

  • Change And Tradition In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Colonialism In Things Fall Apart

    2236 Words  | 5 Pages

    The widely known novel named Things Fall Apart was written by a man by the name of Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart represents the cultural roots of the Igbos in order to provide self-confidence, but at the same time refers them to universal principles which vitiate their destructive potential (Rhoads 61). As the reader continues through the narrative and learn more in depth about the characters a sense of pride, trust, and faith in history come into view. Seeing Achebe’s duty as a writer in a new nation as showing his people the dignity that they had lost during the colonial period, he sets out to illustrate that before the European colonial powers entered Africa, the Igbos had a philosophy of great depth and value and beauty, that they had poetry and, above all, they had dignity (Rhoads 61). Yet, with the introduction of colonialism the characters must learn to accept and get used to a new culture and set of beliefs or face termination from society. The novel focuses on the troubles of African cultures and their struggle to adjust to colonialism. As the novel progresses, one can also observe the influence of religion over time and how it has changed in many societies. Although many readers would describe the colonialism in Africa as something normal and something you can not prevent; a closer look of this novel would suggest that the needs of human nature to expand their values and beliefs upon others causes ancient cultures to evolve or fade out of existence. Things Fall Apart in part is a statement of what the future might be if Nigeria were to take advantage of the promising aspects of its past and to eliminate the unpromising ones (Rhoads 62).

    Read More

More about Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Open Document