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Existentialism in Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe presents his audience with an interesting twist to a contemporary school of thought in his work Things Fall Apart. This post-colonization narrative incorporates several traits that revolt against normative philosophic systems and tralititious theories and beliefs of the existence of man and his place in the universe. Achebe's efforts are characterized by a small diverse group of writers that purge realizations of predestination, and instead define man's existence by identifying his independent choices throughout the life course. Achebe's style, although peculiar in one sense, can be defined in relation to the school of philosophic thought known as existentialism. This system of philosophy, rooted in the original speculation of Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), is unique in that it emphasizes the role of the individual in the grand realm of existnece. Achebe illustrates all facets common to the existential viewpoint in this narrative, save one. The original thought of German existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre and the French narrative The Stranger by Albert Camus are all relayed to their respective audience in a first person viewpoint. Not to say that it is necessary for an existential work to be written in first person, only that the nature of existentialism is the existence of the self, or self awareness. Achebe emphasizes the role of the individual uniquely through the eyes of an all knowing and all encompassing narrator, and does not de-emphasize the role of the individual in doing so, but does, however, raise questions as to his intent. Perhaps Achebe's commentary on the political, social, and economic reform of Nigeria would not have had...
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...alism. Achebe grants his audience sagacity in the role of the individual within the confines of this time of change. By enabling the reader to understand Okonkwo's life quest and his involvement in his village, as well as his rebellious activity. Achebe charaterizes his narrative in a sense that had only really been accomplished byy the French authors. Although contemporary to the times of existentialism, Achebe offers a peculiar omniscient viewpoint to the narrative. The narrative of Okonkwo may be summarized by a base existential thought revealed to the public by the author of The Stranger:
Life is the sum of all your choices.
--Albert Camus--
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Oxford, Eng.: Heinemann Educational Pub., 1996.
Camus, Albert. The Stranger, trans. Mathew Ward. New York: Random House, Inc., 1988.
The three main contributory factors that I am going to focus on are the aristocracy, rising debt levels and inequality amongst the people of France. The role that King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette had before and during the revolution was a key factor in starting the revolution. His attitude towards his role as king was poor. He was shy, indecisive and disinterested in politics from a very early age and this continued throughout his reign. During the years leading up to the revolution, France was in massive debt after the Seven Years War. Combined with this, there was a famine which increased the price of bread and brought a lot of the country to the brink of starvation (Kinser, 1999). Louis and Marie Antoinette's eating habits did not help reassure the French people of Louis' competency as a ruler. They gorged themselves on fine cuisine as their people starved all around the country (Cavallaro, 2001).
The relationship between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde begins as that of a father and son but then shifts to that of equals vying determinedly for dominance because the more that Jekyll indulged in his dark side,
In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe certain themes are present in the the
In my opinion I feel that this time of authority drug test are not effective. ” It would seem that if this policy were to make way that there would not be such a large rate of recidivism” (U.S. Dept. of Justice, 1999). It takes more that sending a person to prison to break them of their habits. The means which are necessary to aid the cause of ending a drug habit are not available with this policy. Under the Bill of rights, the four rights that this policy violates are, The right to be assumed innocent until proven guilty, the right against unreasonable searches and seizures, the right against self-incrimination, and the right to be treated the same as others.
Many books throughout history have tried to make sense of and explain the human condition. Some books succeed in analyzing the human condition on a level beyond other books. These books are able to become timeless, and their lessons about the human condition remain relevant throughout mankind s existence. These timeless classics would be considered as good works of literature. In the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, he utilizes the dual natures of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as each pursue his own self-interest to affirm his belief that the clash of one’s opposing personalities are what truly motivate us to SOMETHING.
The duality of man is an on-going theme across Stevenson’s book ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. This can be seen through Jekyll’s repression of his desires, the spilt nature of characters and Hyde’s atavism.
William James, a famous American philosopher, once stated, “The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives”. This quotation effectively illustrates how change in one’s attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs can alter the environment in which one lives. This concept is clearly demonstrated throughout the novel Things Fall Apart, authored by Chinua Achebe, by establishing a connection through the development of its characters and the change in traditional African tribal villages seen in the Nineteenth Century. It will be established how various characters demonstrated by the author throughout the novel exemplify how change in one’s attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs can alter the environment in which one lives addressed by William James’s quote above. First, by analyzing Achebe’s development of Okonkwo’s character through his initial character description and the emergence of outsiders, it is evident that he is portrayed as an old fashioned character that is less responsive to change. Secondly, through examining Nwoye’s character, Okonkwo’s son, it becomes apparent that the youth in the novel are more open-minded, easily persuadable and more adaptive to societal changes. Lastly, uncovering the meaning behind the arrival of European missionaries, it becomes apparent that Achebe defines this group as being a “disease”, poisoning the society in which Okonkwo lives. The author look’s at individuals as being critical and influential figures in shaping the environment to which they belong, beginning with Okonkwo.
An uncommon, peculiar approach to mundane extinction of the dinosaurs theories arose from Gould’s writing as he explained the sex theory (Gould 404). At first, the mere title
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde demonstrates that there is good and evil in all humans, and we live our lives struggling with the two forces is proven through the good of Dr. Jekyll, the evil sins of Mr. Hyde, and the constant fight of Dr. Jekyll choosing between wanting to have good morals to then going to wanting to be evil which results into a shocking revelation between the two characters that changes how people see how damaged a person’s mental state can be at. Dr. Jekyll has proven that a person cannot mess with their mental state of minds without damaging it. His result into attempting to live the best of both worlds caused him to lose himself. Anyone can be good and evil but the right choice lies between which one you want and unfortunately Dr. Jekyll wanted both. He struggled with trying to control the two factors, which lead to the tragic result in
Pleasure humans really cannot tell the difference. In the novella the reader is constantly switching sides between reality and pleasure. The reader cannot really choose a side to go with. “His heart was struck by a cold thrill of terror ad he fled from the scene trembling yet glorified” (Chapter 10). This indicates that there are two sides to humans and even though it is bad, and they should not do it does not mean that they are not going to. This also means that when in the novella the reader sees many differences between the two Main Characters Jekyll and Hyde. Hyde is smaller than Jekyll because it is his little secret you can infer that Hyde is terribly ugly because of the potion that Jekyll is drinking because he says, “ I never saw a man I disliked and, yet I scarce know why. He must be deformed somewhere; he gives a strong feeling of deformity…” (Chapter 1). The reader starts to question if Jekyll is looking at himself in the mirror because in real life humans cannot hate a guy they have never met unless it is a darker force that is being taken over. The reality of this would be that you think that humans are perfectly fine but on the inside there is so much more than what humans know about each
In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe there are many characters with many different personalities. In the story you first get introduced to Okonkwo and his father Unoka. However they are related by blood but they have totally different personalities. Okonkwo and his father Unoka have very little in common but many differences that set them apart and make their future.
The French Revolution started with the attack of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, and ended in 1799. It is believed that the French Revolution occurred in response to political conflicts in the country between the Aristocrats and the Monarchy. One of the primary reasons for this conflict had to do with the reform of the state’s tax system, which inevitably led to the bankruptcy and paralysis of the government. Another cause of the French Revolution can be attributed to the West’s social structure. Various scholars have argued that the social antagonism that existed between the two rising social groups, the bourgeoisie, and the aristocrats, played an essential role in causing the French Revolution.
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.
That year the harvest was sad, like a funeral, and many farmers wept as they dug up the miserable and rotting yams. One man tied his cloth to a tree branch and hanged himself. Okonkwo remembered that tragic year with a cold shiver throughout the rest of his life. It always surprised him when he thought of it later that he did not sink under the load of despair. He knew that he was a fierce fighter, but that year had been enough to break the heart of a lion.
Okonkwo takes his life as he sees himself a lone warrior in a society of weaklings. This isolation is truly imposed by his decision of how to handle the conflicts which he encounters. His unitary channeling of emotions, cultural inflexibility, and tendency to seek physical confrontation are compiled into a single notion. The idealized vision of a warrior by which Okonkwo lives is the instrument that leads to the climax of Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart: Okonkwo's demise.