Igbo Culture

Literature was a cultural transformation that was two million years in the making (Stearns). Humans, as a species, have extremely developed communication skills, therefore, it is no surprise that they started writing. However, the Igbo people did not begin writing until 1851, approximately 5000 years after the Mesopotamians write their first words (Stearns). Although Igbo people started writing less than 200 years ago, they have a rich history of oral poetry and storytelling (Bamgbose). Igbo stories and poems consisted of rich culture, from good times to hardship. When Britain colonized Nigeria in 1851, Igbo culture experienced a vast transformation, causing a significant change in literature. European colonization of Africa changed Igbo literature

Literature talked about about civil duties, the country, and hardships. Igbo people had many customs that had to be followed, such as unique religion (Ebbe). Many other tribe members joined Igbo culture, either by choice or by force, and their conversion became an issue due to lack of literacy; these people were not aware of customs (Ebbe). People who were not aware of customs could get punished or even killed, depending on the offense (Bamgbose). Consequently, due to age, gender, and social structure, people told stories from different perspectives (Bamgbose). Before colonization, authors favored men and elders in Igbo literature because of their point of view (Bamgbose). Storytellers spoke of issues in their perspective, but opinions had the potential to be adulterated due to the lack of scripted text (Krishnan). Igbo citizens, however, had no desire to learn to write, so their system worked for

Igbo authors wanted to make their pieces technical rather than meaningful, which led to a cultural disconnect (May). The cultural disconnect was an effect of colonization. Nationalism and decolonization were eras of true post-colonial Igbo literature. Nationalism in Igbo culture caused a new idea of cultural identity, which paved the pathway to modern Igbo literature. In the 1950s, Nigeria and Igbo culture experienced a surge of nationalism (Nwakanma). This nationalism was the direct result of the beginning of the end of the colonial period. Igbo authors experienced a new cultural identity with the decline of colonialism (Nwakanma). One of the most famous examples of modern Igbo literature is Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (Nwakanma). After Britain left Nigeria, there was a civil war, which led to even more cultural questioning. Cultural identity can cause unity and division between cultures. In the case of Igbo authors, there was a sense of inspiration. People wanted to tell their stories, stories of their ancestors, or stories about fictional characters. Although the colonial period brought inconceivable hardship to the Igbo people, authors were appreciative of the literary resources given to them (May). Literary devices caused dramatic changes in Igbo literature due to their ties to Igbo nationalism and cultural