Things Fall Apart Imperialism Essay

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The book “Things Fall Apart," by Chinua Achebe, is a fictional look at the social and cultural life of an African tribe of the lower Niger River region. It shows the everyday life of the Igbo tribe and its members. It also shows the culture and customs of the tribe. The Europeans perspective on imperialism was that it was good because of the changes to religion, costumes, and language. European colonization in Africa had many impacts on Africans. One of the biggest impacts of colonization was the changes of traditional African religion. The Europeans thought that converting the Igbo people would allow the Igbo people to get rid of the bad things. While the Igbo tribe were Polytheistic this means they believe in multiple gods; they believed if they honor their God in great respect the God will provide protection them and their family. When the Europeans came they started building churches and converting the Igbo people to Christianity. The Igbo people began to be very cautious as the oracle said, "that they …show more content…

Igbo were forced to obey foreign rules and regulations, instead of traditional Igbo rules and laws. The Igbo people believed in balance and not simply punishment. They had two types of law that can be committed to Divine Law or Man-Made Law. The Igbo people would balance the land by banishment, exile, land offering or life for a life; the people who get to decide the Igbo fate is the Egwugwu. When the European came it affected the impact of imperialism, when colonists set up courts and prisons to punish the Igbo, taking away the power of village elders who had traditionally governed punishment. Colonial rule had essentially taken away the right for Igbo people societies to govern themselves, forcing them to live by foreign rules and customs. This is another win for the Europeans being able to control the Igbo people. With the lack of communication, the European were able to manipulate the

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