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Colonialism and imperialism in things fall apart
Discuss the main themes in chinua Achebe's "things fall apart
Colonialism and imperialism in things fall apart
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Culture has challenged young individuals since the dawn of civilization and its ideas have always lead pathways for adolescents to mature into adults. In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, a young male is challenged to accept the harsh reality of his native culture or seek an alternative. This young male, Nwoye, is the son of a headstrong man who is overpowering and controlling when it comes to their culture and being as masculine as a man can be. Nwoye’s father, Okonkwo, strives to become a fearless man and loses his son along the way. His desire to be anything but weak causes rifts in the father-son relationship which leads Nwoye to convert religions.
In most fairy tales and novels a humble male role is used to dictate the normality of writing. In “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo, a strong male role is not only that, a lead character, but he is also cruel and prone to violent tendencies In the novel Okonkwo experiences harsh changes when the white men first came and at the beginning of colonialism. In “Things Fall Apart”, Achebe uses Okonkwo to display the negative change in everyday Igbo culture after colonialism. In this novel by Achebe, before colonialism was introduced, Okonkwo was a known masculine member of Umuofia.
After the church is burned down Okonkwo is pleased that his fellow villagers are beginning to see the need for brutality against the foreigners through his eyes. “He had spoken violently to his clansmen when they had met in the marketplace to decide on their action. And they had listened to him with respect. It was like the good old days again, when a warrior was a warrior.” (192).
How do the British attempt to raise their own perception of “civilization” over that of the colonial subject? 4.How does Okonkwo retain his pride and cultural identity during the British colonial occupation? What cultural and social values make him less susceptible to British colonial tyranny? 5.How does Okonkwo’s understanding of the family unit define his role as a member of Igbo tribe? What indigenous values in African tribes provide a framework for tribal customs in contrast the white European family values that are imposed on him and his family?
Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart is an attempt in literary form to reinstate the dignity of the Igbo (and African) culture and people that had been become absent and restrained with the advent of colonisation of Nigeria by Europeans. Achebe demonstrates in the novel that, in a world where white colonists find the traditional customs and practices of the Igbo people as savage and primitive; the culture of this society is one of depth and dignity, where the traditions and practices of the people throughout their history demonstrates a solid and civilised structure in their own right. Analysing three episodes that occur in Things Fall Apart, this essay aims to discuss how Achebe tries to accomplish his aim of restoring dignity and self respect of the African people.
The novel "Thing's fall apart" by Chinua Achebe is a complex work that masterfully establishes and develops characters through their experience with cultural collision. The way that Achebe accomplishes carefully weaving his implicit claim throughout the work is such a beautiful subtlety that it deserves to be analyzed. The Igbo's pride is constantly challenged by the colonizers as they gain increasingly more power in Africa. The idea of pride is constantly developed throughout the thoughts and actions of the novels protagonist Okonkwo. His response to the colonizers is influenced by his own views on pride and is used by Achebe to illustrate his own opinion on pride.
The influence of childhood trauma holds a great amount of impact on one’s adulthood and decision-making abilities. According to Sigmund Freud, all children experience an Oedipus complex with their parents - a sense of rivalry with their same-sex parent for the attention of their opposite-sex parent (Lampl-de Groot 335). Within the context of Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, the reader witnesses how this complex is exercised in Okonkwo’s childhood. As the warrior from Umuofia grows up ashamed of his effeminate father, Unoka, the experience results in his psyche being dominated by hypermasculinity and guilt in adulthood. The presence of a father figure, or lack thereof, has an abundant influence on the child he raises, specifically for young men.
His father was the exact opposite of what the Igbo people stand for. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, is a “coward [who] could not bear the sight of blood” (Achebe 6). In turn, Okonkwo became a ruthless warrior who was known across the different tribes. The worst aspect of Unoka is that he was considered to be a failure. This caused Okonkwo “even as a little boy [to resent] his father’s failure” (13).
In a short story “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe, he believes that colonialism creates conflict between two cultures. A change in the tradition can cause a massive violence and destruction to the people. Achebe uses character’s thoughts and actions to advance this view. First, Michael Obi closes the path: “Heavy sticks were planted closely across the path, at the two places where it entered and left the school premises.
Okonkwo’s values are restricted to physical strength, power, and prosperity, and when the Europeans suddenly arrive, the cultural convergence prompts Okonkwo to respond with even more violence. While the majority of his tribe, including his son Nwoye, is open to considering
Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. In the novel there is a main character called Okonkwo. He lived in Umuofia where he was also known throughout many of the nine villages around Umuofia. In the beginning of the story we see his overwhelming hatred towards his father Unoka. His father died about ten years ago and had not taken any title and was very much in debt.
Valentina Quiceno McGrover English 1H: 2A 19 March 2018 Psychology and Effects of Father Son Relationships Fathers like all compulsory aspects in life have an influence, Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart demonstrates the importance of a father and his role through leading characters. The leading character Okonkwo was affected by his father's non fulfilment in his tribe Umuofia, the absences and failure of his father Unoka caused a great hollowness in his life. Okonkwo and Unoka are portrayed as having an evidently strained relationship, one in fact that lead Okonkwo to consciously adopt opposite ideals from his father. The psychology behind this strained father son relationship fully answers the questions and unfolds the truth of Okonkwo's
Oroonoko is a story of barbaric nature, of the undeveloped mind of the colonised people, limited understanding, lack of foresight and a useless satisfaction in getting fake respect by the friends slowly turning into enemies. For instance, Oroonoko’s grandfather (the present king) is an ancient man of 100 years and has plenty of old and young beautiful black wives. Of all the gallant sons he begot, none is left to life. Therefore, his immediate successor is his only grandson Oroonoko was given in teaching of one of the oldest generals of African wars when he was a teenager. Under the old general, Oroonoko becomes an expert fighter, ferocious conqueror and the ‘darling of the soldiers’.
This affects and can also be seen as a reflection of Okonkwo’s other relationships between male characters, namely Unoka, Nwoye, and Ikemefuna. This essay will discuss how Achebe portrays masculinity in Things Fall Apart (Achebe, 1958), how the hyper-masculinized character, Okonkwo, receives and interacts with certain characters. I will also discuss how Okonkwo’s ridged patriarchal ideals of virility are counterintuitive with his actions and intentions of ensuring a masculine household. Okonkwo is a titled and successful warrior in his village, Umuofia. A great amount of respect is received by Okonkwo because his youth did not promise such a prosperous life, he had to work hard for his wealth and success.
S. Naipaul and J. M. Coetzee these Post-colonial writers have all dealt with Africa in their own individual and unique ways. Achebe does not treat the African culture and ways of life as something hybrid, complex, dependant for its significance on the Western style of perceiving things or neither has he shown Africa to be existing only in relation to its difference from or consonance with the Western form of religion, culture, identity, and discourse. The major theme of the novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ centers around the destruction of Africa’s intricate, almost incomprehensible but unique way of life and culture in the wake of British colonization and forced or maneuvered conversion to Christianity. The administrative as well as religious changes that the British tries to impose upon the native Africans has the disastrous effects of uprooting the indigenous people from their original root and tradition and can be seen as some instruments of subjugation, subordination and subservience which starts with creating distrust, doubts and insecurity in the minds of people for their Igbo tradition, and its cultural and religious practices and ends with making them internalize the Christian way of life and British administrative apparatuses. Another theme that is explored in this novel is the inherent fault of the central character Okonkwo, who is ambitious, industrious, honest, masculine but is rash, and unthinking and his sense of self and identity is wholly dependent on the approval of others in his community and he thinks of anything that intrudes into it as a threat and he tries hard to be a man though in a flawed manner.
