Igbo Methods In Things Fall Apart

The word “primitive” is subjective in society, meaning to not have a high state of culture and social development. Some may argue that the Igbo methods were primitive. In the story “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, the Igbo community is more advanced than it appears. While certain beliefs such as the killing of twins showed primitive behaviors, they were more sophisticated than what meets the eye. They had a complex social, political, and economic system, as well as a rich culture that included art, music, dance, and storytelling. They also had a sophisticated system of holistic medicine that is now gaining popularity in current time. They had a unique way of life, but they were not primitive. Their nonprimitive behaviors also showed that

The Igbo were organized into a series of communities, each of which had its own system of decision-making. This system helped to prevent the concentration of power. These communities were not isolated, isolation being a characteristic of a primitive tribe. The Igbo people had a system of economics that relied heavily on trade. They traded goods such as palm oil and yams. These yams were sold for cowries, which were shells used as currency. Cowries were largely used worldwide for currency, most importantly in Africa, South Asia, and East Asia for trading. It was most commonly gathered in the Indian Ocean (Why the Cowries?). This effective economy shows that the Igbo already had their system before the British and it was not a primitive

The Igbo viewed medicine as healing the mind and body as a whole. “For the Igbo the summum bonum or the highest value of life is Ndu (life)... Those illnesses have spiritual undertones which can only be treated in the religious way“ (Emmanuel). They believed in the spirituality of healing. Western medicine and indigenous medicine have competed with each other for centuries. The Igbo people were able to blend the indigenous and Western medical perspectives to achieve an understanding of disease. They used plants as remedies for multiple illnesses, such as the bitter leaf. The bitter leaf was claimed to cure measles, chickenpox, fungal infections and diarrhea. The Igbo clan was strong in remedies and healing, and surrounding villages were aware of it. “It was powerful in war and magic, and its priests and medicine were feared in all surrounding country.” (Achebe 11). The Igbo’s view of medicine was advanced for their time. The Igbo people had a unique way of life that was based on a bright culture; they were known for their art, music, dance, and storytelling. Igbo people had a deep respect for the natural world and believed in the importance of tradition. They were an illiterate society but shared knowledge through proverbs and storytelling. This unique way of life shows that they were not primitive. They had many ways of entertainment such as sports and celebrations. Entertainment