Imperialism: The Vicious Imperialist

The Vicious Imperialist

The age of imperialism was a period of time when the sinister creatures dispersed around the world under the cloak of darkness. Holding sharp-penetrating bullet guns, the white, pale European vampires went around to drain the citizen’s blood, sabotage the lands and haunt down the natural resources. The world was shattered into pieces and all that left were anarchy, choler, misery and resentments. Imperialism was no doubt malicious and had only negative impacts on the colonized countries. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, European nations practiced imperialism; they “[took] over a weaker nation” and “dominate[d] its economic, political, and cultural life.” (Imperialism: Introduction) Imperialism was

The western countries said that they imperialized the country for the benefits of the colonized country and for improving the economics of the country. Yet, how can a country improve when they, the imperialists, took away all the goods? Native people had to migrate to villages or remote areas in search for occupation opportunities with higher wages because “high-paying jobs” were “filled by the British”. (Negative effects of Imperialism) In South Africa, British not only exacted the “natural resources” but also “force[d] slave laborers to plant peanuts cocoa and other cash crops” to export them to British at a lower price while selling them back to the Africans at a higher price (Economic Exploitation- Imperialism Throughout South Africa). Japan, for its lack of fundamental raw materials for industrialization including iron, coal and oil, invaded Korea to drain up their natural resources and wealth. (Imperialism: Southeast Asia). To have economic growths, natural resources should be left for the country to explore and invest. Colonial powers, such as Britain and Japan took away colonized countries’ merchandises for their own benefits and hindered the country’s economic

They offered the local people material benefits, “encouraged them with gifts of singlets and towels” (Achebe, 160), and offered the indigenous people jobs such as teachers to arouse them to convert their religions. The novel Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, showed the readers how their culture and unity had fallen apart after a new religion, Christianity, was introduced. After the missionaries built church on the “evil forest” (Achebe, 130), where evil spirits and people with wicked diseases were buried, and survived. People started to feel dubious about their own religions and converted into Christianity, thinking that it was more powerful than their own religion. “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself;” (Achebe, Pg. 183) Okonkwo, a man of power who was greatly revered by his family, lost all his valuable objects, power, titles, and his son due to the white men’s new religion. He could not stand seeing his own religion fading away and thus, hanged himself. Those extremists who were introduced a new culture were at first in a great dilemma but their minds were later occupied with anger. “They greatly resented abandoning their age-old traditions, and strongly resisted the western powers.” (Essay: Impacts of Imperialism) There was a complete