Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart - 1601 Words

During the mid 1800s and 1900s, the continent of Africa was being invaded by European superpower nations such as Great Britain, France, and others. The proper act was named as Colonialism which according to my lecture notes means: â€Å"a racially based system of political, economical, and cultural domination forced on an indigenous majority by a technological superior foreign minority† (Zeitler). For instance, many European nations enforced imperialism on the continent of Africa because of its recently discovered natural resources which would be beneficial for their countries, and Europeans used western education and religion as a moral â€Å"cover† for their easy access to the native African’s lands and enforce the natives to be more civilized†¦show more content†¦Another example of political change was that the judicial system deal with any major or minor issue rather than before when it was settled by the clan leaders and village elders. For instance , if a native wants to address an issue about his marriage disputes such as divorce then he/she must hire a lawyer, so the lawyer can represent them in the court of law and they are being judge by the exact same laws that is being enforced back in Great Britain, not the law that would be similar to Igbo society. According to my lecture notes, even thought the Europeans brought their political and judicial system to Umuofia or Nigeria as a whole there was some downfall in their system such as the system was corrupted and the upper class or wealthy people had the upper hand on the society which they could bribe lawyers, judges, and other government officials (Zeitler). Close to the end of a novel, one of the native converts such as Enoch will interrupt or ruin the ancient tradition by unmasking an egwugwu in public which considers one of the greatest crimes, but Mr. Smith thought of it as a misdemeanor and disagrees with locals (2498-2499). The egwugwu and Okonkwo were furious about their white â€Å"guest† wrongdoing and decided to punish their guest by their own political system such as to banish them from the village they set the church on fire which from native perspective looked like getting rid of â€Å"outsiders†, but from theShow MoreRelatedChinua Achebes Things Fall Apart1007 Words   |  5 PagesFearful Flaw Okonkwo is the protagonist of Chinua Achebe’s story, Things Fall Apart. He has a calamitous flaw that dominates his life. His fear of failure and of weakness causes him to take unnecessary and destructive actions. His fear of weakness leads him to be emotionally distant from his children, beat his wives, kill Ikemefuna whom he loved, and the Commissioners messenger. His fear of failure causes him to disown his oldest son who did not meet his expectations, become well than his idle fatherRead MoreAnalysis of Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart1579 Words   |  6 PagesChinua Achebes 1958 novel Things Fall Apart marked a significant turning point not only for literature, but the world, because the novel is an attempt to blend the conflicting identities and ideologies of Africa in the wake of colonization. The novel depicts the destructive tension that arises between the traditions of the Igbo people and white colonizers, but, perhaps contrary to the readers expectation, it does n ot present either side as holding the ethical high ground. Rather, the novel suggestsRead MoreChinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Essay2000 Words   |  8 PagesChinua Achebe’s novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a strong man whose existence is dominated by fear and anger, and the Ibo tribe, a people deeply rooted in cultural belief and tradition. As events unfold, Okonkwo’s carefully constructed world and the Ibo way of life collapses. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected and feared leader of the Ibo tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace dramatizes his inability to evolve beyond his personal beliefs, affecting the entireRead MoreChinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Essay1736 Words   |  7 PagesThe classic African literary tale Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, is a brilliant account of historical African culture and the destruction colonialism can cause upon such cultures. As the reader fol lows the narrative and complexity of the characters through the novel, a sense of pride, trust, and faith in history emerges. Yet, with the introduction of colonialism the characters must learn to embrace and adapt to a new culture and set of beliefs or face termination from society. TheRead MoreEssay on Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart1835 Words   |  8 PagesChinua Achebe’s â€Å"Things fall apart† is a story about a man named Okonkwo who is successful and physically strong. However, Okonkwo is emotionally unavailable and afraid that he will be seen as weak and that others will compare him to his father. The book’s peak is when Okonkwo does something considered immoral by killing a boy who he had taken in and raised as his own for three years, because he did not want to be seen as weak. Okonkwo is ruled by one obsession and that is to hate everything thatRead More Analysis of Achebes Impartiality in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart1098 Words   |  5 Page sAchebes Impartiality In Things Fall Apart   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Knowledge of Africa and the inhabitants of the massive continent were often portrayed as barbaric beasts by the first missionaries to enter the land.   Because of skewed writings by European missionary workers, a picture was painted for their readership of a savage Africa saved only by the benevolent, civilized western influence.   Achebe successfully attempts to redirect this attitude. Achebe educationally has the means to convey a different perspectiveRead More Existentialism in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay1635 Words   |  7 PagesExistentialism in Things Fall Apart      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chinua Achebe presents his audience with an interesting twist to a contemporary school of thought in his work Things Fall Apart.   This post-colonization narrative incorporates several traits that revolt against normative philosophic systems and tralititious theories and beliefs of the existence of man and his place in the universe.   Achebes efforts are characterized by a small diverse group of writers that purge realizations of predestinationRead More Missionaries Are to Blame in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart 842 Words   |  4 PagesMissionaries Are to Blame in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart      Ã‚   The burden and calling to reach out and help others, enfold many people in society throughout the world. Rich or poor, young or old, black, red or white, the motive is helping those with a need. As Chinua Achebe points out in his book, Things Fall Apart, though there is the aspiration to lend a hand, it can sometimes become deadly, and even fatal to the lives of people. Although the missionaries try help convert the Ibo villageRead More Okonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesOkonkwo in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart  Ã‚  Ã‚   Okonkwo, as presented by Chinua Achebe in the novel Things Fall Apart, wished to be revered by all as a man of great wealth, power and control--the antithesis of his father. Okonkwo was driven by the need to exhibit utmost control over himself and others; he was an obsessive and insecure man. Okonkwos father, Unoka, was a failure, a loafer, and People laughed at him (1426). This would bring great shame to any man as it did for OkonkwoRead MoreEssay on Gender in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart1881 Words   |  8 Pagescontradictions in the work of Chinua Achebe in relation to his placement of woman and femininity. Kristen Holst Petersen states that ‘the African discussion is between feminist emancipation versus the fight against neo-colonialism, particularly in its cultural aspect...which comes first, the fight for female equality or the fight against Western cultural imperialism’. This paper will attempt to highlight these contradictions in relation to Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Above all the tribe values