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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page essay that analyzes Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, which concerns the period in which the British first came to Nigeria and the culture clash that this invasion brought about with the native population. Achebe presents a picture of African culture, as seen in the Igbo tribe, that has more nuance than simply presenting the British as ethnocentric and imperialistic in their efforts to impose colonialism on a native culture and the Africans as the "good guys." While Achebe presents native Nigerians with sympathy, he also shows the flaws in their culture, and in so doing, presents the positive, as well as the negative, effects of British colonization of Nigeria. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khtfaei.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
native population. Achebe presents a picture of African culture, as seen in the Igbo tribe, that has more nuance than simply presenting the British as ethnocentric and imperialistic in
their efforts to impose colonialism on a native culture and the Africans as the "good guys." While Achebe presents native Nigerians with sympathy, he also shows the flaws in
their culture, and in so doing, presents the positive, as well as the negative, effects of British colonization of Nigeria. Achebes protagonist is Okonkwo, an Igbo warrior. At the
beginning of the novel, Achebe makes it clear that Okonkwo embodies the values of this society, which values bravery and heroism in battle above all else. Okonkwo is a
member of the Umuofia village, which is described as a village in which the "men were bold and warlike" (151). Because Okonkwo embodies so much of Igbo culture, it is
clear that he himself is also a symbol for the Igbo culture as whole, personifying the destiny of the people. Okonkwo perceives his culture and his tribe as being
a single entity, a specific way of ordering reality. Achebe makes it clear that it is impossible for Okonkwo to question the traditions and conventions of his culture. It is
this characteristic, which is indicative of the Igbo culture in general, that leads to his downfall. For example, when the tribal priestess, who serves as the "oracle" of the
earth goddess," demands the sacrifice of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo complies, and expresses his implicit faith in the correctness of this Igbo practice. Obierika, a tribal elder, criticizes Okonkwos participation in
the ritual murder of his stepson. However, Okonkwo defends his participation by saying that the "earth cannot punish me for obeying her messenger-A childs fingers are not scalded by
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