Department of English
Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Name:- Parmar Milankumar L.
Roll No. :- 14
Enrollment no.:- pg14101026
Course name:- African Literature
Topic of an assignment:- Culture in
Things fall Apart
Submitted to :- Dr. Dilip Barad,
Head of the department
Department of English (MKBU)
Introduction
“Literature is the mirror of the
society” which reflects the society and so the culture. Culture is the texture
of any society and it is inseparable part of any society. The Things Fall Apart
is one of the greatest novels written by Nigerian post-colonial writer Chinua
Achebe. It was first published in 1958. It is the first African novel to get
global critical acclaim. It is staple book in schools throughout the Africa and
widely read and studied in English speaking countries. The title of the novel is taken from a line in
the poem Second coming by W B Yeats.
The novel presents the culture of the Ibo
community in Nigeria. Achebe himself belongs to this culture thus we get the
more appropriate and truer picture to the culture of the Ibos. Throughout the
novel he celebrates the strength of his own culture, with that he also points
out the weaknesses of the Ibo community and point out where they really need
changes.
Achebe gives exposure to his culture, which had….
The great culture of Ibo community is
an example in itself and how it is disturbed and disintegrated by the British
imperialism and by missionaries. Various interpretation of the title Things
fall apart are like
“Things
begin to fall apart in these nine villages Umuofia clan long before European
colonist missionary culture inserts itself there.”
“When
he accidently kills a clan man, things begin to fall apart in life of Okonkwo.
“So when
some members of the Umuofia community unwittingly accepted the invitation and
endorsed “strange faith” things fall apart for the Igbo people in Achebe’s
novel.”
Achebe tried to show his own people
the greatness and dignity of their culture which they have lost during the
colonial period in his work Anthills of the savannah 1987 he wrote
“Igbo,
had a philosophy of great depth and value and beauty that they had poetry above
all they had dignity.” (Nnoromele, 2000)
This novel we have various pictures of
Igbo society at the end of the 19th century. Achebe presented to the
word the positive as well as negative sides of the Igbo people .he discussed
Igbo‘s customs, their political structure religions seasonal festival and
ceremonies. In his comment on the novel,
Achebe said “the characters are normal people and their events are real
human events”
Things Fall Apart is savage and tender;
it blister with wit and radiates with the inner glow of hard earned compassion.
It is disillusioned but passionately engaged solemn while being exuberant it is
polemical but wise. There is not a shred of the congeal violence of cheap
sentimentality: Achebe’s characters do not seek our permission to be human, they
do not apologize for being complex.” (Achebe, 2001)
Democratic system of government
Collective will
Tolerant of other culture
Forbid on killing each other
Igbos does not fight with each other because they are primitive,
but because it’s a matter of existence in Nigeria thus there raise need of war
as a matter of survival. The land in Nigeria is rocky and very poor and thus it
could not support large number of people. Planting soon depleted and so
villagers were forced to move further and further afield to find land which
would high support them to continue life. As the population of Nigeria increased
land and food were insufficient to provide everyone. The novel seems to map the
turning point in the alteration from plenty to scarcity. Some times between
generation of Okonkwo and his uncle Uchendu speaks of “the good days when a man
had friends in distant clans nobody like fight” but at list it provides means of
preservation. Some wars are inevitable if the clan is to survive “Neighboring
clans try to avoid war with Umuofia because it is feared as a village
powerfully war”
Religion
Religion is a factor both in limiting
war and supporting it when it is just. Igbo had a develop system of religion
which works as effectively as Christianity. In a matter of religion, Achebe has
given a close comparison between Christianity and Igbo religion. Before the British
there was only religion in clan that was Igbo. But now they have to religion
and both supports morality. For British it seems crazy to worship wooden idols
as in chapter 19th Mr. Brown says “you carve piece of would like
that one, and you call it a god. But it is still a piece of wood.” (Achebe, 2001) and for Igbos it
seems crazy to say that god has a son when he has no wife “you told us with
your mouth that there was only a god. And now you talk about his son. He must
have wife then.” (Achebe, 2001)
Both system of religion believe in
only a one supreme god and both gods have messenger on earth. Supreme god or Umuofia
is Chukwu and wooden idols are messenger of god for Igbos. With that it is also
true that each member of the clan has its own personal god whom the call Chi-
Luck. Whereas for Christianity there is one god, and Jesus Christ is the son of
god and messenger of god. Both religion supports humanity and humility. Igbo
speak to god through messenger because they do not want to worry the master,
but they deal with Chukwu directly if all else fails. Both gods are vengeful
only when disregarded. If person disobeys Chukwu, the god is to be feared, but Chukwu
“need not to be feared by those who do his wills.” (Achebe, 2001) The good things
about the Ibos in matter of religion is that they do not fight on the name of
the god, as Christianity has killed more people on the name of crusade than any
wars by Igbo. Achebe makes it clear that the demoralizing state of the
political affairs in Africa is the result of European interference rather than
simply the natural outgrown culture. (Rhoads, 1996)
System of justice
Consist of nine Egwagwu each of the nine represents a village of
the clam” one of the greatest crime man could commit was to unmask an Egwagwu
in public “Igbos have a well established and effective system of district
commissioner and court messengers. Dispute in clam which is not solved by each
other then they can go before Egwugwu the greatest masked spirits of the clan, played by the titled
villagers. They hears and witness from both sides and give decision for example
in novel we have..
in chapter ten – in case of Uzowoli, who beat his wife and his
wife and children had gone away. In this matter Igwagwu try to assuage each
side.
They warn and suggests Uzowoli “go to your in-laws with a pot of
wine and beg your wife to return to you. It is not bravery when a man fights
with a woman.” Here we discover two things at once that Egwagwu settles this
types of disputes in clan with that we come to know about the a custom of wine
pot in exchange of woman. The duty of
the Ewugwu is as Evil Forest says “our duty is not to blame this man or to
praise that but to settle the dispute”
Okonkwo's gun
accidently discharged and killed the son of Ezeudu. Even though this was an
accident, it was viewed as an abomination in the land, for under no
circumstances would someone kill a clansman. And according to the rules of the
clan Okonkwo and his family has to leave in exile for seven years.
Igbo considered suicide as a worst crime against life, and it is
unforgivable, no one dare to touch the body of the person, the funeral or
burial is not given to the dead one. Even the family members or friends are not
ready to touch Okonkwo’s body "That man was one of the greatest men in
Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself and now he will be buried like a dog...”
Week of peace
The life in Nigeria requires war like men for the survival of the
clan. But the clan also knows how to control the war like spirits and anger of
the men. For that Igbo decided to celebrate the week of the peace it’s a kind
of the way to control these men. During the week of peace it was convinced to
all that no violence should be allowed in clan even domestic violence is also
not allowed. Though the men in clan must be the warrior and fierce to their
enemy, but gentle to his own people.
“Killing a member of his own clan is
forbidden.”
“Okonkwo broke the week of peace, and was punished” on one
afternoon in anger he had forgotten that it was the week of peace and beat her
wife very heavily. It was forbidden even to beat family member however sever
crime one has committed. When he violated the
peace week by beating his youngest wife, which was an offense to the goddess,
Okonkwo agreed to make offerings as demanded by the custom of Umuofia. In fact,
he offered an additional pot of palm-wine, which was a distinct indication of
genuine repentance and cooperation for the good of the community
Combination of Male and Female
principles
The male is strong and war like and female is tender and
supportive in times of adversity. Uncle Uchendu explains his explication of
saying “Mother is the supreme.”
"It's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a
father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother's hut. A man belongs to
his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow
and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland. Your mother is there to
protect you. She is buried there. And that is why we say that mother is
supreme.” (Achebe, 2001)
In Igbo Culture the earth goddess acts as counter balance to male
strength. Yet Igbos have not achieved the ideal balance of male and female. But
they have control over the abusing of woman by man and even domestic violence
is no longer regarded as virtue. Even in clan we find some elements which see
male and female as equal. For instance tribe says that it is not bravery to
fight with a woman, even Achebe depicts in-laws as objecting to treatment of a
wife and as action to prevent domestic violence. Igbo includes men like Ndulue
who treats their wives as equals: about Ndulue and his wife “it was always said
that Ndulue and Ozoemena had one mind”. “he could not do anything without
telling her” though many people in the clan sees him as weak. But by giving
such example Achebe indirectly suggests that this is the great warrior whom the
rest of tribe should admire. And that is the way to bring equality in society.
In contrasts to Ndulue there is aso men like Okonkwo whose war
like anger makes them dangerous for the peace. For he is harsh with his
children and wives, he often beats his wives to prove his strength. Even more
in that cruelty he kills Ikmefuna only because he is afraid of being thought
like his father. “his whole life was dominated by fear the fear of Failure and
weakness.”
Even during the week of peace he beats his wife without any kind
of fear not even goddess. Okonkwo’s friend Oberika sees “Okonkwo’s part in
killing Ikmefuna’s death as crime against earth it is the kind of action for
which the goddess wipes out the whole families.” And we see Okonkwo’s tragic
destruction at the end of his life, the imposition ofone culture, social,
political structure upon another and thus he had to kill himself.
Economic system-
The Igbos have an economic system which redistributes wealth among
the people to prevent supremacy of man over the wealth. In order to take any
titles of the clan, a man has to give up a portion of the wealth to clan.
Idemili title is the highest title in the land and most expensive too.
Arts and Poetry
Achebe introduces various arts of the Ibos during the course of
the novel. The chief among them are poetry, music, flute playing, decoration of
walls and body, shaving hair patterns in various ceremonies. Music and dancing
are the part of Igbo rituals. Story telling becomes means of inciting men to
strength, of teaching about gods, or generally passing the culture.
Okonkwo encouraged his children with masculine and bloodshed
stories, while the mother tells stories of animals and gods.
Igbos makes very good use of proverbs to show respect and wit in
conversations Achebe says ‘for Igbos proverbs are the palm oil with which words
are eaten.”
Some of the well known proverbs used in the novel are
“the sun will shine on those who stand before it shine on those
who kneels under them”
To explain his culture Achebe use proverb “as elder said if a
child washed hands he could eat with kings.” (Achebe, 2001) This proverb is the
emblem of the Igbo’s culture, it says through the hard work even a person like
Okonkwo can overcome his father’s ill repute to make himself “one of the
greatest man of his time.” Proverbs also helps to sustain morality and virtue
in tribe which is the backbone of the culture.
The system and institutions of the Igbos are not rigid like that
of Britishers which do not allow any kind of change. Ibo culture allows changes
where they needed and is progressive towards change. It has made many changes
in the old, unnecessary, cruel, and unwanted customs for instance
“My father told me that he had been told that in the past a man
who broke the peace was dragged on the ground through the village until he
died. But after a while this custom was stopped because it spoiled the peace
which it was meant to preserve." (Achebe, 2001)
Why Bruisers were able to destroy the
old Igbo culture
Those who converts initially were those who have not been fully
incorporated into clan life. The first woman who convert is a woman who four
times gave birth to twins and thrown away just because of Igbo believe twin
child as devils or ghost, which will bring destruction to the society. But
Christianity accepts a woman with twins. Outcasts, osu, and down trodden of the
society sees that Christianity receives twins and thus they will also receives
them also. Other like Nwoye, who bored of his father’s harsh behavior and
shocked by the murder of Ikmefuna finds brotherhood in poetry of Christianity.
This passage is taken from the end of Chapter 20 during the conversation
between Obierika and Okonkwo
“Does the white man understand our custom
about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he
says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up
his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight
when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever.
He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his
foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan
can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us
together and we have fallen apart.” (p. 129)
This entire paragraph can be seen as Achebe’s
views on the colonialism.
To conclude this discussion on the culture,
Igbo like any other culture in the world has its own reputation. And we can see
the culture in better way to being in culture. Achebe has presented his culture
to the world through the language which is not his own. Like many other
cultures Igbo has its strength and weakness too. If the Igbos are not civilized
than still there is culture with which they were and are living, but the
intervention of the Christianity has fractured the integrity, unity, dignity,
pride. Oberika rightly observed “Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer
act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we
have fallen apart.” (p. 129)
("To evaluate my assignment, click here")
Works Cited
Achebe, C. (2001). Things Fall Apart. London,
80 strand,, England: penguin Classics.
Nnoromele, P. C.
(2000). Jstore. Retrieved March 13, 2016, from http://www.jstor.org:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25112519
Rhoads, D. A. (1996,
september). jstore. Retrieved march 13, 2016, from Jstore: http://www.jstor.org/stable/524733
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia.org.
(Wikipedia, Editor) Retrieved march 17, 2016, from www.wikipedia.org:
http://en.wikipedia.org/Things_Fall_Apart
