IGBO Culture: As Depicted in “Things Fall Apart” Assignment Help

This essay will involve a supported analysis of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart or a critical analysis of two works of short fiction.

Get readymade IGBO Culture: As Depicted in “Things Fall Apart” Assignment Help solutions – 100% plagiarism free work document at nominal charges!

Introduction

The following essay explores the numerous tenets of Igbo culture, and the manner in which it has been depicted in Things Fall Apart. It analyses the various points as described by the author, Chinua Achebe, and the extent to which they have accuracy with the true essence of Igbo culture. The paper will single out these depictions and draw a parallelism between them and the reality of the Igbo culture. It is an argumentative essay, which reflects on the accuracy of the portrayal of Igbo culture, and attempts to understand if Achebe had missed out on any aspect.

Discussion

Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, portrays the colonial issues, mainly the clash between the traditional African culture of Nigeria and the foreign white government. Set in the 1980s, the novel does remarkably well when it comes to shattering the stereotypes that Europeans often portray regarding the indigenous Igbo tribes.

It is no secret that Chinua Achebe understands Igbo culture as being one that is liable to changes, even though its scope is rather vague. The catalysts for this change could be said to be the reality of Agents. The Igbo nation has for long remain a society that is somewhat open, which has made its existence be parallel with the ever - changing laws, beliefs, customs, taboos, and traditions (Samatar, 2011).He has carefully illustrated the highly advanced and complex social systems that were already in place before the intervention of the colonial masters, while maintaining a balance in depicting the image of the white Europeans (Maleki& Navidi, 2011). This is evident in his description of Reverend Smith, Mr. Brown, and the District Commissioner. Achebe's depiction of Igbo culture and history is nearly accurate, as he seems to have been successful in intricately weaving its significance throughout the entire course of events.

Portrayal of Igbo culture in the novel

There are certain flaws that are evident in the Igbo culture, and they are revealed when the missionaries arrive in Nigeria. The missionaries had come with the seemingly noble purpose of urging the tribal people to forego their barbaric, savage culture that was filled with superstitions, and instead, embrace a religion that propagated peace and civil behavior. Europeans were known to be against the brutal traditions and practices, such as the murdering of twins, polygamy, oracles, indiscriminate war, and the overall dire condition of women. These very white people believed that the Igbo culture was nothing but an embodiment of animalistic behavior, with fetishes the same as that of a pagan, devoid of ethics and moral codes of conduct.

Achebe beautifully incorporates conflict in the novel in the form of man vs man, and also man vs society. These manifestations can be perceived in Okonkwo's inability to accept or reconcile with the Change (Anyadike, 2007). Through the novel, Achebe lays down the message that an individual should change themselves with time and in case this wisdom is lacking in them, such as in the case of Okonkwo, they would only be paving the way for their own downfall.

The theme of "traditional verses change through a powerful presentation of beauty, strength and validity of traditional life and values and the disruptiveness of change" is developed in the novel. The change is brought forth with the advent of the missionaries. This is seen as a massive interference or threat to the prima Umuofiansociety, leading to a showdown between the evil and the good, the white and the black (Asamoah-Gyadu, 2010). In other words, the novel explores the reasons for the demise of the indigenous Igbo culture - whether it was the interference of the colonials and missionaries, or the self-inflicted darkness as embodied by the ethnic people of the tribe.
However, just as there are two sides to every coin, Igbo culture has its own beauty. The pride of the people lies in the fact that they believe in the poetry of life and indulge in leading a very simple life. They prefer to stay far away from the happening crowd. Their behavior is a direct highlight of the most fundamental of human values - sharing the happiness as well as the sorrows of the other in their community. Okonkwo is depicted as a cruel man who treats his wives harshly, even breaking the traditional rules of gentleness and kindness in the Week of Peace, simply because he was angry at his youngest wife. He has a strict adherence to the village customs, and believed that he would never be a true man unless he was able to dominate the household and his wives (Tobalase, 2016). His human nature is only revealed when he fails to eat anything for three days after killing Ikemefuna.

Accuracy of the depiction of Igbo culture and history within the novel

1. View on religion

Achebe's depiction of Igbo culture in the novel is largely accurate. For instance, their view on religion has been depicted, and they are polytheistic, meaning they believe in and worship more than one deity. Their different gods and goddesses govern the various aspects of their world, such as the Goddess of fertility. There are many different rituals and traditions that are associated with Igbo culture, such as the celebration of the Week of Peace, which is observed to reap a good and plentiful harvest. They also follow the system of oracles, whom they believe, are the conveyers of the word of God. The non-religious aspects, such as the other ceremonies regarding marriage or courtship are also mentioned in the novel. Achebe tells us that most marriages are polygamous in nature, which is actually important in Igbo culture. The various aspects of war, the enforcement of law and order, all have been depicted throughout the novel.

2. Language

Another very important aspect of Igbo culture that has been portrayed is that of language. The language, Ibo, can be found to manifest itself throughout the novel in many of its words and phrases. The Igbo people do not speak English, and thus the missionaries who visit them have to arrange for translators. This also led to a negative first impression, and missionaries who could speak the native African tongue were more welcome among them (Whittaker &Msiska, 2007).

3. Daily life

Achebe throws further light on the daily lives of the tribal people as well. For instance, they are mostly farmers and thus their entire lives revolve around crops, especially on yams. Men are in charge of yam, while women spend their time in other crop farms, such as beans and melons. Igbo people are extremely clan-oriented, and this has also been accurately depicted in the novel. They treat each other like a closely-knit family and always share their news with each other, as can be seen in case of Okonkwo's wives.

The missionaries had been vested with guiding the native Africans on morality and education, with the outlook to change them with the passage of time. It is therefore no surprise at all that their entry was perceived as some sort of a threat, resulting in strife and turmoil in the Igbo society. Their arrival created a communal and social clash, threatening the very fabric of the Nigerian tribal society. The advent of colonial leaders gave rise to a situation where family members were murdering each other, which could end only in bloodshed and the perpetual disintegration of their indigenous culture. Achebe suggests that change is essentially inevitable and the sooner the wise men accept the fact, the easier it would be on the fate and the members of the tribe. He also criticizes the condescension and brutality of the imperialists, and states that the ones who resist this change are the ones who usually disintegrate gradually (Whittaker &Msiska, 2007). The conflagration that had been kindled by the missionaries was the reason why the Igbo people ultimately met such a fate.

Missing elements of Igbo culture and history

Interestingly enough, Achebe had incorporated all the essential elements within his novel, especially when it came to the way he had portrayed the Igbo culture and their traditions. In the modern world, when two cultures interact, it is usually the more organized one that dominates the other, shaping the traditions and practices in such a way as to derail the others from their regular way of life. As seen in the novel, Igbo culture was undergoing alienation, losing many of its attributes and values, mostly due to the cultural diffusion. This had ultimately resulted in an unpreventable situation of identity crisis for many of the people, often making them compromise on their traditional mannerisms and practices (Whittaker &Msiska, 2007).

The chaos and absolute discord in the Igbo society pave the way for things to fall apart, and by the time the people realize the consequences or the aftermath of their actions, it is already too late, as their white "masters" had disguised themselves under a religion of peace, only to shove a knife into the very fabric of the tribal society that had kept them close together as one unit. The biggest example of the disasters that had befallen the Igbos was the tragedy of Okonkwo, as he preferred to give away his life rather than bear the burden of colonial rule on his back. The irony further echoes throughout the novel when he is refused a proper burial, since suicide was a sin among the Igbo people.

Conclusion

Achebe has thus depicted Igbo society as being one that thrived on art, music, democracy, a sound judicial system, and poetry. The one flaw that could be perceived was that of being unable to keep up with the changing times. One can even say that although the missionaries were the initial instruments through which the downfall of the tribe had begun, the real entities that are to be blamed are the people of the Igbo tribe themselves, as the internal conflicts had done nothing but cause unrest and dig the very grave of their culture. The roots of this culture could thus be said to be rather fragile, as their perception to change had made them vulnerable to foreign invasions and their subsequent annihilation.

Endless support in IGBO Culture: As Depicted in “Things Fall Apart” Assignment Help Writing Services -  You get revised or modified work till you are satisfied with our assignment help services!