Entry 1- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Book Title- Things Fall Apart

Author- Chinua Achebe

Terms and Concepts:

Multicultural- When the Europeans arrive and attempt to force their world views and culture upon the Igbo tribe, a multicultural society is created. This mixing and change of culture is not something all members of the Igbo tribe accept which creates
conflict and ultimately death by suicide for Oknokwo.

International- The interactions between African and European cultures in Things Fall Apart place this novel in an international context.
Intercultural- The members of Igbo society shift from being members of one uniform culture to
become intercultural people when the missionaries come to Umuofia.

The Author’s Conclusion:
Things Fall Apart is a novel which makes the reader question
imperialism, colonialism, how societies function, cross-cultural communication,
and differences in societal values. Achebe wrote this novel as a way to correct
previous false depictions of Africans and their societies in European
Literature. As a monumental novel in postcolonial literature, Achebe tells the
story of colonization from an African perspective in order to contradict the
outer perception that African culture is savage and primitive. The clash of
cultures between the Igbo society and the westerners exposes the imperialistic
power the Westerners had in altering the religion, values, traditions,
communications, relationships, and all aspects of Igbo culture. Although this novel is fictitious, Achebe
uses the tragic story of Oknokwo to show how certain societal values can drive
a person to behave or act in a manner according to what gets them more power or
a higher status. In “Things Fall Apart” Achebe seeks to change the barbaric
stereotype of Africans by telling a tale in which the tribes possess rich
cultures and traditions. Along with
altering the way Europeans depicted Africa, Achebe used this novel to express
his belief that there are many points of view and ways of perceiving the world.
I agree with his belief that there is no one “right” way to view the world and
the many cultures in it. Homogenous perspectives can lead to distortion or
exclusion of the truth because people blindly believe information that is
shared among the group without questioning alternatives. The purpose of Achebe’s book, among others, is
to make readers question different perspectives, mindsets, and worldviews by
depicting Africans in different light than pervious novels such as Joseph
Conrads, Heart of Darkness.

The Author’s Argument:
A majority of the book focuses on developing and setting the
scene of the Igbo tribe as a culture with deeply rooted traditions and customs.
Achebe gives great detail about the Igbo culture by intertwining Igbo language
into the text and describing unique traditions and beliefs such as the Evil
Forest, the importance of the yam, and the superstition about twins. Although
these specific tenants of Igbo culture are unique, Achebe shows how this
African culture possesses the characteristics its own religion, language,
government, money, and judicial system. Characters are complex and their
behaviors are the reactions to societal expectations and relationships with
other characters. The individual characters are defined by and act upon the
rules of Igbo society. These rules are intricate and are set up in such a way
that dictates whether a person is rewarded or punished based on their actions
and relationships. For example, the protagonist Okonkwo has high status in the
clan because of his success in war, wrestling, and wealth. He acts in a highly
masculine way in an effort to be unlike his soft-spoken father in any way.
Although Oknokwo has external success as the clan leader, his suppression of
emotion is one of the reasons his fate is doomed.
Achebe deliberately depicted the culture of the missionaries
as arrogant and ethnocentric in order to make his point against Western writers
who had previously portrayed African culture as primitive. This point is also
made by the decline of the Igbo culture being attributed to the arrival of the
missionaries. It is at this point and forward that Igbo culture deteriorates
due to the conversion of some Igbos, conflicts with the missionaries, and the
loss of meaning in Igbo traditions.
Place in Course content:
As the first reading of the semester, “Things Fall Apart” is
an introduction in the class to literature surrounding post-colonial conflicts,
written by post-colonial authors. Multi-cultural discourse is addressed through
the rich discussions of Igbo culture compared and contrasted with the cultural
changes that occur after the missionaries arrive. The conflicts which occur as
a result of the clash of Igbo and European cultures are related to the article,
Mindsets. Each group possesses a certain world view that inhibits their
understanding of the other’s society. In the case of the Christians and the
Igbos, mindsets developed by religion play and especially important role in the
colonization of Umuofia. Both the Christians and the Igbo are so deeply rooted
in their cultures that they unable to understand the beliefs, actions, and
culture of the other group. In the case of Things
Fall Apart, the misunderstanding of unfamiliar customs and beliefs results
in violence, destruction, and death. The novel stresses how drastically different
societal values and traditions can be among cultures. Values are the part of
culture which can dictate how members behave and interact with others. In this
sense the role of culture in society is portrayed. When two drastically
different cultures interact, such as the missionaries and the Igbo, they act
based upon how their society dictates which actions are rewarded or punished.
Although Things Fall Apart was written in 1958, the
post-colonial themes are still applicable today. Societies are still clashing
based on cultural differences and the effects of colonialism still define many
countries and peoples. We see in the
evidence of terrorist attacks, wars, and ongoing negotiations worldwide that
cultural biases cause unnecessary prejudice. While there are many mindset
misunderstandings, I do think literature such as Things Fall Apart plays an
important role in voicing the perspective of the subaltern.
Reading from a woman’s perspective- http://www.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v5/v5i2a2.htm