Achebe Essay

Nelson Mandela once said, "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you had to talk to him his language, that goes to his heart." Mandela was so right. When someone makes the effort to speak someone else's language, even if it's just basic phrases, it will make that person feel that people understand his culture, identity, and see him as a human being. The conflict of suppression is a typical problem and most countries in the world can relate to. Repeatedly, it has been chosen to be the subject of literatures and movies. In the fiction novel by Julie Otsuka, When The Emperor was Divine, the Japanese Americans were mistaken as the enemies because they came from Japan. Despite the fact that most of them are citizens of the nation, they were still getting treated fallaciously. In the African novel,Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the Ibo were unfounded by the white men. With the confidence of higher progress in development, the Europeans affirmed that the Africans were uncivilized and their job is to guide the Igbo to their cultures, religions without interface with the village. These books demonstrate the importance of communication because the missionaries in Things Fall Apart and Americans in When the Emperor was Divine, both judge different culture background without communicating effectively. In the fictional book by Chinua Achebe, the British shows intolerance to the Africans because they were worse in their treatment for other. Get

Achebe's Defense of The Ibo People in Things Fall Apart Option 1

The late Chinua Achebe is considered to be one of the most important voices in African literature. Born in colonial Nigeria in the 1930's, Achebe joined the first wave of African writers who were determined to represent their country in a way that would truthfully depict the past and present. Before the arrival of the first wave writers, the history of pre–colonial Africa was portrayed as a place of barbarous activity. European novelists such as Joseph Conrad only added to this impression in his dehumanizing book, The Heart of Darkness. Conrad depicted Africa as the antithesis of civilization. In 1958, Achebe publishedThings Fall Apartas a response to the negative...show more content...

Each type of orature not only preserved the past for the Ibo people it was also their way of educating the young. The belief that African's were uneducated before the entrance of the Colonial era was another myth that needed to be resolved. Their way of education through the use of orature was a practice that wholly fulfilled the needs of those who lived in the village. It was the arrival of Colonial power that changed the definition of what "true" education really was. Of course, Achebe saw the arrival of Western education as a positive thing. It would enable his people to eventually take control of their country again. He echoed this thinking when the missionary, Mr. Brown who came to live with the Ibo people, "begged and argued and prophesized. He said that the leaders of the land in the future would be men and women who had learned to read and write. If Umuofia failed to send her children to school, strangers would come from other places to rule them"(Things Fall Apart 181). Achebe was one of those "future men" which he wrote about. It was because of his Western education that he was able to write Things Fall Apart, which was written to "to help my society regain belief in itself and put away the complexes of the years of degradation and self–abasement"(Morning Yet On Creation Day 71).

The second topic that Achebe highlighted in Things Fall Apart was the Ibo's style of Get more content

Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is an excellent example of postcolonial literature. Sharing the story of European dominance over Africa in the twentieth century, it speaks volumes about their intentions for the land they were taking. This gives us an insight into the downfalls of society and what we can do to set things right. While Things Fall Apartis written on a past subject, it is still relevant and important today. One of the things that makes Things Fall Apart stand out as a postcolonial piece is the events that take place in the book, as they are a great example of colonialism. This novel takes place during the time colonialism, aka exploiting African countries and taking their land, grew among European countries. Using the excuse that African people were inferior and lacked the skills needed to govern themselves, European countries raced to gain as much land as humanly possible. This concept clearly fits into postcolonial literature, as the word "colonial", as in, colonialism, it literally in the name. Postcolonial literature focuses on the struggle for colonized people to resist against the people that took away their lives. This idea shines throughout the whole novel, but this idea starts to become concentrated around "Part Two" as white men start to arrive at Umuofia. "The missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built their church there, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages" (pg.143). This quote shows the initial struggle that the people of Umuofia had as they saw their culture disintegrating around them at the hands of the white man. This is the point that European culture started being spread through the area, slowly winning people over, at the frustration of loyal Umuofians. Later in the novel, Okonkwo's friend, Obierika, says to him, "'Have you not heard how the white man wiped out Abame?'" (pg.175). This demonstrates how common colonialism was among African cultures at the time, as Umuofia was not the only place affected by the shameful actions of Europeans. All of these examples of colonialism create a sense of urgency in the fact that Europe is gaining more and more land, and this is an extremely important aspect of the

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Literary Devices Used In Things Fall Apart

In these pages from Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, literary devices including details and proverbs are used to reveal both the tradition and challenge of tradition to the Igbo people. The most prominent device used by Achebe ae details which allow the reader to get a better understanding of the Umuofia people's customs. For one, specifics of how Okonkwo's feast went are given. It states, "Yam pottage was served first because if was lighter than foo–foo and because yam always came first." From this, we learn that the Igbo's have a specific order that they follow when serving food. Later, we are told that "every man rose in order of the years and took a share" of the meal, making us aware of the value age has in the Igbo people's society.

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Proverbs

A proverb is "a brief, memorable saying that expresses a truth or belief" (Proverb). "Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten" (Achebe 7), and they enhance the meaning of all the conversations. "A proverb is [basically] a short sentence based on long experience" (.

In Things Fall Apart, proverbs are mainly used in the development of the important characters. Through proverbs used in character development, Achebe shows the distinct similarities and differences between the protagonist, Okonkwo, and two other important characters, Nwoye and Obierika.

Achebe uses the proverb "When a man says yes his chi says yes also" in the character development of Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a very successful man in his village of...show more content...

Another important character is Nwoye, who is Okonkwo's first son. Unlike Okonkwo, Nwoye has no work ethic and is constantly "[causing] his father great anxiety for his incipient laziness" (Achebe 13). Okonkwo tries to beat Nwoye into being more hardworking but it does nothing. Nwoye is more womanly than Okonkwo's because "he [prefers] the stories that his mother [tells]" (Achebe 53). "When a mother–cow is chewing grass its young watch its mouth" is used in the development of the one characteristic both Nwoye and Okonkwo share. The proverb means children learn from what their parents do. Okonkwo follows in his father's footsteps by not being the father figure his son needs. Nwoye follows in his father's footsteps by forsaking Okonkwo. Okonkwo forsakes his father, Unoka, because he is weak by showing affection and he "[is]... a debtor" (Achebe 4). Nwoye forsakes his father because Okonkwo is too harsh. Both Okonkwo and Nwoye try to lead very different lives than there fathers. Okonkwo lives the opposite of Unoka by being "a wealthy farmer and [having] two barns full of yams" and being hardworking (Achebe 8), while Unoka "was... a debtor" and "was lazy" (Achebe 4). Nwoye lives the opposite of his father by being "among the missionaries" (Achebe 143), while Okonkwo strongly opposes the church.

One of the most important characters is Obierika, who is Okonkwo's closest friend.

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English II– A1

29 April 2015 Argument Essay: Things Fall Apart In sections two and three of the short novel Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, the reader is transported back in time and given the opportunity to recount the establishment of Christian missionaries in Ibo society as well as view the impact they had on Umuofia. Chinua Achebe's purpose of writing this novel is to portray the Ibo community as vividly and honestly as possible while demonstrating the intricate customs, rituals, and laws that were followed daily by citizens. With the acceptance of a new religion on the rise, ancient tribal traditions begin to fade into a memory and the morality of the village becomes jeopardized. Although...show more content...

Many situations given do not directly affect the story itself, but serve a purpose in providing examples to enlighten the reader on the background of the heritage. An example pertaining to the development of Ibo culture comes from its system of laws and justice. Achebe dedicates a chapter of this novel to describing the rituals of the egwugwu (important clansmen who dress as village ancestors), as they determine the verdict in a wife–beating case during Peace Week (87). The villagers of Umuofia do not believe the costumed clansmen are the village ancestors, although, "Okonkwo's wives...might have noticed that the second egwugwu had the springy walk of Okonkwo. They noticed that Okonkwo was not among the titled men and elders who sat behind the row of egwugwu." (90). Despite their theories, the villagers continue to remain silent out of respect for the ancestors represented by the egwugwu. In addition to laws, Okonkwo opposes the laws enforced by the Christians and is not willing to compromise his pride in return for the support of the people closest to

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Arianna Rabago

Ms. Ramirez

By Chinua Achebe Essay

Introduction Language is a very powerful tool for an author. He uses it to convey mood as well as describe setting, thoughts and appearances of his characters. Inner feelings and actions are expressed through a masterful use of language choice and styles are critical not only to the reader's understanding of the text but to his appreciation as well. How language is effectively manipulated in their writings enhances the reader's valuing of the works. The selected novel Things Fall Apartby Chinua Achebeis a representation of Igbo culture and their language. It explores the life of an Igbo tribe at the time of when colonization hit Africa. It could be considered as a post–colonial text, as the protagonist of the story and the other people struggle with the changes the colonization brought into their culture and beliefs. Basically, this kind of literature analyse the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized on the bases of knowledge and power. Writers from the Third World countries strongly believed they should write in their own native language rather than the language brought in by the former colonizer. It was soon argued that their cultural importance and values would be lost in the translation and that "foreign" language can never describe their native culture. Achebe held different views and opposed the statement of using the native language in their works, as he said in a 1966 essay, reprinted in his book Morning Yet on Creation Day, by using

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Chinua Achebe is one of the most influential writers in African Literature. He incorporated his culture so others could have a better understanding. His Things fall apart, ended up being a great success that it sold over 12 million copies and was sold in over 50 languages. Albert Chinualumogu Achebe was born on November 16, 1930 in Ogidi, Nigeria. According to (https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t /things–fall–apart/chinua–achebe–biography), "He was the fifth child of Isaiah Okafor Achebe and Janet Iloegbunam Achebe. His father was an instructor in Christian catechism for the Church Missionary Society. Nigeria was a British colony during Achebe's early years, and educated English–speaking families like the Achebes occupied a privileged...show more content...

Achebe's position and contribution to Nigeria He wrote multiple books. "No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God(1964) and A Man of the People (1966)," all of these novels uplift the issue of traditions vs. change and how the argument must reach a middle ground.

Prior to joining NBC, in 1958, Achebe published his first novel: Things Fall Apart. The groundbreaking novel centers on the cultural clash between native African culture and the traditional white culture of missionaries and the colonial government in place in Nigeria. Thoroughly explained Igbo people/culture gave representation Achebe reflects on how western culture has impacted his life as he personally experienced the clash of two cultures. He writes the Things fall apart, to not only to show how uncompromising both sides were but to make sure Native African know their Get more content

The Bible discloses, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1: 2–4). Scripture informs that when facing tribulations, faith can help to relieve strains and struggles as well as fueling those struggling to push through them. These ideas are replicated in Chinua Achebes short story "Civil Peace", where the concepts of Character Development, Diction, and Repetition all aid in proving that faith conquers hardship.

The author's use of character development explores the positive effects conviction can have on struggles as the narrator of the story...show more content...

Even though Jonathan's house is no more than mud and cardboard, is missing its roof, and bits of its doors and windows, he still manages to view its state as (yet another) miracle. A miracle is defined as the work of someone or something divine– and is often referred to in marveling circumstances or situations. Where others would be completely distraught, Jonathan is filled with peace, wonder, and gratefulness. Instead of being pessimistic about the condition of his house, made of mud blocks, he thanks God for even having one, and even turns his wonderful phenomenon of still having a home into a blessing for others – as he feeds his friends and acquaintances underneath his roof, and even lets them take shelter with him and his loved ones. Jonathan's ability to remain confident when facing tough circumstances easily inspires readers to look on the bright side of challenging situations, and to always thank God for even the things that may not seem significant. In addition to Diction, Repetition throughout "Civil Peace" exhibits the impact of beliefs on endeavors when Jonathan responds to the taking of his ex gratia. After thieves have left his home, Jonathan confides to his neighbors about how his ex gratia had no value, and ends his sermon with the infamous phrase, "Nothing puzzles God," (Achebe 5). Multiple times in "Civil Peace" Jonathan ends his thoughts and sentences with Get more content

Chinua Achebe is said to be "one of the most influential writers" of the century not only in Nigeria, his homeland but also throughout the world (Albany). Chinua Achebe was born in Ogidi, Nigeria on November 16, 1930. He was born a son of a Chrisitan Churchman, Isaiah Okafo and Janet N. Achebe. Achebe was raised an Ibo Christian, which made him stand out among his fellow peers. Achebe's lifestyle was different than that of other people living in his village because of his religious background and upbringing. When Achebe was fourteen he began schooling at Government Albany College in Umuahia for three years. He then attended the University of Ibadan from 1948 through 1953. Following his education at the University of...show more content...

The main character is a man named Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a very strong and well known man. Okonkwo is driven by his desire to be a better man than his father was. Okonkwo is ashamed of his father because he was a weak man with no accomplishments. The book describes the village and the traditions of the people of the village. It describes in detail their religious beliefs. All aspects of Ibo life are based on their religion. The conflict in the story arises when Christian missionaries force their way into the Umofia and began to tear apart the lives of the Ibos. The missionaries try to convert the Ibos into Christians and a western way of living. When some of the Ibos change their lives to be like the missionaries', civil disagreements and hostility begin to occur. The story is essentially a fictional tale about an event that really did occur in Nigeria. In this story, Achebe is describing the western movement that Nigeria went through and is still dealing with today through fictional characters.

Achebe wrote a follow–up story to Things Fall Apartcalled No Longer at Ease. No Longer at Ease is about Okonkwo's grandson, Obi who is part of the "corrupted" generation of the Ibo people. Obi is an educated Christian, who also participates in the traditions of the Ibo people. This has caused him to be torn between the old and new ways of Africa and Nigeria. The

Chinua Achebe

Social Changes in Things

Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe In the book Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, we are able to read about the social changes the white missionaries had on an African tribe. Mr. Achebe describes the way of life before the missionaries arrived and then records some of the changes, which occurred due to the changed belief system introduced by these missionaries. Soon after the missionaries began to teach the tribal people about the Christian faith, their tribal customs began to be questioned. This caused a sense of unrest in the village. The missionaries were trying to bring with them new ways of life, and mostly better ways of life. Mr.Achebe tries to show us that the missionaries showed people who were hurt by...show more content...

. For example, there was a girl named Nneka who had given birth to several sets of twins. She left them in the forest as she had been taught to do. Mr. Achebe writes, ?Nneka had had four previous pregnancies and child–births. But each time she had borne twins they had been immediately thrown away. Her husband and his family were already becoming highly critical of such a woman and were not unduly perturbed when they found out she had fled to join the Christians. It was a good riddance (pg.151). This shows us how Mr. Achebe understood what was happening and wasn?t surprised when the women fled to the Christians. We can also see his knowledge of this belief transformation happening in his village when he writes, "?and were not unduly perturbed when they found out she had fled to join the Christians". This tells us that he didn't really care about the people who left the tribe. He understood why they left but as he said, ?it was a "good riddance". From our point of view we can understand why the people who were being hurt by the tribes belief system fled from the tribe in search of a better life. They really had no choice if they didn?t want to live in fear and superstition. There are many examples of people getting hurt in the Ibo tribe, like when Ikemefuna, the young boy, was sacrificed after a women from the Ibo tribe was murdered. Mr. Achebe records the incident, ?As the man who had cleared his throat drew

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Conflict In Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart

Brandon Rogers

Chinua Achebe's (1958) novel Things Fall Apart focuses on pre and post–colonial life in modern day Nigeria during the late Nineteenth century. Things Fall Apart is seen today as the first globally accepted novel written by an African author. That being said, Achebe's novel is extremely popular in both African schools, and taught in English–speaking countries all around the world. This novel follows the life and misfortunes of the main protagonist, Okonkwo. Throughout the novel, Chinua Achebe(1958) does a great job of the rise and fall of Okonkwo and the Igbo culture. Throughout the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe (1958) discusses the pattern of conflict between traditional African values, as practiced by the Igbo society, and those of the...show more content...

In my opinion, both the Igbo society and Okonkwo fell apart. This has a great deal to do with the arrival of the Christian missionaries, whose goal was to get the Igbo people to abandon their traditional values and practices in order to convert to Christianity. I also believe that the sense of family in the Igbo society was destroyed due to the fact that some of the Igbo people actually did convert to Christianity. The actions of the missionaries destroyed the most valued aspect of the Igbo society, causing it to fall apart. In my opinion, I believe that things fell apart in this novel for the worse. I say this because the Igbo society was invaded, and controlled by a foreign power which condemned the traditional values of Igbo society. The ultimate example of how things fell apart throughout this novel explained by the suicide of the protagonist Okonkwo. Upon seeing Okonkwo's hanging body, Obierika stated ferociously "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..." (Achebe, 1958,

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In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart,the audience is introduced to the Ibo people of Africa with the goal of better understanding their culture, so that the audience is more likely to accept them and their culture. One important factor in understanding this culture is how they defined femininity and masculinity. Throughout the novel, Chinua Achebeuses characterization, symbolism, and a character foil help demonstrate how Okonkwo and traditional Umuofian culture define masculinity as being strong, showing no emotions, and being superior to women,and femininity as being weak, inferior, and being histrionic.

Chinua Achebe uses direct and indirect characterization to demonstrate how Okonkwo and Umuofian society define femininity and masculinity. When on the journey to kill Ikemefuna, the group of men talks about the "effeminate" men who refused to come and take part in Ikemefuna's death (Achebe 58). This shows that the men believe that to be masculine, a man should be willing to kill and not sympathetic to...show more content...

Unoka is Okonkwo's father, who is described as "a failure" (Achebe 5), whereas Okonkwo is described as "one of the greatest men in Umuofia" (Achebe 208). So what made one man a failure and the other so great? It's simple– Okonkwo succeeded in everything Umuofian society saw as "manly,": having multiple wives, many titles, earning a high social standing in Umuofia, and being wealthy enough to avoid borrowing from his fellow clansmen. In contrast, Unoka found peace within and created happiness for himself, but only had one wife, no title, and borrowed too much to ever pay back. This conveys to the audience that men were considered more masculine that more wives they had, the more titles they had, and the wealthier they were. This also conveys to the audience that these things were not considered feminine and were prohibited to the

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The following quote is taken from Chinua Achebe's essay on The African Writer and the English Language. The claim that Achebe goes on to make is that a language of the coloniser when imposed on the colonised leads to the language being subject to changes and twisted and turned to suit the particular ethnic group, state or nation. We see this evidently in particular texts such as the Riders to the Sea, A Small lace and You Can't Get Lost in Cape Town.

When one looks at the text, Riders to the Sea, we see that language be it in any form is essential for an ethnic group or civilisation. Also, as mentioned above in the introduction, a society's culture would lead to affecting the language and the dialect. This influence only seems to be greater...show more content...

We can see that through continual direct as well as indirect references to Judas betraying Jesus. An effective means of communication in the novel is the use of first person narrative because of the effect it creates on the reader. Throughout the text, one observes that the narration has been arousing be it the cardboard which lie in the narrator's handbag or when the suffering of abortion is being portrayed or the women on the bus, all of it has been shown in a graphic and visual manner. When we look at what a large part of the text entails, it is the conversation between the two women on the bus and this has almost no comments from the narrator. What is different about Zoe Wicomb when compared to the other authors is that she has used English in order to draw a bridge between the external events and her internal symbolism thereby enabling the readers to recognise her driving force. Despite Cape Town being a part of the title, we see that Cape Town itself has a very role. We see that she has a highly detached tone throughout the text, but despite that we see that as we progress, her tone only becomes

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Notion of Balance in Things Fall Apart by Achebe

The notion of balance in Achebe's novel is an important theme throughout the book. Beginning with the excerpt from Yeats's poem, "The Second Coming," the concept of balance is stressed as important, for without balance, order is lost. In the novel, there are many systems of balance which the Ibo culture seems to depend upon. It is when these systems are upset that "things fall apart." Okonkwo, the Ibo religion, and ultimately, the Ibos' autonomy were brought to their demise by an extreme imbalance between their male and female aspects. These male and female aspects can be generally be described as the external, physical strength of the male; and the internal, passive, and nurturing...show more content... Okonkwo is eventually defeated when he finds that his physical strength is not powerful enough to overcome the white men, and, unable to accept this, he hangs himself. The Ibo

Religion's Demise

The Ibo religion falls in much the same way. This religion is centered about the worship of male gods and ancestors. The female god among these may be the Earth goddess, but Okonkwo offends this goddess twice in the story to save his masculine image: once when he beats his wife during the week of peace; the other when he strikes down his adopted son. The gods' functions are mainly to help in war, and to aid the yearly yam crop, which is considered a man's crop. The highest members in the religious organization are the most respected men in the society; during ceremonies, they don costumes and play the role of the deceased ancestors. The primary influence women have in this religion is in the role of the oracle, who is a woman, although she embodies a male god. It is the women, also, who practice witchcraft, which is greatly feared in the tribes, but it should be noted that even this is a passive force with only intangible connections to any physical effects.

When the Christian religion is introduced, preaching universal acceptance, many members of the clan who are dissatisfied with the Ibo religion are drawn toward it. Some of the title–less men described as 'women' in the tribe are immediately drawn to it. Nwoye, who dislikes the practice

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"Civil Peace," by Achebe is an example of literary fiction because it is a story written about how life was after the nigerian war. It shows how life was through the citizens eyes and how they went day by day, based on the protagonist Jonathan's point of view. The ending to this story would be a happy ending because he believes in God having a bigger plan or everything being part of God's plan. Although having lost almost everything including Jonathan losing his youngest son, he manages to try and see thing positively by constantly saying, "nothing puzzles God." This story has a happy ending because, although he was robbed out of his 20 pounds he still continues to live his life as usual the next day repeating the saying "Nothing puzzles

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Achebe Essay

Dead Man's Path by Chinua Achebe A story about the clash of two sets of values

This story by Chinua Achebe presents the conflict between world–views and value systems. Dead Man's Path is set in Nigeria in 1949. It is on the subject of a man named Michael Obi who is the new, enthusiastic and wholehearted headmaster of an underprivileged and disadvantaged school. This story explores the effects of European customs and beliefs on traditional African culture. Michael Obi is the new headmaster of Ndume Central School. The Mission authorities selected him for the job as they wanted a "young and energetic man" to administer it. Michael is a married...show more content...

He believed that this way, all the teachers would put all their time work and energy in to their job and not be distracted my other commitments and people. His wife Nancy was against this idea as she wanted the teachers to be married so that other wives could "envy her position" and "she would set the fashion in everything." This is a key example of Michael's wife's self–centredness. Michael managed to transform the school gardens into a place of beauty. One day while he was admiring his work, he saw an old woman walking along a disused path that ran through the school compound. This annoyed Michael and he inquired one member of his staff about it. He found out that this path is apparently very important and blessed as it connects the village shrine to the cemetery. Michael was very selfless at this moment and decided to close down the path, as in a few days a "white inspector" would be coming to visit the school. Michael felt that the school couldn't be used as a 'through fare.' Soon the path was closed, and blocked of with barbed wire. A few days later the village priest called upon the headmaster. The priest talked with Michael for a while. He wanted Michael to reopen the path. You get the impression from the priest that he is a very frail and elderly man who doesn't wish to start argument, but merely get his opinion and thoughts across to Michael. The priest believed that the

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EA 3.2

Literary Analysis: character analysis

Culture collision is not something that you hear about everyday. Culture collision is the clash of cultures or values. This can be triggered by many things and the way we react to it is due to our personality. When this does occur it can impact our lives in such a great way. It can have an affect on who we are and what we stand for. In the novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebewe take a look at the character Okonkwo and see how he is affect by his Culture collision and see that his personality is the the factor in the way he reacts to it.

We take a look at his personality and see that he had a warrior complex and machismo. For example in the novel on page 158 paragraph six it says "let us not reason like cowards." His warrior complex turns everything he does like a battle plan. He wants there to be a fight or else they are not doing it right. Okonkwo's machismo makes everyone else who is not like him not a man. In the book we see this on page 26 paragraph two "this meeting is for men." He did not want to listen to the man because he was not well known like him and he did not have as many titles as okonkwo did. Both of these traits aided in the way he responded to the new culture.

These personality traits caused him to be angry and disgusted with the new culture. We can see in the novel on page 152 paragraph two it says " a sudden fury rose within him and he felt a strong desire to take up his machete and wipe out the Get

Karl Marx believed that all of history could be reduced to two tiny words: class struggle. In any period of time a dominant class exploits a weaker class. Marx defines a dominant class as one who owns or controls the means of production. The weaker class consists of those who don't. In Marx's day, the age of Almighty Industry, the means of production werefactories. But as a literary theory Marxism needs no factories to act as means of production. All that are needed are words, specifically chosen to justify an Official View of a dominating class, in our case, in a society guided by capitalism. This Official View is sometimes disguised as what we might otherwise call...show more content... Not only did Okonkwo achieve greatness in wrestling, he also achieved greatness off the field. His life was almost like a ?rags to riches? tale. As Achebe explains on page 18,

?With a father like Unoka, Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men had. He neither inherited a barn nor a title, nor even a young wife. But in spite of these disadvantages, he had begun even in his father?s lifetime to lay the foundations of a prosperous future.? Hard work, determination, a sense of personal responsibility to his growing family, all these played a part in Okonkwo?s financial success, much like these same values would help an American in our capitalist society.

Marxism, as an economic theory, is also concerned with capital. In Igbo culture capital was not measured in dollars but in yams and cowries. Material possessions aside from land were scarce, but there were possessions of a different sort. And it was these possessions, such as wives, children, and most importantly titles, that gave men status in society. Those unable or unwilling to conform to society in gaining possessions were cast out, and seen as failures. One such man was Okonkwo?s father, Unoka, who ?had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt? up until he died (8). It was this sort of man who Okonkwo swore never to become. ?Okonkwo was ruled by one passion to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved. One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness?

The importance of literary devices in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Good afternoon Mr Wilson and fellow classmates. Today I will be discussing the utilisation of various literary devices to globalise themes within Things Fall Apart. Achebe employs various themes within Things Fall Apart to describe Okonkwo flaws and his struggle in Umofia however, how does Achebe link these themes universally? Ostensibly, the novel seems to target a very specific audience: researchers who have studied Nigerian culture, traditions and history. On the other hand, scrutinising the novel asserts the book to be a salient record of various universal themes, human experiences and numerous struggles that are relevant and relatable to a contemporary audience, regardless of whether or not they are acquainted with Nigerian culture. Achebe's writing style created a novel with rich literary techniques that are employed to a succinct manner.Things Fall Apartaffirms to be greater than the product of its literary devices and techniques. Achebe successfully employs syntax, different types of imagery, diction, figurative language, repetition, and symbols to both enhance the novel and its themes. I believe the novel's success lie in the intriguing themes which are maintain throughout time and link to the modern world. The clashing of cultures, the struggle against change, and the hamartia of Okonkwo are the main themes of which Achebe employs. To create a literary masterpiece, Achebe explores these