Topic- The effect of colonialism in The Things Fall Apart
Name- Sonal Baraiya
Class- M.A. Sem-4
Paper No.- 14-The African Literature
Submitted to- Smt.S.B.Gardi, Department of English, MaharajaKrishnakumar Sinhji Bhavnagar University.
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"Things Fall
Apart"- Chinua Achebe
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”
W. B. Yeats,
‘The Second Coming’
The title is
taken from the poem of W. B. Yeats’ “The Second Coming” and it is very much
connected to the novel also. Here falcon is in the form of colonized (black
people) while falconer is in the form of colonizers (white people). On the
first step they aren’t clearly visible the planning steps of white people but
while it is clearly visible that time it is too late to remove the colonialism
on the head of black community. It is all about the basement because if the
basement is strong enough no one can harm it but if the center is not strong
enough then anybody can used it and playing with that. That’s what may be
Achebe trying to say through this text.
Author: Chinua Achebe
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication
Date: 1958
Introduction:
Things Fall
Apart is a post-colonial novel written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe in 1958.
This novel is about the history of African culture, community which was
suppressed one. Likewise this novel separated into three parts such as:
First
section, it is describing his family and personal history, the customs and
society of the Ibo.
Second section
and Third sections, it is introducing the influence of British colonialism and
Christian missionaries on the Ibo community.
This novel
is conflicting between the internal affairs in Ibo tradition. Moreover it also
conflicting between internal to external affairs.
Okonkwo is
the protagonist with having three wives and eight children. He is a brave and
rash Umuofia (Nigerian) warrior and clan leader. The division of this novel
into three sections it can be read into the way that the first part described
as the atmosphere of the Ibo culture and its people’s way of living life while
the other two can be seen as it is the description of the effect of colonialism
on the tradition of Ibo society. Apart of that is can be seen how colonialism
has affected people and has managed to pull them apart in many directions that
it even eventually destroyed relationships of families, friends and tribes.
But first
let us talks about that what the Ibo society is before the arrival of British
colonialism.
First, it is
begin with the description of Okonkwo and his culture depicted into the first
part –
It is
describes that how beautiful culture they have with some bad rules and
regulation also. The bad rules and regulation also can be considered as a part
of their culture. It can be also seen that the “bad culture” is also the view
of outsider. They tried to differentiate through their perceptions. Rules and
regulations can be considered such as- Man can have multiple wives and
children, bride price, the New Yam Festival, celebration of women’s uri, believe in personal gods and
goddesses is known as “CHI”, ritual sacrifices punishments for crimes and so on.
The examples are here:
“Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and
even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of
eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat.” Okonkwo has three wives and eight children. He
got this position out of great struggle.
The Feast of the New Yam was approaching and Umuofia was
in a festival mood. It was an occasion for giving thanks to Ani, the earth
goddess and the source of all fertility. Ani played a greater part in the life
of the people than any other deity. She was the ultimate judge of morality and
conduct. And what was more, she was in close communion with the departed
fathers of the clan whose bodies had been committed to earth. (Pg, 27-30)
The example
of bride price-
Uzowulu stepped forward and presented his case.
That woman standing there is my wife, Mgbafo. I married
her with my money and my yams. I do not owe my in-laws anything. I owe them no
yams. I owe them no coco-yams. One morning three of them came to my house, beat
me up and took my wife and children away. This happened in the rainy season. I
have waited in vain for my wife return. At last I went to my in-laws and said
to them, “You have taken back your sister. I did not send her away. You
yourselves took her. The law of the clan is that you should return her
bride-price.”
The entire neighborhood wore a festive air because
Okonkwo’s friend, Obierika, was celebrating his daughter’s uri. It was the day
on which her suitor (having already paid the greater part of her bride-price)
would bring palm-wine not only to her parents and immediate relatives but to the
wide and extensive group of Kinsmen called umunna. Everybody had been invited-men,
women and children. But it was really a woman’s ceremony and the central
figures were the bride and her mother.
The only course open to Okonkwo was to flee from the
clan. It was a crime against the earth goddess to kill a clansman, and a man
who committed it must flee from the land. The crime was of two kinds, male and
female. Okonkwo had committed the female, because it had been inadvertent. He
could return to the clan after seven years.
So, these
are the examples of the living styles of African people before the arrival of Ashy-Buttocks.
Now let us
talk about the entrance and the collision of Kotma on the culture of Ibo. So
first it can be considered in both the ways viz, positively and negatively.
Therefore let us first discuss the positive point of the Christian colonialism.
It is trying to erased some communal sanctioned violence like ritual
sacrifices, punishment for crimes, and some other which are certain practices had
by them. Instead of these, it is also brings the economical progress, it is
trying to diminish the standard level of ignorance of the clan and the opening
of the new possibility of knowledge.
The effect
of colonialism started through the second part with Chapter Sixteen, where it
is noticed that-
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. That was a source of great
sorrow to the leaders of the clan; but many of them believed that the strange
faith and the white man’s god would not last. None of his converts was a man
whose word was heeded in the assembly of the people. None of them was a man of
title. They were mostly the kind of people that were called efulefu,
worthless,empty men.
On the other
side they are also came with very brutal and negative rules and regulations
which are imposed or in a way forcefully accepted as a good by Kotma. It can be
considered as how the missionaries and the European officers have completely
stripped the identity of the tribe.
How the
“TRUE CULTURE” or “IBO TRADITION” erased by the Christian colonizers?
How is it
knowingly and with planning destroyed relationships of families, friends and
tribes?
How is it
affected the life of people like Okonkwo and resulted to his death.
No doubt
that they have some kind of rituals which are not considered as a good but it
is their culture. With this culture their emotions and feeling are connected.
In the form of erasing their communal sanctioned violence or bad rituals (the
name imposed by the missionaries), they try to erased their heritage, their
wealth of tradition and beliefs. What missionary trying to do is that they
aren’t just stripped their cultural practices but them trying to overpower on
them. They are trying to put themselves as a best. They see themselves as a
white and “White” as a “Superior”, while “Black” as a “Devil”.
“Mr Brown’s successor was the Reverend James Smith, and
he was a different kind of man. He condemned openly Mr Brown’s policy of
compromise and accommodation. He saw things as black and white. And black was
evil. He saw the world as a battlefield in which the children of light were
locked in mortal conflict with the sons of darkness.”
Thus, in a
way black people are considered as a devil and evil instead of human being.
They also are trying to put themselves as superior in front of black people.
Their religion is the best religion and only their god is the “TRUE” and ultimate
god in the world.
“The new God, the Creator of all the world and all the
men and women. He told them that they worshipping false gods, gods of wood and
stone. He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they
died went before Him for judgment. Evil men and all the heathen who in their
blindness bowed to wood and stone were thrown into a fire that burned like
palm-oil. But good men who worshipped the true God lived for ever in His happy
kingdom. ‘We have been sent by this great God to ask you to leave your wicked
ways and false gods and turn to Him so that you may be saved when you die’’.
“At this point an old man said he had a question. Which
is this god of yours’, he asked, ‘the goddess of the earth, the god of the sky,
Amadiora of the thunderbolt, or what?’’
‘‘All the gods you have named are not gods at all. They
are gods of deceit who will tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent
children. There is only one true God and He has made the earth, the sky, you
and me and all of us.’’
‘‘If we leave our gods and follow your god,’ asked
another man, ‘who will protect us from the anger of our neglected gods and
ancestors?’’
“Your gods are not alive and cannot do you any harm,’
replied the White man. ‘They are pieces of wood and stone.’’
“When this was interpreted to the men of Mbanta they
broke into derisive laughter. These men must be mad, they said to themselves.
How else could they say that Ani and Amadior were harmless? And Idemili and
Ogwugwu too?”
“Let them laugh,’ said Mr Kiaga. ‘God will laugh at them
on the judgment day. Why do the natios rage and the peoples imagine a vain
thing? He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in
derision."
“Before God.’ He said, there is no slave or free. We are
all children of God and we must receive these our brothers.’’
In this
whole description of the black god and White God, Achebe tries to highlight
some point rather criticizes some points such as: In this description White
tries to make superior themselves. They are trying to make their God superior
over the gods and goddesses of black. But the interesting thing here is that in
this whole description of god, Achebe tries to capitalized the God of White
while doesn’t capitalized the god when Achebe introduced the god of black. It
is not indicates that the black gods and goddesses are really inferior in front
of White God. And the God of White is real True God and superior. Rather Achebe
tries to make satire on that that God is God. There is nothing like superior
and inferior. But how people make their god superior and also try to make other
god inferior. They try to impose that the True god is ours only. There is only
one god in the world. They not only introduced their god but they tries to introduce
their god with fear that if they not follow the one true god then they must be
punished on the Day of Judgment. So, they trying to imposed the idea of
superior god with fear. The people of Ibo not familiar with the name “fear” and
“harm” which is coming from the god or on the other way they are real in their
way of believe in God because if they are really the son of god, how they would
harm by their gods and goddess. How can father harm their lovely sons? But here
White people putting the point that god also can harm if they are not choose
and follow the true god on the judgment day. Even they neglect that the gods
and goddesses of black are not the gods and goddesses. Here how Achebe makes
satire on the way of telling the things by White man is that on the one side he
says that our god is superior but not accepted the black gods and goddesses as
inferior rather neglect as a god. Second is that on the one side he make point
that they all are the children of one ultimate god and they all are brothers
but on the other side how is it possible that if they are really brothers then
how one can be good and other evil. How it is possible that one is superior and
other is inferior if they are really brothers.
Likewise,
the White are not only came with the religion but also with government. First
they trying to imposed the religion and through that they overcome with rules
and regulation or the government. So they used religion as a weapon and try to
control the people of Ibo community. Achebe pointed this point very beautifully
that how they overcome on the people of Ibo community slowly and steadily
because while they came they came with the idea to built a church and through
that they trying to remove the idea of gods and goddess of Ibo people. . Moreover
they trying to govern people on the grounds of their ignorance and make them
foolish. But in reality they are not fool or illiterate rather it is their ways
of living life. All the communal rituals are wrong in the eyes of White men.
But it is very nature to Ibo people. But these all the things imposed on them
with gigantic META-NARRATIVE. If they
trying to wipe out their religion and what not, in a way they not just wipe out
their religion but through these they trying to remove their individual
attachments, their feelings and emotions and pride of individual.
They are
playing with their blind faith and through that White are trying to prevail
over their beliefs because there is one scene which shows the loose stone of
black culture. It is very well used by White colonizers and becoming something extraordinary
in the eyes of Mbanta culture. When first they came with the wish to built the
Church and Mbanta people believe that there is nothing wrong to given the Evil
Forest. The reason is that that they believe that Evil Forest was alive with
sinister forces and powers of darkness. Likewise they also believe that
whosoever goes there they not come back. But they are wrong.
‘‘They want a piece of land to build their shrine,’ said
Uchendu to his peers when they consulted among themselves. ‘We shall give them
a piece of land.’ He paused, and there was a murmur of surprise and
disagreement. ‘Let us give them a portion of the Evil Forest. They boast about
victory over death. Let us give them a real battlefield in which to show their
victory.’ They laughed and agreed.”
‘‘The inhabitants of Mbanta expected them all to be dead
within four days. The first day passed and the second and third and forth, and
none of them died. Everyone was puzzled. And then it became known that the
White man’s fetish had unbelievable power. It was said that he wore glasses on
his eyes so that he could see and talk to evil spirits. Not long after, he won
his first three converts.’’
White people
used their blind faith and make fun on their blind faith. Here Achebe also make
satire on their own culture that on what ground first black people laugh, on
the same ground now White laugh on black. They make themselves foolish in front
of White. Black also considered them as unbelievable powerful people. But on what
silly matter they seemed them as an extraordinary people. It is they who first
give chance to them to triumph over them. But who knows that if somebody good
today, not be evil tomorrow. Who knows what happen tomorrow. So, here they give
the piece of land and as time pass White people controlling everything.
But here one
man clearly visible everything that what going on in front of his eyes. He
observes everything critically. He tries to evaluate what happening in an
around him. He could sense of the effect of foreign people.
“He sighed heavily, and as if in sympathy the smouldering
log also sighed. And immediately Okonkwo’s eyes were opened and he saw the
whole matter clearly. Living fire begets cold, impotent ash. He sighed again,
deeply.”
First he
sighed and putting his hands in front of this critical invisible circumstances
but then he collect the strength and also collecting people against this
unbearable movement. But some people also lost their power to fight with white
colonizers. He raises some very good questions in frontage of reader. And
perhaps this is the loose stone of becoming the colonized of white people
because at the end they become weak in front of white. And on this parameter
Achebe tries to criticize his own people that they are responsible for their
own down fall. They are not able to answering their own questions at the end.
Such questions are:
What is it
that has happened to our people?
Why have
they lost the power to fight?
What are the
reasons of fallen down in front of White colonizers?
Why are we
following them?
Does the
white man understand our custom about land?
“It is not our custom to fight for our gods,’ said one of
them. ‘Let us not presume to do so now. If a man kills the sacred python in the
secrecy of his hut, the matter lies between him and the god. We did not see it.
If we put ourselves between the god and his victim we may receive blows
intended for the offender. When a man blasphemes what do we do? Do we go and
stop his mouth? No. We put our fingers into our ears to stop us hearing. That
is a wise action.’’
“Let us not reason like cowards,’ said Okonkwo. If a man
comes into my hut and defaecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes?
No. I take a stick and break his head. That is what a man does. These people
are daily pouring filth over us, and Okeke says we should pretend not to see.’’
“We must fight these men and drive them from the land. It
is already too late. Our own men and our sons have joined the ranks of the
stranger. They have jointed his religion and they help to uphold his
government. But what of our own people who are following their way and have
been given power?’’
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.’’
Achebe
putting very interesting questioning phase which is drown attention towards the
fault of his own people. Where are they wrong? What was the mistake done by
black people? It is they who accept them first. They also mentioned that they
are very clever because slowly and steadily they dropped out everything from
black people and now they become the object. But they trying to remove these
invisible critical circumstances which were already take place at the bottom
level. It is the effect of colonialism from that now the people of Ibo
community suffer a lot. But now it is really too late. All are putting their
hand accept Okonkwo. Okonkwo tries a lot to remove these circumstances but now
he is not strong enough to fight. It is because the things are changed or the
concept of bravery changed after the arrival of white people because before man
can judge through their power of muscles. Important thing is that Achebe
describes very successfully and crucially the effect of colonialism that on
what ground it is effect on the Ibo culture. Even it is thrashed out the
identity of that people, their pride, emotions, feelings and what not. The
essential thing for human being is “HOPE” is also beat out by White Colonizers.
It is not a matter that whether such
customs and traditions are true or not but what matter is that a person
practices ethical customs and traditions that does not beat away the basic
human right of anybody. Achebe very well put the description of the effect of
colonizers on colonized and how their way of living life destroyed by White
people.
“It was the time of the full moon. But that night the
voice of children was not heard. The village ilo where they always gathered for
a moon-play was empty. The women of Iguedo did not meet in their secret
enclosure to learn a new dance to be displayed later to the village. Young men
who were always abroad in the moonlight kept to their huts that night. Their
manly voices were not heared on the village paths as they went to visit their
friends and lovers. Umofia was like a startled animal with ears, sniffing the
silent, ominous air and not knowing which way to run.”
“Okonkwo’s compound was like a deserted homestead. It was
as if cold water had been poured on it. His family was all there, but everyone
spoke in whispers. His daughter Ezinma had broken her twenty-eight day visit to
the family of her future husband, and returned home when she heared that her
father had been imprisoned, and was going to be hanged.”
“Okonkwo and his fellow prisoners were set free as soon
as the fine was paid.”
It shows
that now the time came while in their own village they become prisoners and
they supposed to be paid the fine. Okonkwo remembering his old days and sigh on
present days.
“Worthy men are no more,’ Okonkwo sighed as he remembered
those days. Those were days when men were men.” All our gods are weeping.
Idemili is weeping. Ogwugwu is weeping. Agbala is weeping, and all the others.
Our dead fathers are weeping because of the shameful sacrilege they are
suffering and the abomination we have all see with our eyes.’ He stopped again
to steady his trembling voice.”
It is shows
the effect of colonialism on the culture of Ibo community. Due to this they
lost their smiles, their religion, their hope and moreover their identity as an
Ibo people. And ultimately it takes the life of that man who was one of the
greatest men in Umuofia.
Conclusion:
This novel
is the feather on the hat of African literature. Why is it so famous novel? It
is famous because may be it shows the main reason or the fault of their own
people that where are they wrong. This novel is goes deep and dig out the
reality or the fact. But here the effect of colonialism can be considered two
ways that positive and negative. Though the positive effect lies there negative
effect become more danger for them because it is totally destroyed the identity
of black people. It is effect on that ground that people aren’t ready to accept
their own culture, tradition. Only the effect of colonialism is responsible for
the broken down the relationship, families, friends and tribes. Moreover they
lost their smile and happiness under the curtain or the name of modernization and
capitalism. It is affected on that ground that the life of the protagonist
destroyed and came out as a result of his death. At the end he becomes helpless
and weak in front of White colonizers. On the ground of economic and social, religion and tradition, knowledge and information they trying to exploit the clan people.
Notes:
From this below link I pickup some point
and others are from my class notes. Based on that I prepared my whole
assignment.
http://criminology-articles.blogspot.in/2012/09/colonialism-in-things-fall-apart.html
