Post-Colonial View on Things Fall Apart free essay sample

Chinua Achebe is a novelist specializing in African literature, and this essay deals with the themes regarding colonialism in one of his many novels. In particular, the Igbo people in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart have their beliefs undermined by the British. As such, their ideals are viewed as savage and uncivilized, which caused a divide among the Igbo people. A useful theory to analyze the theme of a changing society is the post-colonial theory, which deals with the abnormal alterations that a society experiences because of an outside source, also called a ‘colonial power’. Post-colonial literary criticism is a useful theoretical tool to analyze the fall of indigenous society as depicted in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. In particular, the theoretical concepts of the process of colonization from the perspective of the colonized, the psychological impact colonization has on the Igbo people, and the Indigenous resistance to colonization are relevant to the analysis of the fall of indigenous society in Achebe’s seminal novel. We will write a custom essay sample on Post-Colonial View on Things Fall Apart or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To begin, colonization refers to the act of establishing colonies. This is mainly done to expand the territory of a certain nation, increase their own resource supply, and find new resources in the land being conquered. Colonization may have a positive effect on the colonizer, but the process of colonization typically affects the indigenous population negatively. Colonization causes change, which usually takes the form of whatever the colonizer believes to be correct without considering the ideas of the indigenous people who are in some cases treated like livestock. The greater the difference between the colonizer and the colonized, the greater the change that occurs from the perspective of the colonized. Once a society has been completely altered, the indigenous people not only begin to experience changes to their lifestyle, but also a change in the way they view the world. The novel Things Fall Apart describes the Igbo society before and after the British arrives. The first part of the novel deals with the tribal lifestyle of the Igbo people, which is the author’s way of showing the culture of the Igbo people from their own perspective. The Igbo people have been long time practitioners of their faith, with the next generation following the footsteps of their forefathers. Their culture and view of the world remains unchanged until the British arrive. During Okonkwo’s seven year exile from Umuofia, not only does his own village begin to change, but the neighboring villages appear to be changing as well. Due to the technological advancements occurring in Europe, the Igbo people are helpless against the British missionaries who arrive, as explained by the quotation, â€Å"Have you heard, asked Obierika, ‘that Abame is no more? †¦ ‘Abame has been wiped out,’ said Obierika (119). † The quotation reveals that the Igbo people are beginning to realize that they must either adapt and accept the foreigners or risk becoming completely annihilated similar to their fellow tribesmen from the village of Abame. It is evident that the goal of the colonizer is to bring change to the nation being o ccupied, but these changes often bring chaos to the indigenous people’s way of life, which in turn can alter the way their society functions. Secondly, the mentality of the colonizer and the colonized differ significantly. While the colonizer believes that he is bringing civilization to a society in which he deems â€Å"barbaric†, the indigenous people view the colonizers as a threat to their lifestyle and, as such, often look down on the beliefs of the foreigner. After living a certain lifestyle for an extended period of time, a sudden change in lifestyle abnormally envelops not only a society as a whole, but the individuals who live in that society. The psychological state of the indigenous people worsens due to the forced ideas of the colonizers mixing with their own, which can cause a rift in their thinking. A decision has to be made eventually; however, the colonizer typically tries his hardest to prevent them from making what he believes is the â€Å"wrong† decision. Although the colonizer appears to be helping the indigenous people, his true intentions are all but innocent. Due to their technological disadvantages, the colonizers have an advantage over the indigenous people, causing the previous existing people to feel undermined. Even after the colonizers eave, the colonized people continue to bear the scars left behind by the colonizers, as stated by Hayes who argues that, â€Å"Post Colonial Theory recognizes the trauma resulting from the alienation of indigenous people from their own land, even after achieving independence† (Hayes). Colonization leaves behind permanent psychological damage, even long after independence has been obtained. Moreover, the psychological impact is also depicted in Things Fall Apart. When the missionaries from Britain arrive in Nigeria, the Igbo people are amused at first when they first hand witness a â€Å"white man†. However, the one of the spiritual leaders in the Igbo clan who is known as the Oracle warns the people that â€Å"the strange man would break their clan and spread destruction among them (120). † This warning foreshadows the events that follow, and the Igbo people begin to feel inferior to the British colonizers after becoming aware of their destructive capabilities which were mainly due to their technological advancements. The missionaries who arrive also spread Christianity to the people. Those with power in Igbo society are not associated with any of the early converts. However, the â€Å"osu† or outcasts quickly join the new religion because the culture practiced by the Igbo do not accept them, and they are therefore easily swayed by the words of the foreigners. Although Okonkwo is a man of power in Igbo society, his son Nwoye is fascinated by the preaching of the missionaries. Eventually, Nwoye decides to cut his ties with his father as evident in the following exchange, â€Å"How is your father? Obierika asked, not knowing what else to say. I don’t know. He is not my father, said Nwoye unhappily (124). Colonization has impacted the Igbo people negatively and their original society has begun to diminish, starting in the second part of the novel Things Fall Apart. Finally, although colonization may have psychologically destabilized the indigenous way of thinking, there is often a handful of individuals who firmly hold onto their beliefs regardless of the situation. It is those people who typically want to restore their nation to the state that it was before being colonized. Due to their passionate desire to bring their nation back to its former glory, resistance against the oppressors is their way to show their dedication. Unfortunately, many forms of resistance typically fail due to various reasons, with some being more preventable than others. One such reason could be that violence plays a large role in fighting against oppressors, which eventually leads to either success to the indigenous people should they succeed, or harsh punishment if they fail. The risk factor involved in this is one that shouldn’t be viewed at lightly and thus the majority of the colonized people do not actively engage in resistance. As a result, resistance doesn’t happen as often as it is planned due to the risk involved. Furthermore, the indigenous people in Things Fall Apart attempt to resist the British both before and after they make their colonial presence in Nigeria. Prior to the arrival of the British missionaries, a lone man riding what the Igbo people called an â€Å"iron horse† appears. Due to his strange appearance, the people in the clan decide to kill the man, â€Å"†¦ and they killed the white man and tied his iron horse to their sacred tree because it looked as if it would run away to call to man’s friends† (120). Soon after, more British people begin to settle in Nigeria and preach their religion to the Igbo people. This event causes the British to establish a colonial presence in Nigeria. At the end of the novel, Okonkwo’s rage gives him an incentive to start a revolution by calling his people to the market place. Okonkwo’s goal is to persuade his people to start a war against the British, firmly believing that his people will follow him to fight the oppressors. After a messenger arrives, Okonkwo decides to initiate the fight, and successfully draws â€Å"first blood†. As Achebe writes, â€Å"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† (178-179). This quotation describes Okonkwo’s disappointment after realizing that his fellow clansmen have changed, losing their sense of patriotism along the way. In conclusion, the points above illustrate the fall of indigenous society in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart using post-colonial literary criticism. Colonialism is typically viewed as an event of the past. However, although signs of colonialism are not as evident in the modern world, the after effects of a previously colonized nation continue to exist. For instance, the Tutsi and Hutu tribes from Rwanda were brought closer together because of the European colonizers. Prior to their arrival, the two tribes could be considered two different, rival nations with a different set of rules and culture. The political devastation caused by the Europeans due to their colonial presence in Africa, â€Å"also involved ethnic tension and violence due to colonialism exists because of poorly drawn international boundaries† (â€Å"Effects of European Colonialism in Africa†). However, the Europeans had little concern for the rivalry between the two tribes and so Rwanda was founded. Unfortunately, this caused a massive genocide in 1994, which killed approximately one million people. Thus, the act of colonialism has always benefitted the colonizer, and the indigenous people are left with the option to either adapt or risk elimination, which is evident even after independence has been achieved as proven using Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart as an example. Work Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. 1958. Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Print. Effects of European Colonialism in Africa.   Yahoo! Contributor Network. N. p. , n. d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. Hayes, David. Class Lecture. Post Colonial Literary Theory. Westview Centennial Secondary School, Toronto, ON. 14 Feb 2013.

The Term “Art” Essay Sample Essays

The Term â€Å"Art† Essay Sample Essays The Term â€Å"Art† Essay Sample Paper The Term â€Å"Art† Essay Sample Paper The subject matter of this essay is based on the original article The Trouble with (the term) Art written by Carolyn Dean (professor of History of Art and Visual Culture at the University of California) and published in the Art Journal, Vol. 65, no. 2 (summer 2006), pp 25-32. As the title indicates, the theme of that article and of this essay should be â€Å"art† or, perhaps, more precisely the concept of â€Å"art† itself â€Å"for what art seems to be at the very heart of the issue† (Carolyne Dean). The author of the article emphasizes the fact that the term â€Å"art† has been used by many scholars in various disciplines with different connotations. Carolyn Dean focuses on the â€Å"so-called AOA fields (Africa, Oceania, America)†, that is on cultures often categorized as â€Å"primitive†. The scholars working in these fields often incorrectly describe the products of these cultures as being â€Å"primitive art†, by contrasting them with what is commonly seen as West-European art. What is the  major question  in Deans article? The major question points to the error of using the term â€Å"art† simply for anything that is touched, moved, used or produced by mankind anywhere and at any time on the planet. The greatest problem is that we keep calling things â€Å"art† without regard to the objects original purpose as given to them by those indigenous people who used or fabricated them in the first place. It is a fact, that in the many cultures whose products we call â€Å"primitive art,† there has been no concept of â€Å"art† in the contemporary West-European understanding of this word. Certainly, there have been cultures that have developed a different understanding and appreciation of objects. Though, in many cases, their primal role and worthiness stay hidden in the history because there is no one left to be asked if there was an aesthetic evaluation present or if there was any concept of â€Å"art† at all. So, when we find the remains of an older culture, we simply appl y our â€Å"Western† values and use our â€Å"Western† points of views. Instead, we should try to look at it through the eyes of the culture we are trying to study, on the basis of our findings. Unfortunately, we tend to have a commercial approach to it: how valuable is this piece of â€Å"primitive art†?. Even worse, it is not only the bygone cultures that we approach in this manner but also those cultures we have discovered in the colonized territories since the late Middle-Ages. Can we ever possibly undo the damage that has already been done to all these cultures? What kind of action should be taken when a culture with a concept of â€Å"art† and one without such a concept meet? Should this concept be introduced to the culture where such a concept is missing? Should it be implanted at all costs? What if there is a reason why the concept of â€Å"art† has not jet evolved in that culture or, perhaps, what if we do or did not recognize it has already been there? Then the remains of cultures which had known the concept of â€Å"art† may in a way be called â€Å"art†. On the other hand, there may have been cultures that never developed aesthetic feelings, then nothing these cultures would have left behind could be â€Å"art†. However, it is not for us to decide on such a thing and therefore we simply apply our concept of â€Å"art† to what may or may not be â€Å"art†. Has mankind learned from any of its mistakes? â€Å"This is art!† I have always had a problem with this term and much more trouble with its interpretation. It usually leads me to an inner dispute where, on the one hand, there stands subjective me designating everything that has been adapted and created by man as â€Å"art†, and, on the other hand there is an objective me recognizing as â€Å"art† only a few things accepted as â€Å"art† collectively by the whole human society. Here is a short demonstration: The subjective me says: When I draw a sketch, paint a picture, take a photograph, using a random melody, prepare a meal, walk, dream, etc., I consider myself it producing or even being an object of â€Å"art†. Why shouldnt everything I say and the way I say it be approached as â€Å"art?† Everybody is unique! We all are in a way a form of â€Å"art† and there are many aesthetic distinctions between all of us to evaluate our products and ourselves. The objective me replies: We a re unique individuals but we all cant live on producing â€Å"art†, unless we would call â€Å"art† all human activity. Nonetheless, things like cars, customer goods and all the articles of mass production should not be called â€Å"art†. Surely, there is the design of these products, which can be marked as â€Å"art†. This dialogue could go on forever as well as might the one in the real world. Thanks for reading this article I found out that there is a real discussion taking place. I have even thought about joining the discussion myself and, at any rate, I am really looking forward to learning the outcome. Carolyn Dean tries to resume the discussions on the subject by presenting previous attempts to find solutions and definitions for the term â€Å"art†. She also provokes those in the field to replace the so much hated term â€Å"primitive art†. This term has some supporters among those using it. There were more and less courageous attempts throughout modern history to arouse debates on this very burning issue – I personally like the phrase Adrian Gerbrands used in 1957 during one of the first discussions on this subject; back then he called it â€Å"the problem of the name†. Deans article may encourage some art historians, anthropologists, and other related scholars to continue in the debate and eventually agree on the terminology to be used. Nevertheless, that stays an open question.

Marketing Management Class Discussion wk6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing Management Class Discussion wk6 - Essay Example The other partner is viewed as an outsider and will have to spend more if they are to operate in the market. However, these disputes can be resolved by conciliation between the business partners or an agreement between the countries so that they provide favorable trading terms to the affected parties. Nevertheless, there must be a mutual agreement between the two nations if investments are to increase in the future. By an outsider partnering a local company, they increase the level of investment and improve productivity of the country. This investment creates more jobs to the population and helps the economy to grow (Cravens, & Piercy, 2008). Hence, the host nation will benefit more even if it is indirectly. Thus, they should provide the other partner with equal rights so that they share costs and profits equally. They will be motivated and increase their bilateral ties that are beneficial in the