Essay on Cultural Adherence in Things Fall Apart, by...

To truly understand a culture and any person within it, one must first understand the family dynamics present. This understanding becomes exceedingly important when one is trying to understand a culture that is starkly different from his own. However, because of human nature, there are relationships that are common to all cultures, though the dynamics of these relationships may be different. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s extreme cultural adherence creates very distinct family dynamics as evidenced by the father-son and husband-wife relationships in the novel. Though his relationships are distinct, aspects of them are still present in today’s society. Throughout his life, Okonkwo’s greatest wish is to be seen as the†¦show more content†¦As time marches relentlessly on, each successive generation in society is generally more comfortable with striking out from its parents’ wishes and living the life it envisions. Childre n have evolved from being a cheap labor source to being a person in their own right, with their own ambitions and life to live. Though Okonkwo indeed followed this thought process by living a life not envisioned by his father, he does not understand that Nwoye is simply doing the same thing but in his own manner. This lack of understanding between parents and children is one of the foundations of modern society. Dominance in a relationship is not limited solely to parent-child relationships; it is also present in marital relationships. Okonkwo is married to three wives from whom he values submission the most. As long as his wives are producing sons and bidding his will, he is confident that he is being perceived positively by the community. However, whenever Okonkwo feels as though his position of man of the house and all that it entails is threatened, he lashes out and loses his firm faà §ade. â€Å"But Okonkwo was not the man to stop beating someone half-way through, not e ven for fear of a goddess† (30). Physical abuse is not as prevalent in modern society as it is in the Igbo society, but the emotions behind the abuse are. Husbands, feelingShow MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart Best Qoutes1148 Words   |  5 PagesBeware Okonkwo! she warned. Beware of exchanging words with Agbala. Does a man speak when a god speaks? Beware! - Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 11 It was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth, like learning to become left-handed in old age. - Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, Ch. 14 if one finger brought oil it soiled the others. Chapter 13, Pg. 111 It was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth, like learningRead MoreThings Fall Apart and Universal Appeal951 Words   |  4 PagesThings Fall Apart-Universal Appeal Confronted with a global conscious filled with hazy, negative conception of the African reality, appalled with such one sided works as Heart of Darkness and Mr. Johnson, Chinua Achebe determined in 1958 to inform the outside world about Ibo cultural traditions1. One can appreciate then, Achebe s inclusion of universal themes and concepts in is novel as a means of bridging the cultural gap with his audience and reiterating that Africans are in the end, humanRead MoreRelationship Between Character and Society in Things Fall Apart1322 Words   |  6 PagesSociety and its Characters Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart tells the story of the African Igbo society which was dominated by European imperialism. Achebe uses his own personal knowledge of African culture to portray the Igbo tribes as a complex society with well-established beliefs and traditions. The heart of this novel is not in its context, however, but in its characters. Achebe creates complex characters to live in the vastly changing society of the Igbo tribes. It’s evident in theRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1702 Words   |  7 PagesTitle: Things Fall Apart Biographical information about the author: Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. He had an early career as a radio host, and later became the Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nigeria. After moving to America, he became an English professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Achebe has won numerous awards for his poetry and fiction, including the Man Booker prize and Commonwealth Poetry Price. He currently teaches at Bard College. Author: Chinua AchebeRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1845 Words   |  8 Pagesof that culture. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart he paints a holistic image of the Igbo people in Nigeria and their culture. This book has given me several insights into what cultural anthropologists do when evaluating and a describing a culture. Within a given culture there are a myriad number of key aspects that anthropologists look towards to help them evaluate it. The foremost of which is their economy, hierarchy, descent, gender, and rituals. I chose Things Fall Apart because it offeredRead MoreThings Fall Apart And Purple Hibiscus Essay1257 Words   |  6 Pagesnovels Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and the novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, are controlled by their beliefs, and irrationally act upon them. Adichie and Achebe effectively utilizes a plot events, to simultaneously exalt damage, created by the assertion of religious beliefs onto others. Forcing religion or personal beliefs onto others creates turmoil, as illustrated by both authors, shattering relationships or a consanguinity. Throughout Things Fall Apart, Achebe utilizesRead More Things Fall Apart Essay798 Words   |  4 Pages The book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe is a fictional look at the social and cultural life of an African tribe of the lower Niger River region. It depicts the every day life of the tribe and its members. It also shows the culture and customs of the tribe. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The book focuses on one of the tribe members, Okonkwo. He is a well respected member of the tribe. Okonkwo is a good example of a respected member of the tribe who also has great renown. He is known as a greatRead MoreSuccesses and Failures of Patriarchy in Colonialism2853 Words   |  12 PagesIn â€Å"The Tempest†, â€Å"Translations† and â€Å"Things Fall Apart†, the theme of patriarchy is explored in different settings; the colonisation of the Irish in â€Å"Translations†, an unnamed island in â€Å"The Tempest† and the Igbo tribe in â€Å"Things Fall Apart†. Prospero is a familial patriarch, shown through his dominant control of Miranda, such as ‘the very minute bids thee ope thine ear. Obey and be attentive’ . Hugh’s control of Manus is familial, as is Okonkwo’s control of his wives and children. Prospero’s controlRead More Kingsolver’s Portrayal of Christianity in The Poisonwood Bible3077 Words   |  13 Pagesattitude to Rachel in order to expose its hypocrisy. It has been suggested that Nathan is represented through the epigraphs heading each chapter. For example, ‘And God said unto them†¦replenish the earth/And subdue it and have dominion†¦over every living thing’, taken from Genesis 1:28, seems to reflect Nathan’s dominion and desire to control the thoughts of others. ‘Bel is a living God†¦do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?’(Bel and the Serpent 1:6) could be read as a metaphor of how drainingRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesglobalization, both of which can be seen as hallmarks of the opening decades of the twentieth century. This intermingling of the forces and processes that were arguably essential components 2 †¢ INTRODUCTION of two epochs we routinely set apart as centuries suggests the need for flexibility in demarcating phases of world history, and for determining beginnings and endings that accord with major shifts in political and socioeconomic circumstances and dynamics rather than standard but arbitrary