Human beings make history. While this claim is in a sense true, it is also true that history moulds, defines and continuously redefines humanity. This is to say that a fuller understanding of our very own humanity is achievable if one cradles a deep sense of history. This deep sense of history however is not merely limited to the realm of history proper as other disciplines also provide their own account of representing and understanding history. Literature is but one of the many vehicles in and through which one may engrave a deep sense of history. Such is the case since literary texts portray the intellectual, political, economic, social, and artistic developments in a particular period. It is within this context that one may state that literary works reflect the intellectual, political, economic, social and artistic climates of a period. It is important to note however that it is not only the work, which is a product of a particular period. The author himself is a product of the various factors that influence the growth or decline of a specific time in history. In the 20th Century, literature witnessed the flourishing of ideas and themes that mirror the spirit of the times. To such an extent then, literary works, just like the discipline of history, may be considered as a potent source of information as to how to describe and fully understand society and its stages of evolution.
In line with this, the following discussion analyzes and assesses the influence of history in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart. Achebes text does not only mirror the influence of historical events in the production of literary texts as it also portrays the role of historical events in determining an authors view of reality. Within the text, Achebes portrayal of the Igbo society manifests the existence of universal traits that all cultures and hence different societies share. In addition, Achebes specification of the foundational metaphysical beliefs of the Igbo society also depict his philosophy of history which requires an individuals assessment of his past in order to attain fuller understanding of his future.
Originally written to counter the negative views on Nigerian culture caused by Joyce Carys Mister Johnson, Achebes Things Fall Apart portrays the Igbo society before it was affected by colonialism. Although the text in itself was initially set in the period of colonial Africa, the preceding events in the novel shows the existence of a civilized Igbo society prior to the influence of Europe. What makes Achebes text distinct from other novels that also depict the loss of African culture because of colonialism lies in its intrinsic question of how to synthesize two seemingly opposing cultures in such a way that the positive elements of both cultures may be retained while at the same time retaining the foundations of Nigerian culture. Achebe explicitly states the need for this synthesis as claims, What possibility ... there was in this episode of our history for the celebration of our own world, for the singing of the song of ourselves, in the din of an insistent world and song of others. Achebe, in this sense, insists in discovering a way of enabling the existence of two different views of reality as he emphasizes that what makes human experience distinct from one another lies in the conceptual schemes that each individual adopts from his own culture. Despite the dissimilarity of these conceptual schemes, certain similarities remain in the foundational level. In the case of his analogy, the similarity lies in their existence as two different but not necessarily opposing worldviews.
Achebes insistence on the synthesis of the Eurocentric and African perspectives may be attributed to his familys role in accepting Christianity in the region. He notes that his family was one of the first Christian converts in Ogidi. Given his introduction to certain aspects of European education, Achebe recognizes that his worldview is a result of this combination between two different cultures. From this recognition, he also emphasizes that his work, that being Things Fall Apart, is also a result of the synthesis of these two cultures in his own person. He emphasizes the connection of both worldviews within the text as he conveys the message for the necessity of practicing cultural pluralism, which entails the respect as well as tolerance of different cultural practices.
Within the text, Achebe conveys the message of the necessity of cultural pluralism by initially specifying the metaphysical beliefs of the Igbo people. One of the foundations of this belief lies in the Igbos view of the human being as an entity shaped by his actions. In the case of the Igbo, one is not merely shaped by ones actions due to the immediate repercussions of ones decisions rather the effects of ones actions permeate the spiritual sphere, as it does not merely affect the individual but also those who are immediately related to him in both the past and in the future. Consider for example the following description of Okonkwo,
If ever a man deserved his success, that man was Okonkwo. At an early age he had achieved fame as the greatest wrestler in all the land. That was not luck. At the most one could say that his chi or personal god was good. But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his chi says yes also. Okonkwo said yes very strongly so his chi agreed. And not only his chi but his clan too, because it judged a man by the work of his hands. (Achebe 1958, 19)
The chi here may be understood as a representation not only of the human spirit, which influences human actions to the extent that it reflects and in some instances predetermines an individuals future, as it is also a representation of mans embeddedness in his environment. Consider for example that after Okonkwo disgraces himself in his community, they appraise his actions in line with his chi as they claim, Clearly his personal god or chi was not made for greater things. The Igbos association of Okonkwos failure with his chi shows that his human spirit, which is a product of his Igbo ancestry, is no longer fully intertwined with his community as he failed to accept the introduction of foreign changes in his community. One may thereby state that Okonkwos murderous action as well as his suicide coincides with his inability to agree with his chi in accepting the changes in his community. Note that within the text Okonkwo states, Why ..., should he, Okonkwo, of all people be cursed with such a son He saw clearly in it the finger of his personal god or chi.
Within this context, Achebe portrays his philosophy of history as he shows that although the individual is a product of his past, which includes not only the practices and traditions of his culture but also those who existed before him, the unification of ones self with ones spirit requires the acceptance of changes in ones surroundings. This however does not necessarily entail that one ought to forget ones heritage. On the other hand, this merely implies that one ought to use the materials inculcated from these changes in the process of solidifying ones heritage. As was mentioned in the initial part of the discussion, knowledge of ones self requires the synthesis of ones past and present in order to further the growth of ones self.
On a personal note, this leads one to adopt a more tolerant view of other traditions not only due to their foundational similarity with the conceptual framework of a dominant cultural perspective but also due to the importance of the account that they provide regarding human beings in general. Achebes text thereby not only promotes the necessity of practicing tolerance towards other cultures as it also promotes the necessity to recognize ones roots in order to fully know ones self.
In line with this, the following discussion analyzes and assesses the influence of history in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart. Achebes text does not only mirror the influence of historical events in the production of literary texts as it also portrays the role of historical events in determining an authors view of reality. Within the text, Achebes portrayal of the Igbo society manifests the existence of universal traits that all cultures and hence different societies share. In addition, Achebes specification of the foundational metaphysical beliefs of the Igbo society also depict his philosophy of history which requires an individuals assessment of his past in order to attain fuller understanding of his future.
Originally written to counter the negative views on Nigerian culture caused by Joyce Carys Mister Johnson, Achebes Things Fall Apart portrays the Igbo society before it was affected by colonialism. Although the text in itself was initially set in the period of colonial Africa, the preceding events in the novel shows the existence of a civilized Igbo society prior to the influence of Europe. What makes Achebes text distinct from other novels that also depict the loss of African culture because of colonialism lies in its intrinsic question of how to synthesize two seemingly opposing cultures in such a way that the positive elements of both cultures may be retained while at the same time retaining the foundations of Nigerian culture. Achebe explicitly states the need for this synthesis as claims, What possibility ... there was in this episode of our history for the celebration of our own world, for the singing of the song of ourselves, in the din of an insistent world and song of others. Achebe, in this sense, insists in discovering a way of enabling the existence of two different views of reality as he emphasizes that what makes human experience distinct from one another lies in the conceptual schemes that each individual adopts from his own culture. Despite the dissimilarity of these conceptual schemes, certain similarities remain in the foundational level. In the case of his analogy, the similarity lies in their existence as two different but not necessarily opposing worldviews.
Achebes insistence on the synthesis of the Eurocentric and African perspectives may be attributed to his familys role in accepting Christianity in the region. He notes that his family was one of the first Christian converts in Ogidi. Given his introduction to certain aspects of European education, Achebe recognizes that his worldview is a result of this combination between two different cultures. From this recognition, he also emphasizes that his work, that being Things Fall Apart, is also a result of the synthesis of these two cultures in his own person. He emphasizes the connection of both worldviews within the text as he conveys the message for the necessity of practicing cultural pluralism, which entails the respect as well as tolerance of different cultural practices.
Within the text, Achebe conveys the message of the necessity of cultural pluralism by initially specifying the metaphysical beliefs of the Igbo people. One of the foundations of this belief lies in the Igbos view of the human being as an entity shaped by his actions. In the case of the Igbo, one is not merely shaped by ones actions due to the immediate repercussions of ones decisions rather the effects of ones actions permeate the spiritual sphere, as it does not merely affect the individual but also those who are immediately related to him in both the past and in the future. Consider for example the following description of Okonkwo,
If ever a man deserved his success, that man was Okonkwo. At an early age he had achieved fame as the greatest wrestler in all the land. That was not luck. At the most one could say that his chi or personal god was good. But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man says yes his chi says yes also. Okonkwo said yes very strongly so his chi agreed. And not only his chi but his clan too, because it judged a man by the work of his hands. (Achebe 1958, 19)
The chi here may be understood as a representation not only of the human spirit, which influences human actions to the extent that it reflects and in some instances predetermines an individuals future, as it is also a representation of mans embeddedness in his environment. Consider for example that after Okonkwo disgraces himself in his community, they appraise his actions in line with his chi as they claim, Clearly his personal god or chi was not made for greater things. The Igbos association of Okonkwos failure with his chi shows that his human spirit, which is a product of his Igbo ancestry, is no longer fully intertwined with his community as he failed to accept the introduction of foreign changes in his community. One may thereby state that Okonkwos murderous action as well as his suicide coincides with his inability to agree with his chi in accepting the changes in his community. Note that within the text Okonkwo states, Why ..., should he, Okonkwo, of all people be cursed with such a son He saw clearly in it the finger of his personal god or chi.
Within this context, Achebe portrays his philosophy of history as he shows that although the individual is a product of his past, which includes not only the practices and traditions of his culture but also those who existed before him, the unification of ones self with ones spirit requires the acceptance of changes in ones surroundings. This however does not necessarily entail that one ought to forget ones heritage. On the other hand, this merely implies that one ought to use the materials inculcated from these changes in the process of solidifying ones heritage. As was mentioned in the initial part of the discussion, knowledge of ones self requires the synthesis of ones past and present in order to further the growth of ones self.
On a personal note, this leads one to adopt a more tolerant view of other traditions not only due to their foundational similarity with the conceptual framework of a dominant cultural perspective but also due to the importance of the account that they provide regarding human beings in general. Achebes text thereby not only promotes the necessity of practicing tolerance towards other cultures as it also promotes the necessity to recognize ones roots in order to fully know ones self.
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