Slobodan Milosevic once said “the loss of national identity is the greatest defeat a nation can know, and it is inevitable under the contemporary form of colonization.” Things Fall Apart protagonist, Okonkwo, and “I Lost My Talk” poet Rita Joe recognize this, which is why they do everything in their power to hold onto their identity and culture when missionaries come to colonize their land. Okonkwo and Joe hold onto their culture in the face of adversity. This is shown when each of their cultures are threatened by colonization, when their cultures assimilate to the new culture, and when they refuse to remain passive. By examining Okonkwo’s thoughts and actions, along with Joe’s diction and symbolism, it will become clear how they hold onto
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They did this when they told the villagers that everything they believe in was wrong and tried scaring them into converting lest they face eternal damnation. The missionaries attempt to replace the existing culture with their own. The same event occurs in the poem “when [Joe] was a little girl/At Shubenacadie school” (Joe). When North America was colonized, Native American children like Joe, had no choice but to go to residential schools where European culture was forced upon them. The purpose of these schools was to convert the children to the new culture. Even though their cultures were being threatened, both Okonkwo and Joe remain devoted to them. Okonkwo shows his devotion to his culture when his son, Nwoye, converts to Christianity. After discovering what Nwoye had done, he threatens his other children that if they “decided to follow in Nwoye’s footsteps and abandon their ancestors… he, Okonkwo, would wipe them off the face of the Earth” (Achebe 153). Okonkwo lost his eldest son to colonisation, just like how Joe “lost [her] talk” (Joe). By using the word ‘lost’, Joe is recognizing that her ‘talk’, by which she means culture, is not lost forever. She recognizes it can be found. Okonkwo also realizes that all is not lost. He has other sons, whom he will ensure don’t follow in Nwoye’s footsteps, thus ensuring his culture lives. When the colonials arrive they …show more content…
They each cling to their way of life when it was being threatened by colonisation, they stick to their beliefs as the new culture gains power and influence, and they refuse to stand idly by as their cultures disappear. Okonkwo and Joe demonstrate these traits when their cultures are threatened and they realize that it is salvageable. Okonkwo and and Joe are resilient and are not intimidated by the power of the missionaries. Okonkwo does not stand down even after the new religion gains many converts and Joe continues to speak in her own language despite it being forbidden. They both take action against the missionaries in order to keep their culture alive. In conclusion, Okonkwo and Joe value their cultures and traditions so much that, even when everyone else around them are changing and becoming more like the Christians, they hold onto the old ways. Okonkwo and Joe demonstrate the value of culture and the importance of making your own decisions instead of following the crowd. In today’s day and age people are too concerned about what others think of them and fitting in. Okonkwo and Joe remind us to stay true to ourselves and our beliefs instead of assimilating to what others want us to
They did this when they told the villagers that everything they believe in was wrong and tried scaring them into converting lest they face eternal damnation. The missionaries attempt to replace the existing culture with their own. The same event occurs in the poem “when [Joe] was a little girl/At Shubenacadie school” (Joe). When North America was colonized, Native American children like Joe, had no choice but to go to residential schools where European culture was forced upon them. The purpose of these schools was to convert the children to the new culture. Even though their cultures were being threatened, both Okonkwo and Joe remain devoted to them. Okonkwo shows his devotion to his culture when his son, Nwoye, converts to Christianity. After discovering what Nwoye had done, he threatens his other children that if they “decided to follow in Nwoye’s footsteps and abandon their ancestors… he, Okonkwo, would wipe them off the face of the Earth” (Achebe 153). Okonkwo lost his eldest son to colonisation, just like how Joe “lost [her] talk” (Joe). By using the word ‘lost’, Joe is recognizing that her ‘talk’, by which she means culture, is not lost forever. She recognizes it can be found. Okonkwo also realizes that all is not lost. He has other sons, whom he will ensure don’t follow in Nwoye’s footsteps, thus ensuring his culture lives. When the colonials arrive they …show more content…
They each cling to their way of life when it was being threatened by colonisation, they stick to their beliefs as the new culture gains power and influence, and they refuse to stand idly by as their cultures disappear. Okonkwo and Joe demonstrate these traits when their cultures are threatened and they realize that it is salvageable. Okonkwo and and Joe are resilient and are not intimidated by the power of the missionaries. Okonkwo does not stand down even after the new religion gains many converts and Joe continues to speak in her own language despite it being forbidden. They both take action against the missionaries in order to keep their culture alive. In conclusion, Okonkwo and Joe value their cultures and traditions so much that, even when everyone else around them are changing and becoming more like the Christians, they hold onto the old ways. Okonkwo and Joe demonstrate the value of culture and the importance of making your own decisions instead of following the crowd. In today’s day and age people are too concerned about what others think of them and fitting in. Okonkwo and Joe remind us to stay true to ourselves and our beliefs instead of assimilating to what others want us to