Things Fall Apart and African stereotypes
Western civilization has been practicing imperialism for many years, and most Europeans powers have done some colonizing in Africa. Since exploration began, white Europeans have grown to feel superior to other peoples and this is reflected in the imperialism of Africa. One book that reflects the Europeans’ ethnocentric view is Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart in order to show Europeans that Igbo people and colonizing people are not extremely different, and both could have lived peacefully together. However, stereotypes of savageness and inhuman ways presented in the book, Heart of Darkness, did not allow peace.
A major stereotype in Heart of Darkness is the savageness …show more content…
Conrad emphasized the culture and civilized nature of the European people and implies that the African society lacks the same cultural elements making these people savage and uncontrolled (Mollie). In “Stereotypes in Heart of Darkness”, the author explains how Conrad viewed the Igbo as crude on simple standards, while not exploring the depths of family life (“Stereotypes in Heart of Darkness”). The main character of Heart of Darkness, Marlow, “continually generalizes the barbarian nature of the natives”, such generalizations do not completely describe most of African culture (“Stereotypes in Heart of Darkness”). Some can still argue that even Things Fall Apart shows evidence of a savage culture when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna, who was almost a son to Okonkwo; “He heard Ikemefuna cry… Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him …show more content…
Achebe says the evil forest was for “those who died of the really evil diseases, like leprosy and smallpox” (148). By showing that the Igbo have this “evil forest”, readers can see that the Africans have a view of good and evil, which exists in western culture. While the burying and exile of people to the evil forest may seem savage, it is very similar to prison or the exile of people to Siberia. Misty Bastian analyzed the Igbo hatred toward multiple births in “The Demon Superstition”, in which she states that twin or multiple births were an “abomination against Ala/Ali the earth deity” (Bastian 1). The Igbo would throw away twins in this evil forest because of the dislike of the births. This is again a unique cultural element that does not shows inhumanness or and underdeveloped culture, rather a belief that was part of the religion. In Things Fall Apart, the missionaries would rescue however the Igbo people still believed that the “twins still remained where they had been thrown away” (Achebe 154). While to some this may portray savageness, this really gives form to the culture of the Igbo people. All of these elements show readers a uniquely formed culture that is nothing but human. The inhuman stereotype is contradicted because now a group of people is no longer formless, gruesome and helpless, rather filled with traditions emotions and
Western civilization has been practicing imperialism for many years, and most Europeans powers have done some colonizing in Africa. Since exploration began, white Europeans have grown to feel superior to other peoples and this is reflected in the imperialism of Africa. One book that reflects the Europeans’ ethnocentric view is Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart in order to show Europeans that Igbo people and colonizing people are not extremely different, and both could have lived peacefully together. However, stereotypes of savageness and inhuman ways presented in the book, Heart of Darkness, did not allow peace.
A major stereotype in Heart of Darkness is the savageness …show more content…
Conrad emphasized the culture and civilized nature of the European people and implies that the African society lacks the same cultural elements making these people savage and uncontrolled (Mollie). In “Stereotypes in Heart of Darkness”, the author explains how Conrad viewed the Igbo as crude on simple standards, while not exploring the depths of family life (“Stereotypes in Heart of Darkness”). The main character of Heart of Darkness, Marlow, “continually generalizes the barbarian nature of the natives”, such generalizations do not completely describe most of African culture (“Stereotypes in Heart of Darkness”). Some can still argue that even Things Fall Apart shows evidence of a savage culture when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna, who was almost a son to Okonkwo; “He heard Ikemefuna cry… Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him …show more content…
Achebe says the evil forest was for “those who died of the really evil diseases, like leprosy and smallpox” (148). By showing that the Igbo have this “evil forest”, readers can see that the Africans have a view of good and evil, which exists in western culture. While the burying and exile of people to the evil forest may seem savage, it is very similar to prison or the exile of people to Siberia. Misty Bastian analyzed the Igbo hatred toward multiple births in “The Demon Superstition”, in which she states that twin or multiple births were an “abomination against Ala/Ali the earth deity” (Bastian 1). The Igbo would throw away twins in this evil forest because of the dislike of the births. This is again a unique cultural element that does not shows inhumanness or and underdeveloped culture, rather a belief that was part of the religion. In Things Fall Apart, the missionaries would rescue however the Igbo people still believed that the “twins still remained where they had been thrown away” (Achebe 154). While to some this may portray savageness, this really gives form to the culture of the Igbo people. All of these elements show readers a uniquely formed culture that is nothing but human. The inhuman stereotype is contradicted because now a group of people is no longer formless, gruesome and helpless, rather filled with traditions emotions and