help with res pape due in 3 days

Clark

Tracy Clark

Instructor Cobbs

ENGL - 102

22 March 2024

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Comment by Shannon Smith: You having a title that makes your paper feel engaging followed by the book title and the author would benefit your paper. EX: Cultural Disturbance through Characters: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

It is the late 19th century. European nations are in intense competition to expand and acquire various colonies. They send missionaries to spread their beliefs and culture and create a favorable climate for colonization. These missionaries enter Nigerian society and established medical facilities, schools, and churches. They tell the local communities that their religion and beliefs are wrong. Missionaries influence many people to convert to Christianity. They overtake the cultural beliefs and practices of the local community. These historical events can all be seen coming to fruition in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. In his novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe explores cultural disruptions in society through the characters Okonkwo, Nwoye, Mr. Brown, Reverend James Smith, and Ezinma. Comment by Shannon Smith: Good attention-getter, try making the two the same sentence, it might improve the flow. Comment by Shannon Smith: Revision suggestion: "These nations send missionaries to spread their beliefs, culture and to create favorable climates for colonization." Comment by Shannon Smith: *entered Comment by Shannon Smith: Good lead up to introducing the thesis of your paper! After reading your paper, you should add that it explores the rejection of culture as well.

Okonkwo is one of the characters through which Chinua Achebe explores the cultural disruptions of the society. Okonkwo adheres to traditional values and tries to resist change. However, he is unable to stick to the traditional values when the missionaries enter the villages occupied by the Igbo people. Okonkwo’s downfall is caused by his resistance to the white colonialists and missionaries. Okonkwo decides to kill himself when he realizes that the locals will not fight the missionaries. In his novel “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe writes, “Then they came to the tree from which Okonkwo’s body was dangling, and they stopped dead” (130). The villagers’ refusal to go to war with the colonialists infuriates Okonkwo. While Okonkwo strongly believes in the preservation of traditional values, the other villagers including the chiefs are easily swayed by the missionaries. Comment by Shannon Smith: This feels like a summary of events, try adding some more supportive quotes from the passage here to support what you're saying. Also keep in mind to relate back to the thesis when providing claims. Comment by Shannon Smith: Why is Okonkwo killing himself prevalent to the message of cultural disruption? Be sure to link this to your thesis. How does killing himself symbolize his defiance to changes in culture? Comment by Shannon Smith: A good tip for keeping the flow of your essay is to make your citations fit your essay especially if the citation starts with a capital letter, this can be done with brackets. Brackets can be used to clarify citations or improve the flow grammatically.  Tip: It's also important to note any information that is not applicable within a citation you can use ellipsis (three periods) to do so. EX:  In his novel “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe writes, “[t]hen they came to the tree from which Okonkwo’s body was dangling, and they stopped dead” (130).

Okonkwo’s struggles portray cultural disruptions of the Igbo society. Okonkwo represents the people who refuse to accept changes implemented by white missionaries. However, he fails to resist changes. According to Bani-Khair et al., “Okonkwo stands for the extraordinary possibility wiped out through his suicide” (111). Okonkwo encourages the Igbo people to embrace their beliefs and practices, but they refuse to listen to him. Okonkwo lives a traditional life: however, he falls apart when the white man arrives at the Igbo society. The Igbo people accept the values and practices of the colonizers. Okonkwo commits suicide when he realizes that the white missionaries have successfully disrupted the Igbo culture. Suicide denotes the loss of domination, physical authority, and the tribal system. It represents the collapse of the Igbos’ traditional life. Comment by Shannon Smith: This seems like the same topic sentence as the above body paragraph, though this paragraph is best described by the second sentence. Comment by Shannon Smith: + This evidence helps support the claim that his suicide is against the colonizers. Comment by Shannon Smith: These feel like summarizations instead of an explanation of how this resembles how Okonkwo handles the cultural disruption and how his suicide is a rebellion against the colonizers. Comment by null: 1 total reaction Shannon Smith reacted with ✅ at 2024-03-30 08:14 AM Comment by Shannon Smith: More evidence on why his suicide would be helpful and how suicide is representative of the cultural disruption rebellion.

Cultural disruptions of the society are also depicted through Nwoye. The missionaries manage to convert Nwoye to Christianity. Their new religion captivates him. While describing Nwoye’s view of Christianity, Achebe writes, “It was the poetry of the new religion, something felt in the marrow. The hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his young soul” (94). Nwoye likes the hymns introduced by the missionaries. Even though he does not understand various concepts in Christianity, he is already drawn to the religion. Nwoye spends his time with the missionaries to learn about their religion. He is not happy when people ask him about his father or associate him with the African religion. The Igbo society is severely disrupted because the missionaries introduce a new religion to people like Nwoye. Comment by Shannon Smith: When doing intext citations, in order to keep the flow a good tip is to make your citations fit better is making the first part of a citation lowercase. This can be done with the use of brackets. Ex: While describing Nwoye’s view of Christianity, Achebe writes, “[i]t was the poetry of the new religion, something felt in the marrow. The hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his young soul” (94). Comment by Shannon Smith: + this is a great way to support his viewpoints on the Christian faith.

Nwoye rejects the traditional values and the strict upbringing of his father. He walks away from home and decides never to return. Nwoye goes to the missionary school established to teach children how to read and write. He seeks refuge at the missionary school when his father threatens to punish him. According to Okoye, “Mission houses provided alternative communities to village life, and refuge for individuals facing punishment (7). Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity causes a rift in his family. He is seen as having betrayed his traditional customs and beliefs. Nwoye abandons pre-colonial customs such as ancestor worship, age-grade societies, polygamy, marriage payments, and initiation ceremonies when he embraces Christianity. The missionaries change his norms and beliefs. They cause uncooperative behavior among the villagers such as Nwoye. The missionaries also make it difficult for the local rulers to govern. Locals such as Nwoye can disobey the local authorities and seek refuge at the missionary schools. Comment by null: 1 total reaction Shannon Smith reacted with ✅ at 2024-03-30 08:19 AM Comment by Shannon Smith: This paragraph feels more like a summary than a contribution to how this is a cultural disruption. Try and go in and explain how the physical implication of the mission houses are a symbol of cultural disruption to the Igbo culture.

Mr. Brown disrupts the traditional Igbo society by introducing Christianity. He makes friends with the villagers and teaches them Christian beliefs and practices. Mr. Brown changes the village by introducing trading stores and churches. In his novel, Achebe writes, “the white man had indeed brought a lunatic religion, but he had also built a trading store and for the first-time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia” (112). Mr. Brown engages in cultural exchange with the villagers. He learns about the Igbo culture with the aim of persuading the villagers to do away with their cultural beliefs and practices. The introduction of a trading score and school in the village makes the locals adopt Western values. Comment by Shannon Smith: When starting with a citation that is midway through, put an ellipsis (three periods) before the relevant part.  EX:  Mr. Brown changes the village by introducing trading stores and churches. In his novel, Achebe writes, “...the white man had indeed brought a lunatic religion, but he had also built a trading store and for the first-time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia” (112). Comment by Shannon Smith: Feels more like summary and the last sentence doesn't feel related to the topic or the thesis.

Mr. Brown uses a compromising approach to change the cultural beliefs of the Igbo people. In his article “Igbo Culture Is Better Than European Culture with Reference to Things Fall Apart”, Anjum Maliha explains how the white missionaries disrupt the Igbo society. Maliha argues that the Igbo people “faced a sudden cultural change” when the white missionaries arrived (2). The white missionaries convince the locals that Western culture is better than Igbo culture. However, the Igbo culture is better because of its rich language and religious system. The Igbo culture teaches moral values. This culture is dropped by the locals because the white missionaries such as Mr. Brown bring development to the villages. Comment by Shannon Smith: What kind of development?

Reverend James Smith disrupts the Igbo society by demanding all converts to reject their beliefs. He does not respect the traditional Igbo culture and customs. Reverend James Smith replaces Mr. Brown as the church leader. Achebe writes, “He condemned openly Mr. Brown’s policy of compromise and accommodation” (116). Reverend Smith is intolerant of the local Igbo customs and beliefs. His disrespect and intolerance force many people to stop practicing their beliefs. Many people avoid engaging in their customs as they fear Reverend Smith’s reaction. Comment by null: 1 total reaction Shannon Smith reacted with ✅ at 2024-03-30 09:48 AM Comment by Shannon Smith: This paragraph needs more development on how it relates back to the thesis.

Igbo culture loses its attributes due to missionary activity. In his article "Culture and Change: A Critical Analysis of Igbo Cultural Alienation in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart”, Gregory Chinweuba and Evaristus Chukwudi analyze the factors that contribute to cultural transformations in the Igbo society. Chinweuba and Chukwudi explain that “when two cultures interact, the more organized culture often dominates, affecting most of the traditions in the other and making its people derail from their indigenous way of life” (2). Missionaries such as Reverend Smith introduce an organized culture to the Igbos. The white missionaries have a documentation system while the Igbos do not have a documentation system. The religious beliefs of the missionaries are; therefore, documented properly. The missionaries’ western culture is more advanced due to its education, infrastructure, and healthcare. As the missionaries bring education and infrastructure to the Igbos, they disregard the traditional beliefs and practices of the villagers. Comment by Shannon Smith: + this is a good quote to explain how the missionaries disrupted the Igbo culture.

Enzinma fails to follow the traditional gender roles due to the cultural disruptions by the white missionaries. The missionaries make her forget how they should behave. In the Igbo society, women are expected to maintain modesty. They are required to cross their legs when they sit. Enzinma fails to follow this rule when she interacts with her father. Okonkwo tells Enzinma to “Sit like a woman!” (Achebe 31). He also stops Enzinma from doing certain roles that should be performed by boys. Enzinma struggles with the Igbo’s rules regarding position, posture, and gender roles. She lacks an adequate understanding of her own cultural rules due to the influence of the missionaries. Young people such as Enzinma have to learn their traditional values and the Western values introduced by the white missionaries. This causes confusion and misunderstanding of the existing cultural values and beliefs. Comment by Shannon Smith: Good! Comment by Shannon Smith: Suggestion:  Okonkwo tells Enzinma to “[s]it like a woman!” (Achebe 31).

Ezinma modifies her practices and behaviors because of the entry of missionaries into the African society and the propagation of their culture. As a girl, Enzinma is expected to be passive and submissive; however, she appears to be assertive. According to Bani-Khair et al., “women in such a tribal community have a low voice and are always silenced by their men'' (111). Enzinma’s character represents cultural adaptations due to missionary influence. She fails to adhere to the norms of the patriarchal Igbo society. The missionaries change the societal order of the Igbo people. They interfere with the established gender roles by introducing a new way of life. Comment by Shannon Smith: The topic sentence here is related, however it is not supporting your thesis. Comment by Shannon Smith: *into African Comment by Shannon Smith: These two directly conflict with one another. It does not explain how Ezinma is assertive. Comment by Shannon Smith: A piece of evidence here would help further your argument. Make sure to always link back to the thesis statement.

Okonkwo, Nwoye, Mr. Brown, Reverend James Smith, and Ezinma symbolize the cultural disruptions of the Igbo society. Mr. Brown and Reverend James Smith are the white missionaries who introduce Christianity to the Igbos. The missionaries severely disrupt the religion and local government of the Igbo people. They introduce new religions to the people and persuade them to convert. The local government is severely disrupted because the rulers are unable to punish those who do not follow the rules. A significant number of people stop following rules due to the influence of the missionaries. Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” inspires the examination of colonialism in Africa. The novel introduces African governance systems, values, and traditions.

Comment by Shannon Smith: Make sure to put a page break before the works cited page.

Works Cited

Bani-Khair, Baker Mohammad Jamil, et al. "Social and Political Corruption in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart (1958): A Critical Study."  International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation 6.4 (2023): 110-114. https://al-kindipublisher.com/index.php/ijllt/article/view/5247

Chinua, Achebe. "Things Fall Apart." (2021). http://debracollege.dspaces.org/bitstream/123456789/300/1/things_fall_apart--_full_text.pdf

Chinweuba, Gregory Emeka PhD & Chukwudi, Evaristus Ezeugwu PhD. "Culture and Change: A Critical Analysis of Igbo Cultural Alienation in Chinua Achebe’s „Things Fall Apart “."  Philosophia 30.2023 (2022). https://philosophia-bg.com/archive/philosophia-18-2017-2/cultute-and-change-a-critical-analysis-of-igbo-cultural-alienation-in-chinua-achebes-things-fall-apart/

Maliha, Humyra Anjum. "Igbo Culture Is Better Than European Culture with Reference to Things Fall Apart."  GSJ 8.7 (2020). https://www.academia.edu/download/64150670/Igbo_Culture_is_Better_than_European_Culture_with_reference_to_Things_Fall_Apart.pdf

Okoye, Dozie. "Things fall apart? missions, institutions, and interpersonal trust."  Journal of Development Economics 148 (2021): 102568. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304387820301437