Research Based on Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
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RoughDraftofFinalPortfolio.pdf
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Rough Draft of Final Portfolio
Jadah Arrington
ENG130-2
Colorado State University – Global Campus
Dr. Stone Meredith
November 15, 2019
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Portfolio Project Outline and Specified Cultural Analysis
Introduction
Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” is a culturally healthy book that depicts numerous
themes of the African communities in the early twentieth century. The book focuses on
Okonkwo who was an individual with pride and stuck to the traditional ways without any
thought and tolerance of changes. Chinua depicts that an individual that wants it all at the end
loses it all because of the various virtues such as pride, the fact that he does not want to accept
other people’s opinions that made it a challenge for him to learn. The book depicts betrayal and
colonialism and faith all that occur because the people believe in their gods and the reduction in
the harvest [pushes them to believe that they have angered the gods and changing to the
Christianity would be an abomination. The fact that the society was wealthy with culture makes
it an interest works because numerous foreigners enjoy it because they learn a lot about the ways
of the people in the previous century.
Struggling between change and tradition
The community was staunch into their traditional practices that makes it important for
them to maintain their customs. The fact that Okonkwo was working so hard to appease the
elders and the gods so that they will grant him the ascension into the lordship. The measure made
him so stuck to the ways of the community and when it was time for him to kill his adopted son
because he did not want to appear weak among the other community members. The fact that the
White man was introducing Christianity into the traditional community was more of interfering
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with the people’s problems and norms (Parmentier & Fischer, 2015). It is evident that the
external pressure in the society was a way to revolutionize without giving the people the chance
to lead their lives without condemnation that is not appropriate. It is evident in the actual world
that the west being forwards tends to forcefully impose their ways on those of the others without
thinking that their ways might be wrong or the people should lead their lives the way they want.
Pride
It is evident in the book that Okonkwo was the proudest individual looking down upon
the others and ignoring the fact that they were from the same community. The pride did not
allow him to sit down and interact with others thus making him look like he was the pillar for the
society because of his achievements with several women that objectify him, children and the fact
that he was a successful wrestler. It is evident in the world that there are wealthy billionaires that
would prefer to live large while there are others that would prefer eating and initiating projects to
help others. Individuals such as Bill Gates has funded numerous projects independently and
through his charity foundation that does a lot for the community. The individual does not boast
about their achievements to the people instead they focus on how to work together with the
people and aid them without the need to show off and despise others.
Different appreciation of masculinity
Okonkwo was a skillful warrior in the community and this gave him a reputation in the
society that made it a challenge for any individual to come forward to fight them. However,
Okonkwo did not understand how to use the masculinity for good instead he became a villain at
the same time he was trying to become good. It is evident in the current society that men are
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stronger and dominant compared to the women and thus the society tends to lean towards the
men and leaving the women out to dry. Men will boast over the women and push them towards
some of the weak assumptions that society places on women “girly” where they might not work
or endure the same levels of pressure at work (Yékú, 2017). However, it is not quite true,
especially in the current decade where women and men have similar access to resources and
education thus can compete for the same opportunities losing the need to argue with the muscles.
Language: the sign of cultural difference
Language variations in the current world is a major problem because of the increase in
the segregation and differentiation on the basis of the cultural variations. For instance, the United
States has numerous communities that include the Asian, African Americans, Latinas among
others. The variations in the language implies that one has to be careful on what they say and
how to say it without offending the others. It is evident that some of the most offensive words
should not arise at any given time when interacting with African Americans. It is essential to
understand that the community is making a major significance on the matter, especially because
there is an increase in cultural awareness but it is still taking time but it is better compared to the
previous century. Achebe implies that the Igbo language was the most resourceful to the people
that kept them together and a slight variation of translation would change the meaning which
shows the importance of taking time to understand the content before the words (Nnoromele,
2000).
Divide among generations
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The 20th century had men and generally people that left their homes in the morning went
in to work the manual labor for 8hrs before ending their days. It was a tough generation because
sometimes they had two or three shifts at different jobs to help them make ends meet and provide
for their families. The generation like Okonkwo views the current 21st century generation as
weak and failures because they tend to eat from their brightness and making through innovations
such as computer programs and apps. The difference emanates from the technology and era that
the two generations come from such as Okonkwo’s father whom he despised and kept working
harder to make sure that he does not have his reputation as lazy. The father was making it
through music which was a talent and it is present in most societies now of whom which parents
from previous generations would not approve.
Repression
The current society would disagree with Chinua Achebe’s portrayal of Okonkwo because
he chose to always act and appear tough in the society and among the people. Most people in the
current cultures choose to speak through their feelings. People prefer vulnerable people because
they believe that they can easily interact and socialize with and connect with on the human level
other than those that are hiding their feelings (Korang, 2011). It is all about feelings in the
current generation which Okonkwo would have related to his father and son because he saw such
traits as weaknesses and not eligible to an individual like him who was seeking to become a
leader.
Ethnographic distance
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The device is evident in the book because Chinua Achebe is distancing himself from the
book that leaves the reader thrilled and curious. The measure is evident in the society because
culture is depleting in the society because numerous people are currently not living within the
confinement of the culture. People interact and live openly in the world and this tends to make
them lead straight lives without thinking that they have a connection with their societies. In the
western countries, there are no measures of people interacting and understanding the need of
cultures instead they lead open lives with no connection to their cultural norms.
Conclusion
The society comprises of different people with varied customs and approaches to life that
makes it different. People lead a social life without having to communicate and interact but they
cannot directly inflict pain and bad vices on others thus it is essential to come to the
understanding that people are different but they can lead proper lives. Chinua Achebe manages
to combine a whole cultural filled activity into a single book and a story from a single
community that face numerous negative perceptions. The society comprises of indifferences in
terms of gender, race, levels of equality among others all that make us unique but it requires
people to act mature and learn to live together as one community. Okonkwo’s village understood
him and they all had to live with him taking advantage of some of his strengths and downplaying
some of the weaknesses.
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References
Korang, K. L. (2011). Making a Post-Eurocentric Humanity: Tragedy, Realism, and Things Fall
Apart. Research in African Literatures, 42(2), 1–29.
https://doi.org/10.2979/reseafrilite.42.2.1
Nnoromele, P. C. (2000). The Plight of a Hero in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. College
Literature, 27(2), 146.
Parmentier, M.-A., & Fischer, E. (2015). Things Fall Apart: The Dynamics of Brand
Audience Dissipation. Journal of Consumer Research, 41(5), 1228–1251.
https://doi.org/10.1086/678907
Yékú, J. (2017). ‘Thighs Fell Apart’: online fan fiction, and African writing in a digital age.
Journal of African Cultural Studies, 29(3), 261–275.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13696815.2016.1201652
