Abstract
Chinua Achebe is one of the authors that paid significant attention to traditions, culture, and social conflicts. Since the second half of the 20th century, many cultures remained cognizant of the importance of multiculturalism and diversity. Therefore, such societies had a global worldview rather than just a single homogenous group of people. One of the factors that contributed to this turn of events was colonization. “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe is a book that focuses on many themes regarding culture including the value and struggles of multiculturalism in the wake of imperial rule. The discussion will center on analyzing the book from an international or multicultural point of view.
Keywords: Multiculturalism, culture, colonization, recognition, racism, and tradition.
Introduction
Starting from the second half of the 20 th century, many societies began to view themselves through the lenses of multiculturalism. Several factors contributed to this historical diversity including colonization, immigration, and slavery among others. "Things Fall Apart" is an African literary text written in 1959 by Chinua Achebe. Many scholars regard it as a critique of the colonial influence and the impact it had on the African society. It paints a picture of the British invasion into Nigeria in the course of the late 19 th and the early 20 th century. Despite its seemingly political tone, Chinua Achebe provides the reader with a sharp international and multicultural understanding of the society. In "Things Fall Apart," the author centers on the tensions between two different cultures due to colonialism which assists him in revealing the essence of multiculturalism. Chinua Achebe, in his novel “Things Fall Apart,” reveals the essence of multiculturalism by painting a picture of how colonialism reshaped the African continent through ways such as ideology, religion, society, and politics.
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Background
“ Things Fall Apart” was the first novel by Chinua Achebe. It highlights the society of the present day Nigeria during the period between 1850 and 1900 (Morrison, 2016). The focus is placed on the community of the Ibo including their traditions, culture, and community life. Although the whole Ibo society is discussed in the book, the primary significance is found in one of the characters named Okonkwo. Achebe is hell-bent on using him, together with the broader Igbo society, to demonstrate the changes that occurred due to the interactions between Europe and Africa in the colonial period. Achebe confronts the readers with a host of cultures representing different concepts, habits, patterns, and philosophy. The primary question that readers have on finishing the text revolves around how it is possible for them to understand the culture of a society they knew nothing about before reading the book (Ibo). The answer is simple. Chinua Achebe has used various strategies in a bid to bridge the cultural difference that seems wide between the European colonialists and their African counterparts. Therefore, the goal is to find read the book through an international and multicultural lens in a bid to understand the influence of colonialism in African society (Mohammadzadeh, 2009).
Mr. Brown as an Embodiment of Multiculturalism
Although most of the colonial masters were largely ruthless and oppressive to the local people, Mr. Brown is one of the exceptions that go ahead to underpin the value of multiculturalism in society. Mr. Brown reveals the positive side of the colonialist in the book. Morrison, (2016), says, "From the whole, Brown has an ability to listen to two sides in a dispute, and advise a compromise acceptable to both, therefore, he won a large number of converts.” Mr. Brown, as a missionary, played a significant role in the building of the schools and hospitals which he asked the African people in the Ibo society to embrace. He further goes ahead to warn that people that if they don't use the schools and the hospitals, strangers would soon come from elsewhere to rule them. Although brown knows nothing about the Ibo culture and tradition, he remains keen to respect them and refrains from any aspect that would antagonize him with the members of the local community. When talking to Akunna, one of the locals, he remains respectful and does not insult him. Therefore, through the intervention of Mr. Brown, readers can understand that different cultures can exist and new ones can be incorporated so long as imposition and disrespect are removed out of the picture.
Reverend Smith as an Antagonist of Multiculturalism
Morrison (2016) pointed out that Achebe is hell-bent on showing how the interaction between different societies could impact culture and enhance a sense of liberalism and open-mindedness. Unlike Mr. Brown, Mr. Smith reveals the tensions that can result when two strange cultures come toe to toe. Smith is a constant troublemaker between the church and the clan. He neither knows nor respects the Ibo traditions and cultures. He does not treat the converts well and asks them to adhere to what the Bible entails strictly. He asks the converts to cut ties with the traditional cultures and further asks them to fight the clan. Therefore, Achebe is determined to demonstrate the negative aspects of colonialism, especially on the local culture. It is in this regards that the villagers are enraged with the treatment of Smith which eventually causes them to burn down the church. Ajofia, one of the persons that burn the church, tells Smith, "It is good that a man should worship the gods and the spirits of his fathers. Go back to your house so that you may not be hurt" (Achebe, 1958p.180). Achebe uses the position of Smith to demonstrate that although integration of culture was possible, it had to follow a specific guideline where the locals felt that they were appreciated by their foreign counterparts.
Religion as a Tool for Multiculturalism
Out of the many aspects that make up a society and its tradition, there isn't a single one that is more influential than religion. Religion encompasses a system of beliefs about a supreme being. Before colonialism, the Africans had their own set of religion and a system of beliefs. The different characters portrayed in the text have a strong enthusiasm for their religion. The Europeans that arrived in the Ibo community are hell-bent on converting the people to a new religion. However, it remains critical to note that on arrival, the Europeans use tactics to convert the people to Christianity (Okpewho, 2003). One of them outlines that humanity, in general, belongs to one God. They go ahead to convince the people that they are worshipping they are worshipping the wrong god. Some of the local people are attracted to the new religion such as Nwoye who finds the poetry of the new religion to be appealing to her. The Europeans embark on building a church in Mbanta which goes ahead to receive a massive following from the people (Dobbernack, 2010). The Church also acts as a refugee camp to those who have been regarded as outcasts in their community for converting into the new faith. The constant conflict between Christianity and the traditional religion is an indication of the impact of multiculturalism in a society. Although Christianity won many traditional hearts, it was at constant loggerheads with the local tradition hence creating problems.
The Role of Okonkwo in Portraying Multiculturalism
Okonkwo has received a significant position in the society due to his role as a warrior and a hero. Through his endeavors, he has brought in honor to the village. He despised his father and regarded him a failure. As such, this has enabled him to work harder and avoid the same fate as his father. However, he is not happy with his life in general especially the particular society which he stays lives in. He experiences a feeling of self-consciousness and alienation from the broader Ibo society. He is therefore held in between establishing his life as a traditional Ibo and walking the new life of the Europeans. Achebe tries to use the character of Okonkwo to demonstrate how multiculturalism can affect an individual's quest to attain a sense of identity. Due to the difficulty, he gets in compromising the two cultures. Dobbernack, (2010) outlined that the story of Okonkwo is used to portray the principal of social conflict that comes as a result of a convergence of cultures with different world views. The social conflicts can also happen with the mind of a person as a result of non-conformity. The impact that ensues is a feeling of isolation which can eventually lead to aggressive actions such as the committing of suicide.
Racism as a Function of Multiculturalism
Racism remains one of the problems that were born out of multiculturalism and the convergence of people from different parts of the world. Racism is defined as the prejudice directed towards a person based on their physical attributes such as skin color. The main aim of Achebe was to demonstrate a western world that looked down upon Africa as a society that was primitive, underdeveloped, and simple. Overall, most of the colonialists had a false impression about Africa and its people. They came with a preset mind as seen in what many European writers of Africa wrote in their books (Morrison, 2016). The authors continuously portrayed Africa as a dark place where savage and uncivilized people lived. From an international perspective, Chinua Achebe was hell-bent on revealing the true nature of the convergence between the colonialists and the Africans. He explores the altered mentality and how it influenced the interaction between the two groups. In proving his assertions, Achebe goes ahead to say, “Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked" (Achebe, 1958 p.123).
Many authors have argued that racism was primarily used during the pre-colonial and colonial eras to create cultural, social, and political differences between the whites and the Africans. The clash between the two cultures had racism as the most probable outcome. When the white man first appeared in the Ibo society, the people refer to them as “Lepers” and “Albinos” (Achebe, 1958p.138). Since they were white in color, the Ibo people began associating them with a sense of superiority. The European strengthened this argument by further asserting that the Africans were not only of primitive mind but also uncivilized (Achebe, 1958p. 209). From such assertions, the readers can view how racism came as a result of a convergence of nations and cultures from different parts of the world. Had it not been for the colonization of Africa, negative sentiments would not have dominated various works of literature developed by the whites. Stretching back to the slave trade era, racism emerged as a tactic by the whites to overemphasize their dominance over the Africans. A similar trend is also witnessed in "Things Fall Apart" as the hegemonic Europeans discredit any value in the humanity of Africans.
Conclusion
Chinua Achebe, in his novel “Things Fall Apart,” reveals the essence of multiculturalism by painting a picture of how colonialism reshaped the African continent through ways such as ideology, religion, society, and politics. In the course of the 20 th century, many societies across the world became multicultural. Multiculturalism was primarily a way of managing the diversity of the society. Although this new cultural dispensation was vital especially for the Africans who received a new religion, hospitals, and education, it had its adverse implications. It was directly responsible for the chaos due to its impact on cultural assimilation and racism. Today, multiculturalism has failed in many societies because it is a negation from citizenship and a sense of identity.
References
Achebe, C. (1958). Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, Print.
Devi, T. (2018). A Critical Study of Chinua Achebe's Selected Novels. SOCRATES: Vol 6 No 1 (2018): Issue March: INVESTIGATING POSTCOLONIALITY AND POSTCOLONIALISM AS THE EMPIRE WRITES BACK, 44.
Dobbernack, J. (2010). ‘Things fall apart’: social imaginaries and the politics of cohesion. Critical policy studies, 4(2), 146-163.
Mohammadzadeh, B. (2009). Incorporating multicultural literature in English language teaching curriculum. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 23-27.
Morrison, J. (2016). Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease. In Chinua Achebe. Manchester University Press.
Okpewho, I. (Ed.). (2003). Chinua Achebe's Things fall apart: a casebook. Oxford University Press on Demand.
