Republic of Iraq University of Kufa

Ministry of Higher Education Faculty of Languages

and Scientific Research Department of English

Colonialism and the search for identity

in Chinwa Achebe' Things Fall Apart

A Research Paper submitted by

Shahad Khalil Ibrahim
In partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of
English Language and Literature.

Supervised by
Asst. Lect Mustafa A. Jasim

2023
 ‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

َ ‫( َوفَ ْو‬
)‫ق ُكل ِذي ِع ْلم َعلِيم‬
)76‫( يوسف‬ ‫صدق هللا العلي العظيم‬

In the Name of Allah, most merciful, most Gracious

(But over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing)

Believe God Almighty

(Yosef 67)

II
 Dedication

I dedicate this work to my dear parents for their unlimited love, faith and support, I
will not get to this point of my life without them. To my beloved brothers and sisters
for encouraging and pushing me forward in every obstacle. To all my friends and
colleagues who stood beside me in good and hard times.

III
 Acknowledgments
First of all, the greatest gratitude goes ahead to Allah who helped me to complete
this study. Then, unique recognition should go to my supervisor Asst. Lect. Mustafa
A. Jasim for his great guidance, observations, and commentary and for his advice and
expertise which he provided and for his generosity and help.

IV
 Table of Contents
Subject -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Page
Dedication ----------------------------------------------------------------------------II
Acknowledgements -----------------------------------------------------------------III
Table of Content --------------------------------------------------------------------IV
Abstract--------------------------------------------------------------------------------V
1.1 Introduction ----------------------------------------------------------------------1
1.2 Chinua Achebe'a life------------------------------------------------------------2
1.3 Postcolonial Literature----------------------------------------------------------3
1.4 "Things Fall Apart" As Postcolonial Novel----------------------------------6
1.5 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------14
1.6 References----------------------------------------------------------------------15

V
 Abstract

The aim of the present study is investigated colonialism and the search for
identity in Chinwa Achebe' "Things Fall Apart"Chinua Achebe’s "Things
Fall Apart" is a novel that explores the effects of colonialism on the Igbo
people of Nigeria. It follows the story of Okonkwo, a respected leader in
his village, and his struggles to maintain his identity in the face of British
colonial rule. The novel examines how colonialism affects not only
Okonkwo but also his entire community, as they grapple with the changes
brought by the British presence. This paper makes an effort to demonstrate
Achebe's desire to depict post-colonial African reality in all of its varied
hues to find out the extent to which this novel faithfully mirrors the
postcolonial impress that shadow the hopes and aspirations of the
community that he belongs to.It is critical to recognise the advantages as
well as the difficulties that European colonialism had on Igbo society.
When schools and education were introduced into the Igbo society, it
significantly reduced the rate of illiteracy there. Today, most Igbo are
literate people who have expanded their knowledge to become more
"enlightened" as a result of this.

VI
1.1 Introduction

Chinua Achebe’s "Things Fall Apart" is a novel that explores the effects
of colonialism on the Igbo people of Nigeria. It follows the story of
Okonkwo, a respected leader in his village, and his struggles to maintain
his identity in the face of British colonial rule. The novel examines how
colonialism affects not only Okonkwo but also his entire community, as
they grapple with the changes brought by the British presence.

The novel highlights how colonialism disrupts traditional Igbo culture and
values, leading to a loss of identity for many characters. Okonkwo is
particularly affected by this disruption, as he struggles to reconcile his
traditional beliefs with those imposed by the British. He is forced to
confront his own prejudices and preconceptions about other cultures, and
ultimately comes to accept that change is inevitable.

The novel also examines how colonialism affects gender roles in Igbo
society. Women are traditionally seen as inferior to men in Igbo culture,
but with the arrival of the British they gain more freedom and autonomy.
This leads to tension between men and women, as well as between those
who embrace change and those who resist it. Ultimately, "Things Fall
Apart" shows how colonialism can lead to a search for identity among
those affected by it. As Okonkwo struggles to reconcile his traditional
beliefs with those imposed by the British, he must find a way to maintain
his sense of self while also adapting to new circumstances. In doing so, he
serves as an example for others who are struggling with similar issues in
their own lives.
1.2 Chinua Achebe'a life

In the late twentieth century Chinua Achebe arose as one of Nigeria’s

favored sons. Albert Chinualumogu was born in Ogidi, Nigeria, November
16, 1930, and later adopted Chinua Achebe (Ravenscroft 5). His
upbringing was privileged, his father Isaiah one of the early Christians in
his Igbo village. A statesman, Kwame Nkrumah, also known as the “pride
of Africa,” represented the new African political leader and was an early
influence upon Chinua Achebe, as Nkrumah’s return from London to the
Gold Coast (then a British colony) coincided with unrest throughout the
colonial British empire (Burns 103).

Achebe’s coming-of-age was during a time of great social unrest and

his interest in fomenting political change rooted in these times. His career
aspiration to be a political writer early was rooted in the nationalist state
movement that swept Africa. After years of nationalist protest Achebe
witnesses Nigeria’s “resumption of independence” in 1960, thereafter
serving as the first Director of external Broadcasting (Voice of Nigeria) in
the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. During the Nigerian Civil War
(1967-70), he was a government aide. (Ravenscroft 5).

In Achebe’s earlier literary works—and No Longer at Ease, Achebe

portrayed the conflict between the traditional Igbo way and modern society.
In Things Fall Apart a tragic hero, Okonkwo, adapted poorly to societal
changes as a result of Europeans’ arrival. In Achebe’s sequel, No Longer
At Ease, Obi Okonkwo, the grandson of the tragic hero in Things Fall
Apart again experienced internal conflict. As a practicing Christian, Obi
viewed himself as above adherence to the caste system based upon
superstition and remained oblivious of the consequences. Central to the
narratives was social conflict rooted in changing values and societal norms
2
and tragic heroes, unable to respond to social transformation. In both No
Longer At Ease and Things Fall Apart African leaders, who were unable to
adapt to new social dynamics and operated outside the realm of what was
the culturally acceptable, experienced tragic consequences. The Nigerian
Civil War left an indelible mark of the writer, as reflected by a more
pronounced interest in political matters (Cudjoe 87).

During the War Achebe, an Igbo chief, served in the secessionist

government and personally witnessed the death of many kinsmen. In
Anthills on the Savannah leadership attempted to run a government without
agreement of the working people, to the detriment of everyone. While
Achebe offered discourse among the stakeholders as a solution to build
bridges to unity across ethnic origins tribalism and other social divisions,
he refrained from inviting peasants to the table, reflecting his own personal
bias--the exclusion of peasants from dialogue perhaps being noted--as an
intellectual. Notwithstanding, he offered an inclusive vision pointed toward
expanded dialogue for Africa’s response to future challenges. Achebe’s
literary works examined the effect of social change upon leadership in
Africa (Agordoh,1994P,p. 65).

1.3 Postcolonial Literature

"Things Fall Apart", by Chinua Achebe, one of the most influential

Postcolonial novels, examines the interaction between traditional African
society and British colonisers. The protagonist of this book, Okonkwo,
struggles to comprehend and adapt to the changes brought about by
Christianity and British rule. His book examines various events that
happened in the fictional West African village after independence. Through
his novels, Achebe expressed how the British legacies continue to
undermine the country's chances of unification (Vanessa,2010,p. 45).
3
 J. M. Coetzee, a South African author and Booker Prize winner,
examines issues of racial justice, land rights, and crime in the post-
apartheid South Africa. The novel's plot had a close connection to the
character David Lurie was kicked out of for sexual harassment. The most
well-known book by Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children, weaves
together personal experiences with Indian history. Saleem Sinai is the
book's narrator. Author employed a variety of techniques, including magic
realism and Hindu story-telling(Vanessa,2010,p. 45).

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje also explores a variety of

postcolonial themes, such as the conflicts that exist between national and
personal identity. It takes place in a Florence country house and tells the
stories of a young woman, three foreign men, including an English patient
who is dying from severe burns, and a young woman. Ngugu wa Thiongo,
Edwidge Danticat, Leslie Marmon Silko, Jamaica Kincaid, and Li-Young
Lee are some important authors in postcolonial literature (Boehmer2002,p.
62)

The multiple type genre of Ngugi's Decolonizing the Mind describes a

variety of his people's customs. Additionally, it shows how the Gikuyu
language and local culture were attempted to be destroyed by the British
educational system. In his book Ceremony, Silko honors various Laguna
Pueblo customs and myths as well as the cultural impact of white relations.
Additionally, it demonstrates the unique position Native Americans occupy
in postcolonial discourse (Boehmer,2002,p. 63).

Some well-known female novelists have also contributed, particularly

Jamaica Kincaid, whose well-known book Small Place is a key work in the
postcolonial discourse and draws on the author's own experience of living
in the former British colony of Antigua. Kincaid expresses her disdain for
4
colonized Britain's practices. She focuses on the English educational
system in this book, which sought to assimilate non-native speakers of the
language. She continues by pointing out that the local population prefers to
adopt the worst aspects of foreign culture while ignoring the best
(Boehmer,2002,p. 66).

Breath, Eyes, Memory was written by another Haitian author,

Edwidge Danticat. The most prevalent postcolonial themes in her book
include history, migration, sexuality, and gender. After arriving in
Brooklyn, New York, the main character Sophie struggles to find her
identity among the desperate cultures and languages of French and English
in order to fit in with American culture. Danticat rose to prominence as a
key female author in postcolonial literature (Boehmer,2002,p.68).

Postcolonial is characterized by a number of recurring themes and

motifs, including racism, racial discrimination, inequality, and hybridity, as
well as some unusual presentational techniques. Many of thematic concepts
that are closely related to both "colonizer" and "colonized" were reflected
and illustrated by the majority of postcolonial writers. White Europeans
consistently emphasized racial prejudice to demonstrate their superiority
over colonized people. The integration of apartheid into national laws was
most pronounced in South Africa(Bery,2007,p. 69).

The "Groups Areas Act," "Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act,"

"Immorality Act," "Population Registration Act," "Bantu Authorities Act,"
and "The Abolition of Passes and Coordination of Documents Act" are a
few of the most notable laws of this type. All of these laws discriminated
against colonized people and imposed limitations on them. In their fiction,
Nadine Gordimer and Coetzee both demonstrated how apartheid ruined

5
South Africa in numerous ways, including psychologically, morally, and
economically(Pery,2002,p. 77)

Language was crucial in the postcolonial context for the control and
enslavement of colonized people. In order to control their subjects,
colonizers frequently forced their language on them. Therefore, the
majority of postcolonial writers deal with the issues in a variety of ways by
fusing the native language with that which has been imposed; the resulting
hybrid language emphasizes the fractured nature of the colonized
mind(Bery,2002,p. 78).

1.4 "Things Fall Apart" As Postcolonial Novel

With his straightforward writing style, Achebe attempts in his novel to

depict the pre-colonial state of the Igbo society. Achebe's straightforward
writing style has the effect of highlighting the mundane ordinariness of Ibo
life. This universe makes sense. In terms of style, it is remarkable how the
book moves from pre-colonial Africa to an Africa that experienced
European presence. This society has not yet been tainted by western
cultural civilization.

He fabricates Okonkwo's account and describes the impact of the

cross-cultural encounter on him, which ultimately results in his tragic
death, as he tells the tale of an Igbo person who observes the emergence of
European institutions in both his own village and the nearby villages.
Achebe depicts Ibo society's traditions and norms at the same time. Achebe
refutes the claims made by colonisers, such as Conrad, that native African
societies are chaotic by highlighting the Ibo community's highly organised
structure.

6
 The alleged language barrier among Africans was seen by Europeans
as the main indicator of the latter's lack of culture or civilization. Achebe
provided examples of Igbo proverbs that were skillfully incorporated into
the speech patterns of Okonkwo and others in order to refute the argument.
As an illustration, "A man who respects the great paves the way for his own
greatness," according to our people. Because of this, Achebe presented
Okonkwo's life in the local dialect. For him, languages represent a sense of
civic pride. He also elaborates on the idea of self-pride;

"Self-pride sustains the culture. When self-pride disappears, the

culture is eliminated. Afterwards we find only relics of the past"

Achebe emphasizes that Africa is not the silent or incomprehensible

continent that works like Conrad's Heart of Darkness painted it as by
showcasing the creative, frequently formal language of the Igbo. Igbo
words are frequently left untranslated by Achebe in order to emphasize the
exclusivity of the two worlds. These foreign races alludes metaphorically to
an entire world that cannot be adequately translated in an English text by
these foreign races. Rather by peppering the novel with Igbo words,
Achebe shows that the language is too complex for direct translation into
English. Similar to how European colonialist values cannot be used to
understand Igbo culture.

. This novel is postcolonial in the sense that it draws a clear line

between the colonizer and the colonized. Broadly speaking, this novel is a
response to, as well as a record of the traumatic consequences of the
western capitalist colonialism on the traditional values and religious
institutions of the African people.

7
 The fact that Achebe wrote "Things Fall Apart" in English is
extremely significant on a macro level because he already intended for the
weak to read it just as much as his fellow Nigerians did. Achebe is able to
capture and convey the rhythms, structures, cadences, and beauty of the
Igbo languages through the inclusion of proverbs, folktales, and songs
translated from the Igbo language:

"Our elders say that the sun will shine on those who stand before, it
shines on those who kneel under them. I shall pay my big debts first".And
"As our people say, a man who pays respect to the great paves the way for
his own greatness".

Achebe has highlighted both the positive aspects of Igbo culture and
the superstitions that some Igbo people hold dear. The Igbo's predominately
superstitious beliefs give the Europeans a chance to disrupt their sense of
communal harmony. The white man makes the most of this feature for his
own benefit. The decision to divide the book into three parts functions as a
trope. In his presentation, he covered Igbo culture before, during, and after
colonization. The absence of the word "colonization" in Achebe's works is
what makes them so brilliant.

A perfect fictionalised history of colonisation is provided to us in Still

Things Fall Apart. Additionally, Okonkwo becomes the nation and the
pinnacle of Igbo culture. The appropriate set of Igbo culture is presented in
all three sections. It is simple to understand the Igbo tribe's democratic
nature. They have a unique system of law and order in which no one is
permitted to use social standing to avoid punishment. As we learned from
the novel, Okonkwo received two sentences for his error or crime.

8
 In contrast to the harsh punishments found in the European legal
system, such as the death penalty or life in prison, everyone is treated
equally in Igbo culture. When an Igbo man kills a European, the entire
village can be destroyed, whereas in the Igbo tribe, only a small number of
people will perish in battle. They consequently reside in a more civilised
and humane society than the white men. The novel's title itself is ironic and
symbolic. W. B. Yeats laments the decline of Christianity as a unifying
force and the collapse of European civilization in his famous poem, "The
second coming," from which Achebe derived the title of his work. Yeats
continues, "Things fall apart", the centre cannot hold, the falcon cannot
hear the falconer,

The previous social structure disintegrates as a result. The irony is that

Europeans, who pride themselves on being advocates of order, are actually
what contribute to things falling apart. Through his book, Achebe exposes
the ridiculousness of the imperialists' condescending treatment of the
African clans, which were quite sophisticated in their heritage and culture.
As a result, Achebe uses the tale of Okonkwo to revive African culture
while also discussing colonisation more generally and its negative effects.

With his narrative techniques, Okonkwo is able to present a world that is

well-organized, well-ordered, and civilised. Pre-colonization, colonisation,
and post-colonization are all found to exist at the same time in the three
sections of the novel. As a result, "Things Fall Apart''is a key text in the
field of postcolonial literature.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
9
The blood-dimmed the tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity. (Yeats: 1921)
The focus of "Things Fall Apart"is Okonkwo, the book's main character.
As the story progresses, Okonkwo accidentally kills a man, leading to the
expulsion of his family from Umuofia. In Umuofia during his exile, white
missionaries arrive and transform the community. Okonkwo observes
Umuofia's significant changes after returning to his village during his exile.

Okonkwo and the other villagers band together to expel the white
missionaries from their territory because they are unhappy with the change.
As the missionaries send their messengers to call off the meeting, their
efforts are in vain. In shock over Okonkwo's actions, the villagers allow the
other messengers to flee after he kills one of the messengers. The
missionaries receive word from the messengers and set out to bring
Okonkwo to justice only to discover that he has already passed away.

Igbo is a society that also appears to be sceptical about change. They

refuse to send their children to school where they stand a chance to be able
to read and write in the English language. Despite Mr Brown’s efforts to
show the villagers that they need to learn English because they are now
being ruled by the District Commissioner and other white missionaries who
only communicate in English, the villagers still remain reluctant in
educating their children (Achebe,1958,p. 128).

Even before the white missionaries arrive in Umuofia, the Igbo

already have their own judicial systems that are based on the knowledge
that their forefathers have passed onto them about their culture. Their
courts are spearheaded by the oldest men of the village, whose wisdom and
10
knowledge is trusted in the power of their ancestral gods to guide them to
give fair and unbiased ruling. However, one of the first things that the
white missionaries do when they arrive in the village is to replace Igbo
courts with theirs. This disadvantages the villagers as the white
missionaries do not know the history of Igbo, their culture or their system
of justice. It can be argued that this is one of the many mistakes that the
missionaries make when they first decide to take over Igbo and their
territory.

Achebe in his novel attempts to present the pre-colonial state of the

Igbo-society with his plain style. The effect of Achebe's plain style is to
stress the everyday ordinariness of Ibo life. This world is comprehensible.
The transition in the book from pre-colonial Africa to an Africa that felt the
European presence is in terms of style, remarkable. It is a society which is
still unsullied by the western cultural civilization. He narrates the story of
an Igbo individual who witnesses the emergence of European institutions
among the neighboring villages as well as his own while fabricating the
personal account of Okonkwo, and while explaining the influence of the
cross cultural encounter on him which ultimately leads to his tragic death.
Achebe simultaneously portrays the customs and norms of the Ibo society.
By emphasizing the highly organized structure of the Ibo community
Achebe counters the arguments propagated by the colonizers including
Conrad about the chaotic nature of the native African societies.

Eurocentric gaze in Things Fall Apart (1958) makes the ferocious

unlawful Europeans wipe out the entire village of Abame on the pretext
that the Igbo inhabitants have killed one of their members.More and more,
they want to give bicycles, singlets, towels along with the jobs of clerks if
blacks became Christians. In the land case, they give the land to ‘‘Nnema’s

11
family’’who has given money to the white man’s interpreters and
messengers. We get to know that non-blacks have created prison cells to
punish those who have offended against their laws and religion. This is
utter dictatorship. When Okonkwo along with other leaders of Umuofia
destroy the church, the British administrators invite them for discussion and
craftily handcuff the Igbo leaders and later shave their heads and even beat
them. Instead of trying to comprehend the point of view of the Africans, the
District Commissioner lectures them:

We have brought a peaceful administration to you and your people so

that you may be happy. If any man ill-treats you we shall come to your
rescue. But we will not allow you to ill-treat others. We have a court of
Law where we judge cases and administer justice just as it is done in my
own country under a great queen. I have brought you here because you
joined together to molest others, to burn people’s houses and their place of
worship. This must not happen in the domination of our queen, the most
powerful ruler of the world. I have decided that you will pay a fine of two
hundred bags of cowries. (p. 137)

This speech pinpoints that whites do not want to know about Igbo
culture. In contrast to the Igbo egwugwu members who have not killed Mr.
Smith or the one Igbo judiciary associate who talks rationally ‘‘you can
worship your own god’’, the colonizers have given shelter to Enoch though
he has committed the Igbo sacrilege of unmasking an egwugwu in public.
The cunning Europeans give feast of eating and drinking to Ogbuefi
Ugonna, a prestigious Igbo who has embraced Christianity. They have
hanged Aneto who has killed Oduche in the fight over the land instead of
knowing about the judiciary customs of the Igbo land. They do not punish
Okoli for killing the sacred python. They introduce trading system in

12
Nigeria to use Igbo palm-oil and Kernel in England. Ironically, these non-
Africans are lecturing Africans who are efficient enough to solve judiciary
cases democratically.

What is more, Achebe focuses on the community feeling prevalent

within the Igbo society. We see that the whole village participates in the
wedding. Nwakibie helps Okonkwo with eight hundred yams so that
Okonkwo can raise financially in spite of the fact that Okonkwo’s father
lived in debt. So, Okonkwo is given opportunity to flourish in the Igbo
community. Obierika and his mother’s family support Okonkwo during his
exile from Umuofia to Mbanta. Okonkwo’s cousins do not abandon him
during his crisis period. Hence, we can see that the members stood by each
other in the difficult times.

13
1.5 Conclusion

The Igbo people are depicted in the novel Things Fall Apart at a truly
pivotal moment in their history and culture, when their entire way of life is
threatened by colonial forces. These impending colonial forces essentially
proclaim the end of everything they are accustomed to, bringing about
profound changes to their practice of religion, the structure of their
families, the roles of gender and gender relations, and trade. Achebe looks
directly at the impending doom that is instantaneous and calamitous and
which is what colonial forces actually mean rather than just foreign control.
This paper makes an effort to demonstrate Achebe's desire to depict post-
colonial African reality in all of its varied hues to find out the extent to
which this novel faithfully mirrors the postcolonial impress that shadow the
hopes and aspirations of the community that he belongs to.

It is critical to recognise the advantages as well as the difficulties that

European colonialism had on Igbo society. When schools and education
were introduced into the Igbo society, it significantly reduced the rate of
illiteracy there. Today, most Igbo are literate people who have expanded
their knowledge to become more "enlightened" as a result of this. Although
the Igbo found it challenging to switch from their own culture to that of a
stranger, they did learn something new from what the Europeans taught
them about their own culture.

14
References

Achebe, C. (1958). Things Fall Apart. New York: Fawcett.

Agordoh, A. A. (1994). Studies in African Music. Accra, Ghana: New Age

Publication.

Bery, A.(2007) Cultural Translation and Postcolonial Poetry. New York:

Palgrave Macmillan.

Boehmer, E.(2002) Colonial & Postcolonial Literature. United States:

Oxford University, Press.

Burns, J. M. (1995). Transactional and Transforming Leadership in J. T.

Wren (Ed.), The Leader’s Companion: Insight on Leadership Through the
Ages (pp. 100-101). New York: Free Press.

Cudjoe, S. R. (1988). “Nkrumah: The Man and His World” in Ivan Van
Sertima (Ed.), Great Black Leaders: Ancient and Modern. (pp. 322-345).
New Jersey: Journal of African Civilizations.

Ravenscroft, A. (1995). “The Transforming of Transformational

Leadership” in J. T. Wren (Ed.), The leader’s Companion: Insight on
Leadership Through the Ages (pp. 102-107). New York: Free Press.

Vanessa, A.(2010) Actionable Postcolonial Theory in Education. New

York: Palgrave Macmillan.

15