1 / 12

Culture of Things Fall Apart

Culture of Things Fall Apart. A Novel by Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart. Centered around man named Okonkwo Okonkwo is one of the wealthier men in his clan Very strict, abusive Ashamed of his father One of the leaders of the clan. Ibo Society. Patriarchal

raina
Download Presentation

Culture of Things Fall Apart

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Culture of Things Fall Apart A Novel by Chinua Achebe

  2. Things Fall Apart • Centered around man named Okonkwo • Okonkwo is one of the wealthier men in his clan • Very strict, abusive • Ashamed of his father • One of the leaders of the clan

  3. Ibo Society • Patriarchal • Men run households and make all major decisions in clan • Son inherits father’s property • Egwuwu – group of masked men; decide punishments for people who break laws • Polytheistic • Pray and make sacrifices to ancestors and different gods

  4. Ibo Society • Practice polygany • First wife gets first drink and wears anklets signifying her husband’s titles • Each wife has her own hut for her children and herself; separate from husband’s obi but all in one compound.

  5. Ibo Society • Wealth • Use cowries as currency • Wealth is measured in number of wives, titles, and yams. • Farmers and gatherers • Main harvest is yams • New year celebrated by the Feast of the New Yam • New yams could not be eaten until some were offered to the Earth goddess.

  6. Ibo Society • Feared darkness • Laziness lowered man’s worth • Certain deaths were considered “abominations” to the Earth goddess; these people were not buried. • Conversation considered art and regarded very highly; spoke in many proverbs.

  7. Arrival of White Man • White missionary arrives to convert Ibo to Christianity • Denounces clan’s beliefs • Says their gods are false gods • There is only one God • The Ibo believed white man and his new faith would not last

  8. Arrival of White Man • White man’s converts were efulefu, or worthless men. • As time passed, even “worthy” men converted. • White man also brought new government with him • The elders of the clan gave him a portion of the “Evil Forest” to build his church and a building similar to a courthouse and prison.

  9. Attractions of Christianity • White man’s buildings • The church in the Evil Forest • A school to teach Christians to read and write • Spoke of equality and acceptance of all; says all are “sons of God”. • Sang songs that were catchy and moving.

  10. Attractions of Christianity • Saved innocents • Accepted outcasts of clan • Mr. Kiaga, interpreter for Mr. Brown, had strong faith in the new religion, which inspired others.

  11. Conflicts • Converts of new religion go to village and openly denounce the clan’s gods • Beaten severely by clansmen • The new prison held clansmen who has broken white man’s new laws. • White man imposes on clan

  12. Conflicts • Could not fight white man because too many members of the clan had converted • Mr. Brown worked hard to control conflict, but was replaced by Reverend Smith • Rev. Smith did not compromise with the clan

More Related