Colonial Capitalism: Changing Cultures and Lives

Colonial Capitalism: Changing Cultures and Lives In the famous novel of Chinua Achebe entitled Things Fall Apart, it can be seen how colonialism has affected people and has managed to pull them apart in many directions that it even eventually destroyed relationships of families, friends and tribes. Colonialism affected people to the point that the life of the protagonist is destroyed and resulted to his own death. Evelyn Hongs’ Globalization and the Impact on Health a Third World View provides a synopsis touching on global capitalism and colonialism which ties into the major themes of Things Fall Apart as well.
Achebe's novel can mostly be seen as a narrative on the life of a single member in an African tribe, but on a bigger and deeper perspective, the book represents the collective situation and life of the African people at the time where outside forces are trying to change the traditional culture of the people. In the novel, the strong warrior Okonkwo is portrayed as the protagonist and his various struggles regarding his tribe and the changing times. Okonkwo is having a hard time in trying to reign in his personality as he refrains from becoming like his father while trying to keep with the traditions and culture of his people. Ultimately, as the English colonizers try to teach the people regarding the truth on God and certain practices, Okonkwo realizes that he cannot keep up with the changing times. He takes his own life in the end as the rest of his clan fully embrace change that the colonizers are teaching. The theme relies on how the battle of tradition versus modernization takes place in the form of the culture of Okonkwo's clan and the teachings of the English colonizers.
It may be seen that European colonialism is something that is vile, as it has totally destroyed the culture and traditions of a group of people, which in turn destroyed their identity. However, in how Okonkwo and his tribesmen practice their tradition, it can be seen that colonialism also has good effects since it has stripped the rather inhumane and illogical practices of the people such as how they exalt cultural violence. Of all the positive effects of colonialism as appearing in the novel and more than the economic progress it brings, it is the lessening of ignorance of the clan and the opening of the avenue for new knowledge and erasure of such violent cultural practices, which is more poignant, and more impacting.
On the other hand, colonialism has also had its negative and appalling effects by how the missionaries and the European officers have completely stripped the identity of the tribe and more than forced them to accept the new teachings while destroying the tribe's previous traditions with the argument that such things were not true. It is not a matter of whether such traditions are true or not, what is important is that a person practices ethical customs that does not strip away the basic human right of anyone. Ironically, while colonialism put forth new knowledge on true faith and eliminating customs, the nature of forcing the Christian faith towards people who are hesitant to accept them can also be judged as an unlawful act.
These ideas about colonialism tie into Evelyn Hongs’ excerpt, which provides the example of Christopher Columbus and how he conquered and spread his values, and customs on traditional native communities. For example, after Columbus’ arrival, the indigenous populations were decimated by death, enslavement, malnutrition and diseases the white man brought like the common cold, measles, chickenpox, typhus and syphilis as they had no resistance to combat these diseases. The final solution arrived with the deliberate extermination of populations and the sense of powerlessness, loss of security and identity which followed, took its toll in the psychological and cultural breakdown of the original inhabitants of the New World resulting in mass suicide occurrences. Apart from the importation of new deadly diseases and the deleterious effects of warfare, colonial penetration and unequal treaties led to the social and economic disintegration of native societies as well as their integration with the global market economy (Hong 5). Colonial conquest not only destroyed life sustaining societies and social relationships, it resulted in the breakdown of ecological systems and balances, which had enabled people and communities to feed and sustain themselves (Hong 7).
In conclusion, there are many aspects of how colonialism can affect a certain group or certain person as how it was portrayed in both stories. Economically and socially, colonialism shows its effects by the growing opportunities given to people, making them more prosperous and more open to a wide avenue of profits and discovery. On the aspect of culture, religion and traditional practices, it is inevitable that those things take a complete turn for change as people would tend to be more open or forced to new knowledge and information, making them re-think on the previous things they do know and practice.
The effects of colonialism can be seen in two ways as with all things in this world, as either positive or negative and it should be accepted as such. While colonialism showed that something as important to the people like tradition and culture can be erased or changed, it is undeniable that colonialism has also brought on positive changes for the people. In the end though, what matters is that it is important to not lose one's sense of identity in the process of change and still keep one's own pride in heritage, culture and tradition while people embrace modernity, one should never forget one's history. Achebe illuminates two painful features of African life, the first one is the abasement practiced on the Igbo people by their own traditions and customs, and the second one is the control of land and natural resources by European missionaries in the form of direct colonization of Nigeria. Things Fall Apart focuses on the transition when it is being deep-rooted, for instance traditional values are put in conflict with a strange but powerful culture that will split them apart because of the arrival of the missionaries and their determination to idealize another culture. The villagers, in general, are disconcerted between resistance and acceptance of change; in addition, they face the problem of trying to determine the way to adapt to the current situation.
Many of the villagers are keyed up about the new opportunities and techniques that the missionaries are going to bring. This foreign influence, however, threatens to quench the need for the mastery of traditional methods in farming, production and all aspects of living. These traditional methods, once crucial for survival, are now, to varying degrees, not essential. That is, colonialism was the turning point that forced things to fall apart.
Furthermore, Achebe portrays the idea of colonialism, and the way it quietly gains acceptance across the country and then takes over just when the country has been disrupted enough to be overruled by foreign forces. When religion is acting as the foothold, it makes it easier for a foreign government to take over because most religions support peace and control an essential part of people's lives. Achebe clearly emphasized that when Obierika said, "How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clans can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart"(Achebe 176).
Moreover, Achebe highlights the intelligent techniques that colonialism uses to weaken the country and tear it into opposing sides. In fact, the missionaries brought trade into Umuofia; therefore the village was not solid against them since they had provided new means for the villagers to profit. With this opportunity, they were willing to accept the confines of the white man's rule because they weren't willing to forgo the new trade activity to fight for their hidebound customs and traditions. To illustrate that, Achebe said, "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"(Achebe 178).
In addition, Achebe portrayed the impact of colonialism on Umuofians' identity, it converted them into Christians, and moreover it abandoned their commitment to their religion, traditions, customs and heritage. However, it seems like Obierika represents Achebe's own beliefs. Upset by the fact that the white men have come and completely ignored the Igbo's values, Obierika illustrates how it is impossible for the colonialists to understand anything about the Umuofians' heritage and customs without even speaking their "tongue"(Achebe 176). In addition, he believes that the Umuofians who have converted to Christianity have wrongly turned their backs on their own "brothers"(Achebe 176). Nonetheless, if religion and tradition are the bonds that held the clan together, and when both of them became defective, it becomes hard to decide who holds the responsibility for the resulting destruction.
To conclude, colonialism was the turning point that forced things to fall apart. However, the novel serves to play the role of a reminder to the Nigerians of their heritage and of what once was, it serves to deliver an accurate picture of how a society deals with change, the effect of change on individuals, and the consequences of resistance, against root changes, that affect such a closed society.