Things Fall Apart Imperialism

Western colonization of Africa led to rigid stereotypes of dumb, violent, and animalistic creatures that stand as humanity’s distant relatives. These stereotypes are ingrained in the subconscious of western society. Even Westerners who consider themselves above such discrimination find it hard to disassociate Africa from the image of uncultured savages created by imperialism. Despite the social implications, a postcolonial view allows the reader to analyze the methods used to combat these biases in literature. Notably, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart stands as an example of a novel at war with preconceived notions of Africans. Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart humanizes Africans though language, semblance of societies, and a focus on the
individual to combat African stereotypes.
Achebe uses language throughout the piece to separate Africans from the animalistic stereotype.
Language, and thus advanced communication, is often considered an important distinguishing characteristic between humans and animals. Therefore, by limiting a character's speech, a writer connotes stupidity or inferiority. This technique lowers the status of Africans and other marginalized groups when written among western characters. Achebe criticizes this technique in his characterization of the Ibo. In describing a conversation between Okonkwo and Okoye he writes, “Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten” (Achebe 7). By placing conversation in high regard, Achebe demonstrates the Ibo’s understanding and usage beyond necessity, thus adding depth to both the Ibo’s intelligence. Furthermore, the inclusion of proverbs creates another layer of intelligence, as proverbs are considered a form of high-level speech. Language in Things Fall Apart also gives Africans a platform to express their beliefs, emotions, thoughts, and culture. Achebe accomplishes this
by embedding phrases and words from the Ibo tribe’s native language into the text, weaving them with English so that their meanings can be inferred easily. For instance, when describing Okonkwo's father, Unoka, Achebe writes, “He could hear in his mind's ear the blood-stirring and intricate rhythms of the ekwe and the udu and the ogene, and he could hear his own flute...tune”(Achebe 6). The reader is, for the first time, exposed to the words “Ekwe”, “Udu”, and “Ogene”. However, Achebe incorporates them so that the reader can easily infer them to be musical instruments, removing foreign stigma and placing them at the same level of importance as European language. Achebe uses language to raise up the Ibo while accentuating their similarities with Europeans to equalize the two cultures.
Achebe humanizes the Ibo by displaying similarities to Western societies. Africans are often placed into the category of “other”. In western literature, Africa exists as a foil to Europe. Achebe combats this trend by instead focusing on how the races mirror each other. Achebe begins this comparison by highlighting their materialism. For example, materialism appears in the description of Okonkwo when the author states, “Okonkwo's prosperity was visible in his household...on behalf of himself, his three wives, and eight children” (Achebe 14). In this section, Achebe demonstrates the Ibo’s define prosperity by material wealth and abundance. This same association can be seen in European culture. The author also demonstrates similarities through the Ibo title system. For the Ibo, these titles convey a sense of privilege stating, “Some of these prisoners were men of title who should be above such mean occupation” (Achebe 175). Merely holding a different status changes how these men are expected to behave. In the scene all of the men should be of equal standing as prisoners, however a divide still stands. For their past deeds, worthy or not, the Ibo are outraged; not at how all the men are being treated, but at how the titled men are not being treated differently. This same system is common within Europe where title dictates the resources and jobs available. Achebe removes barriers between Europeans and Africans by exposing their middle ground however, he is only able to accomplish this by focusing on a singular tribe.
Achebe’s focus on the individual makes the effects of imperialism more personal and allows the reader to view the reactions of individuals that are often glossed over.
Imperialism's effects are often thought of in broad strokes. The details are so complicated that it is simpler to consider the victim to be “Africa”. While simple, this way of thinking leads to a loss of humanity in the situation. It becomes easy to forget the millions thoughtlessly crushed under foot and the subtle ways in which they did so. Therefore, Achebe’s choice to follow Okonkwo through the arrival of Europeans allows the reader to experience the direct effect on the people of Africa. The greatest effect can be summarized by Obierika, “He has put a knife on the things that held us together, and we have fallen apart” (Achebe 176). In this one line, the reader is able to reflect on the path of Okonkwo and pinpoint the exact scenes and characters that were most susceptible to the missionaries. The cracks within the Ibo that led to their downfall were exposed from the start and the reader is able to empathize now with the fallen Ibo. Viewing Africa from the individual perspective of the Ibo tribe draws attention to the people themselves and makes their story more personal. When Africa is generalized, it becomes impossible to consider the responses of the actual victims. When the Ibo confronted the European missionaries, they pleaded “You can stay with us if you like our ways...we can talk to you” (Achebe
190). This insignificant event on the grand scale displays a willingness to compromise and attain peace that is often ignored by western literature. This diplomatic action contrasts the Africans supposed violent demeanors. Achebe choice to scale down his novel, exposes his readers to the effects and reactions that would otherwise be lost among the noise.
Achebe’s inclusion of language, cultural similarities, and individualization combats the traits attributed to Africans by colonialism. Through a postcolonial perspective, the reader is able to view Achebe's work as a response to the stereotypes of Africa. The tale of an African leader is exposed as a critique of Western literature’s perpetuation of the African stereotype. Achebe presents a contrasting view of Africa as intelligent people with their own sophisticated language and society. The tribe mirrors many idiosyncrasies of Western culture, displaying characteristics reminiscent of Europeans, despite the rejection of kinship by Westerners. This work establishes the place of the African people in the human race.