Assignment on IDEOLOGICAL CLASH BETWEEN PRIMITIVISM AND MODERNISM: A THEMATIC STUDY OF CHINUA ACHEBE'S NOVELS THINGS FALL APART AND ARROW OF GOD
Name :-
Rajdip.P.Gohel
Roll. No:- 27
Paper No:- 11- The
Post-Colonial Literature
Class:- M.A Sem-3
Topic:- IDEOLOGICAL CLASH
BETWEEN PRIMITIVISM AND MODERNISM: A THEMATIC STUDY OF CHINUA ACHEBE'S NOVELS
THINGS FALL APART AND ARROW OF GOD
Enrolment No:-
2069108420190017
College:-
Smt.S.B.Gardi Department Of English
Submitted:-
Department Of English M.K.University, Bhavnagar
The history
of human civilization expatiates on the past upheavals of various social,
political, racial and ideological crises and turmoil. It attributes their
emergence to man's inadaptability to transition and his resistance to
infiltration of new theory and philosophy. The evolution of various crises has
invariably contributed to revolutionization of the past trend of life and given
birth to a new civilization. Whenever any change was heralded in the
existential state of man in the past, he outrageously opposed the advent of a
new order of life with a view to perpetuating the old order of life to which he
was acclimatized and accustomed. History cites numerous illustrations of how
man in the past has all along struggled against adverse forces that threatened
to subvert his mode of living, and mould his ideological concepts and outlook.
He resisted the evolution of new conventions, new ideas, new ways of life and
ideology. He seldom welcomed any change unusual, unconventional and
unprecedented in as much as a change in his way of life posed various existential
hazards and problems to him. He has, therefore, combated the vicissitude in
order to maintain his age-old traditional life without novelty and reform. But
never has man succeeded in the sustenance of his convention, tradition,
ideology and philosophy of life. He has inevitably succumbed to the universal
law of change in human life after consistent failure in his struggle.
Like
historians, novelists too borrow from the realms of human history the themes of
racial wars, religious conflicts and ideological clashes between two hostile
groups of people. They exploit these themes in their novels and project their
own perspective in support of the life and culture of their own race of people
to which they ethnically belong.
In the
pre-colonial period, the dark continent of Africa was a treasure trove for the
Europeans, who migrated there and colonized the land with an imperialistic
objective as well as a missionary motive and contemplation. As a result of
their colonization, the impact of colonialism was experienced more in African
countries than in commonwealth nations. The waves of colonialism flooded far
into the interior regions of Africa and affected the ancestral life of the Igbo
clan. Hence, the colonial rule over these lands stirred revolt among the
natives against the colonizers. The natives considered the settlement of the
White in their Igboland encroachment upon their traditional life and living.
They outraged and provoked by the enforcement of colonial rule in their own
land and by the imposition of Christian religion on them by the White. The
natives meditated to overthrow the European administration and decolonize their
land with a view to sustaining as an were their primitive way of life. Thus,
the dark continent of Africa presented a scenario of racial war between the
natives and the outsiders.. This issue was a major concern with which the
African writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Echewa, Nguai and Ama Ata
Aidoo were preoccupied. Chinua Achebe occupies the first rank among these
novelists, who highlight this anti-colonial conflict in support of their own
natives.
Achebe has
dealt with this issue of racial war in his two novels Things Fall Apart (1958)
and Arrow of God (1964). He has conceived of the stories for these two novels in
the light of his own experiences during the colonization of Africa by the
White. Since Achebe was a Nigerian by birth and upbringing, he has witnessed
the rebellion of the inhabitants of his clan against the colonial forces.
Although these novels are interpreted as stories of racial war yet the cause of
war is rooted in the disharmony and incompatibility between two ideologies
primitivism and modernism. This war can be attributed to ideological discord
and disharmony. In this perspective this ideological clash between article
concentrates on the discussion on primitivism and modernism. As we delve deep
into the causes of war between the two races, the Igbo and the Whites, we
explore that the natives fight against the hostile forces on the ground of ideological
differences.
Now let us discuss the features of Primitivism
and Modernism. Primitivism is identified with aboriginality and barbarity. It
presupposes mental and cultural crudeness and backwardness. It is characterized
by pristine way of life, adherence to tradition and beliefs in superstitions,
dogmas and rituals. Modernism on the other hand implies new mode of living, new
concept, outlook and above all an opposition to the tradition. Now let us
account for the antagonism between the two races of people. The Igbo as an
aboriginal clan of Africa has been living in this continent from time
immemorial. Hence, they are not predisposed life with which they have been
happy and complacent. Primitivism manifests in all aspects of their
socio-cultural life.
Modernism as a new concept and a new mode of
life is reflected in the culture, administration and various activities of the
colonizers. From this view point the White represent modernism through and
through. The clash between the natives and the outsiders ensues only when the
latter attempts to thrust its modernist ideology the former in order to
revolutionize their tribal way of life. Mere settlement of the White on the
Igbo land did not antagonize the natives. When the White tried to gain their upper
hand and exercised their supremacy over the natives through missionary
activities, the inhabitants of the land waged dominance of the outsiders and
persisted in their struggle to decolonize their land. This concerted resistance
of the natives against the external forces precipitated them to a war. The
native Opposed any kind of change in their ancestral life. They were always
bent upon perpetuating the primitive life which they were living for
generations. Since the Igbo are impervious and insusceptible to any kind of
change or novelty.
The White colonize the Igbo land to dominate
over the tribal 01 people and impose their own ideas and religious beliefs on
them As a result, the enforcement of colonial administration on the Igbo land
by the White and the resistance offered by the natives led to the outbreak of
racial war between the Umuofians and the Europeans. Whereas the Umuofians bear
the stamp of primitivism in all their attitude, behaviour and outlook, the
Europeans manifest modernism in their colonial administration and in their own
culture.
Now let
us discuss these issues on the basis of the novels Things Fall Apart and Arrow
of God. In the first novel, Chinua Achebe depicts the disintegration of the
Ibadan tribe and ascribes this disaster to the overpowering impact of colonial
rule that ushered modernism into the primitive life of the Igbo.
With
reference to the novel Things Fall Apart the life that the Igbo had been living
was primitive and aboriginal to the backbone Primitivism is reflected in the
Igbo traditions, customs, beliefs ritualistic performances and observances of
festivals.
Let us illustrate the primitivism of the Igbo
in the light of their mode of living and culture. The inhabitants of this clan
are savage, brutal, ruthless, obstinate and belligerent. Okonkwo the hero of
the novel Things Fall Apart embodies in his personality the characteristics of
the primitive men. He is physically strong, mentally courageous and morally
brutal and obstinate. Cruelty and ruthlessness are considered the heroic
attributes of a tribal chief. Kindness and compassion are viewed as weaknesses
of a heroic personality. From this view point Okonkwo is heartless and ruthless
He does not hesitate to kill his fostered son Ikemefuna with the cruelty and
brutality of Chengiz khan or Id Amin. He is neither penitent nor remorseful for
such inhuman and treacherous murder of a boy he loved most. These qualities
embodied in him evince his primitiveness and aboriginally. He represents his
clan in all respects by his words and deeds. He is truly an epitome of
primitivism.
The Igbo like the primitive men are
polytheists as they believe in the power of so many gods and goddesses, such as
Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and Caves, Amadiora, the god of thunderbolt Idemili,
the python god and Chi as personal god and guiding spirit. Agbala the Oracle of
the Hills and Caves is worshipped by the priestess Chilo. The spiritual
relationship between Agbala and Chilo is enshrouded in mystery. Besides, Ezeani
who is the chief priest enforces the will of the clan as the will of Ani, the
earth goddess. Likewise, Agbala also manifests the will of the clan and
forecasts its future. The inhabitants consult the Oracle at any time of crises
or disaster. In the novel Arrow of God Anato Amalu consults Oracle about the
second burial of his deceased father Ogbuefi Amalu.
Besides, the Igbo tribe lives in the grip of
numerous superstitions and blind beliefs. The inhabitants of the dark Continent
of Africa believe in ogbanje the presence of an evil spirit in the womb of a
woman. A woman who suffers from ogbanje, generally gives birth to an infant
that dies and returns to the womb of the same woman to be reborn. This is a
strange and mysterious phenomenon that psychologically and emotionally every
time whenever she gives birth to a child. Such a disease can be remedied by a
medicine man who is called in to exorcize the evil spirit abiding in that
woman. The novelist gives an account of how a medicine man exorcized Ezinma
Okonkwo's daughter for being an ogbanje. The medicine man asked Ezinma to point
out the place where she had buried her iyi-uwa. She indicated the place of
burial from where the exorcist dug out the iyi-uwa to root out the rebirth of
the malicious spirit. This belief frightens Ekwefi, Ezinma's mother.
The Igbo also believe in the ominous birth of
twins. The inhabitants abandon the twins in the dense forest to die alive.
Besides, swelling sickness is considered abominable and whoever suffers from
this sickness is dragged in to the forest and tied to a tree to perish alive.
The Igbo also consider act of suicide as abominable and never bury the dead
body of the deceased. Suicide is construed by the natives as sinful and
sacrilegious. The dead body of such a man is left unburied and untouched in the
forest. When Okonkwo committed suicide his body was not buried as the Umuofians
treated it as obnoxious and desecrated.
The Umuofians believe in the custom of human
immolation rooted in the primitive life. They never hesitate to execute any
kind of brutal action to propitiate the deities. In this context we can
illustrate how Okonkwo immolates his fostered son Ikemefuna without slightest
hesitation and inhibition in response to the demand of the deity.
The Igbo also believe in Egwugwu cult. Each
Egwugwu represents an ancestral spirit that returns to earth and manifests in
the personality of an Egwugwu. All these beliefs signify the primitivism and
savagery of the Igbo clan.
Polygamy was customary the Igbo. People with
many wives enjoy the privilege of a great man of the clan. Okonkwo has three
wives living in three different huts on the same premises. This custom is a
product of primitive life and ancient culture. Thus we have pointed out how the
natives represent primitivism in their life and activities.
In the novel Things Fall Apart Achebe seems to
have lamented over the disintegration of his tribe and decadence of his
primitive culture. The novelist presents a vivid picture of the familial,
social, spiritual, economic and cultural life of the Igbo in the chapter from 1
to 15th of the novel. Chapter 16 recounts the impact of colonization of the
land of the Umuofians on their corporate life. Achebe has sought to evoke the sympathy
of the readers towards the disaster suffered by his clan due to disintegration.
Now it is to be focused how modernism represented by the White came to subvert
the primitivism in the life of the Igbo.
It is through the character of Obierika that
the protagonist comes to know how the White came to settle down at Umuofia and
succeeded remarkably in gaining the confidence and good will of the natives by
establishing church, school and hospital missionary campus. The White carried
on their missionary activities in the region with the help and co-operation of
the native convert like Nwoye, the son of Okonkwo.
Conclusion:-
Another
novel that deserves a comparison with these fictions is Wole Soyinka's The
Interpretators. Soyinka novelist is concerned in his novel with the theme of
clash between tradition and new values in a transitional African Society. Hence
there is a relevance to compare the novel The Interpretators with Achebe's
first and third novels mentioned above on the ground of thematic similarities.
In the light of the thematic study of Achebe's
novels Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, we can draw a conclusion that
ideological clash underlies the theme of disintegration that is surfaced and
fore grounded in these novels. A perceptive reader can explore this new fact
deeply embedded in the themes of these novels and can attempt a new
interpretation in the ideological perspective.
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