My Thought on Things Fall Apart

1. Based on your reading of “Things Fall Apart”, what aspects of the Igbo culture allow the British to take over? 

2.  Since Sarawak has also undergone colonisation, how have these affected aspects of culture in our society? 

3.   Are there any changes brought about in the lives of the indigenous tribes in Africa and Sarawak? 

Based on my reading on Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, I think the aspect of the Igbo culture allows the British to take over is in term of belief. The missionaries brought over the new belief – Christianity to the Umuofia ad spread the belief among the villagers. The arrival of Christianity has caused the Umuofians to divide among them. In my opinion, the reason why the Igbos allows the changes to happen is because they themselves want the changes to happen. For example, the majority of the Christian-converts are from the low class people – people that the Umuofian considered as no position in the society – the marginalized group. These people wish the equality to store to them and to be treated better and not been discriminated. Most the converts also disagree with some of the Igbo’s cultures. Take for example of Nwoye, he often questioned the logical reasons behind the killings of the twins in the Evil Forest. He also questioned his father’s treatment and the killings of Ikemefuna.

Since Sarawak has also undergone colonisation, there many aspects of culture in our society are affected. We begin to accept the changes that been brought by the colonials. We are no longer confined to our traditions and culture anymore as we begin to learn that some of the western cultures are indeed will help to develop ourselves and our society. The colonization in our land has caused us to develop our nationalism where we are no longer differentiate others by their races or ethnicity but rather recognized everyone as the same that is  - A Malaysian. At the same time, we also developed our own internationalism spirit where the knowledge that we obtained did not only confined our nation but beyond the nation itself. The good values and cultures that the westerners brought to our country made we realized that we cannot too ethnocentrism about other cultures because what might be accepted in our culture might be acceptable in others and vice versa. Because our nation is consists of multiracial, we begin to adapt our own native culture to the other races’ culture as a way for us to live in harmony and peace. We are able to identify ourselves as one Malaysia where there are no differences between us as we respect each other in the society.  

            There are many changes that occurred in Sarawak Since it has undergone colonisation especially in the culture in term of language, belief, clothing and education. In term of language, the Sarawakians especially the native began to adapt the foreign language as the medium of instruction to communicate with the colonials or the immigrants. The adaptation of foreign language into the native language became the catalyst of changes that occurred in Sarawak.  Since the arrival of the colonials, the belief among the Sarawakians also changed due to the missionaries’ influences. Take example of the Native Dayak, their belief is changing from Paganism to Christianity. The changes occurred in order to adapt themselves in the society and they are interested to learn more about the religion.

 In term of education, the Sarawakians begin to receive formal education in the form of schooling system by the colonials. As we know that most native Sarawakians are receiving informal form of education prior to the arrival of British, their educations are primarily based on the experiences rather than theories and only the privilege people  - aristocrats, riches and officers are able to receive the formal education. The formal education changes the people social status. The changes of social status caused the clothing aspect to change too. Our clothing has been evolved from traditional clothing to the modern western clothing. We begin to wear pants, coat, shirt, short and many others western clothing replacing the traditional clothes – Baju Melayu, samfu, Sirat, Ngepan and so on. Overall the changes that occurred among the Sarawakians are due to the people try to adapt and receive the changes that been brought by the colonials.

~Gloria Jarau~

Things Fall Apart : Colonization & the Effects

ME: CATHERINE JANET

• Based on your reading on “Things Fall Apart”, what aspects of the Igbo culture allow the British to take over?
• Since Sarawak has undergone colonization, how has this affected aspects of culture in our society?
• Are there any changes brought about in the life after the indigenous in Africa and Sarawak?

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COLONIZATION & THE EFFECTS

“Things Fall Apart” is a story of transformation; how the colonization by the British has affected the native society and the wounds and bleeds of the action changed our views on colonization (Sickels, 2010). Generally, the story that takes place in Africa (Nigeria) affects the native tribe there, the Igbo. Their mindset and belief on the tradition are still tightly held and they condemned people who go against it. Thus, that is my point on why it allowed the British to conquer them – the Igbo’s mindset and belief. Though people are running towards modernization, they are still they themselves. They still practice their customs, for example the killing of the twins and the “tyranny” husband and wife relationship. The arrival of the British there sees the customs as uncivilized and therefore they take action in such a way to civilize the tribe. One of the actions is through the introduction of new faith, Christian. The religion practices equality in life and that makes it able to attract the lower class people in the society to follow it. Without realizing it, they are colonized indirectly!

Sarawak has experienced the colonization too when the British came and take over since the Brooke era. Our culture is affected when the British introduced their English language in our state. They communicated by using that foreign language and that made the local people learnt that language in order to communicate well with each other. Nowadays, such assimilation of language that we still can detect in our state is the used of the word “book” (pronounced as “buk”) by the Bidayuh and “tyre” (pronounced as “taya”) by the Iban. Besides that, the introduction of the new curriculum design by the English affected the traditional education system. Before, the practice of the religion teaching either in “surau” or “madrasah” took place. When the British introduced English schools, many parents sent their children there so that they received formal education and then they can apply for jobs offered by the British government.

In conclusion, colonization really brings changes to the life of the Igbo people and the tribes in Sarawak. To put them up together, three great influences by the British towards the colonized people are in the form of new faith, new language and also the education system. In Sarawak, the British also introduced the new faith, Christianity. And in Umuofia, the British exposed the native to their English language and that results in the born of the interpreter (Mr. Kiaga). The introduction of the education system in Sarawak is still continued today and the set-up of schools in Umuofia gives opportunity to the younger generation there to experience education. 

"Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe

The aspect which allows the British to take over in the Igbo society is their belief and culture which is not good from the British point of view. One of their beliefs is a twin baby does not accepted in the Igbo culture because for them twin baby will bring bad omen to the family and even to their society. Thus, they will throw it to the Evil Forest. The Igbo people also belief in superstitious where they belief that there is many ghost or evil live in the Evil Forest, thus, nobody would dare to go to the Evil Forest. Sarawak also has undergone colonisation and resulting in some changes in the culture of the Sarawak society. Sarawak was colonised by the British, therefore the language spoken by most of the Sarawakian is English during that time until today. But now, the quantity of people speaking in English is not as many as before because Sarawak is not under the British government. After being colonised by the British, there are some changes brought in the indigenous people both in Africa and Sarawak. Firstly, there is a school built by the British in Africa and Sarawak and the education system is the same as in the British country. But, nowadays the education system of Sarawak is no longer the same as in the British country but it followed the Malaysian education system. Secondly, the British colonizer introduced the Christian religion to both Africa and Sarawak. Therefore, Africa and Sarawak no longer believe in the superstitious belief. Thus, from the religion aspect the society in Africa and Sarawak become more civilized. All of the society have their own religion and believe in one God.

Trecy Barbara