WEEK 5: MY THOUGHT ON 'THINGS FALL APART'

“People from different parts of the world can respond to the same story if it says something to them about their own history and their own experience.” The statement explains that even though we come from different parts of the world but we still can respond to the situation that happens to other country. In the novel Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe, the British takes over the Igbo’s society whereas the society experienced many changes in their life. One of the aspects that has changed is the Igbo’s belief and culture, the British government finds the society still believe in the superstitious belief which lead them to introduce the new religion. Before the colonisation happens, the Igbo society believes in many gods for example god of the sun, god of the forest and others. The new religion introduced by the British has changed some of the society’s belief and some of them accepted the new religion in their life. One of their beliefs that has been turned down by the British is a twin baby does not accepted in the Igbo culture because they belief that 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 society also believe in superstitious where they believe that there are many evils spirit live in the Evil Forest, thus, nobody would dare to go to the Evil Forest. But, as the new religion spread all over the Umofian village the superstitious belief slowly disappear from the village as many of them had embraced the new religion.

Sarawak also has undergone colonisation and resulting in some changes in the culture of the Sarawak society. 
One of the result of the colonization process is most of the people in Sarawak speak in English and some of the dialect in Sarawak still using English in their vocabulary. For example, Iban people still used the English name for the ‘book’ by using different spelling but with the same pronunciation.  After being colonised by the British, there are some changes brought in the indigenous people both in Africa and Sarawak. The most obvious changes has been made by the British is the introduction of education system. The British builds their school in Africa and Sarawak and teaches the society. Other than that the British colonizer introduces Christian religion to both Africa and Sarawak. Therefore, Africa and Sarawak no longer believe in the superstitious. Thus, the society in Africa and Sarawak become more civilized and most of them obey the religion obligations. All of the society have their own religion and believe in one God. There are many changes that the colonizer brings towards our nation which are both bring advantages and disadvantages to our nation. “The loss of national identity is the greatest defeat a nation can know, and it is inevitable under the contemporary form of colonization.”

BY: TRECY BARBARA JOHNIUS