CHAPTER I
Background and Purposes
1.1 Introduction
According to Miremadi (2005), Translation plays an important role in intercommunication. People are created not to live in isolation but to search for better understanding of other nations and a part of this understanding will be fulfilled by means of translation of other nations' texts. Translation is not only a word-for-word substitution, but also a cultural understanding of the way people in different societies think. the number of people who are interested in knowing other's cultural, sociological, political and emotional attitudes and thoughts are not few and as the ideal form of a text for a reader is the one which is written in the reader’s own mother language , but in fact such a thing is sometimes a dream so seen from one side , there is a need to read foreign texts and seen from the other, there is a lack of ability to read them so translation as a bridge makes the
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Nasrin Pourhamrang, Chinua Achebe states: “Things Fall Apart, I believe, now has a life of its own. I think it is now more famous than I am! The fifty plus translations are a big indication of its impact. I feel like a parent watching a child succeed from the sidelines.” Things Fall Apart, as a story about a culture on the verge of change, is translated to more than 60 world languages including Persian. This post-colonial novel is ideologically written to represent African colonized culture to the world; it outlines the aspect of the colonial and post-colonial condition and also its many consequences particularly the loss of the many traditions of Africa. Achebe in an answer to the interviewer’s question declared:” Many of us engaged Africa’s past, stepping back into what can be referred to as the “era of purity” before the coming of Europe. What we discovered we put in books and that became known widely as “African Culture.”” This very famous novel is widely read by readers in many different
Grace La Greco 21 March 2018 English ll U3EA2 “If you don't like someone's story, write your own.” says award winning author Chinua Achebe. In Nwoye's igbo culture his father was determined for him to become like him, a leader to the igbo society, but Nwoye had other plans for the bettering of himself by following western ways. All around change is what you make of it.
Although many readers tend to blame the missionaries for the disastrous end to the Umuofian society, Chinua Achebe, the author of Things Fall Apart, suggests that the real culprit is the clash of customs between both the Africans and Europeans because of the Africans unwillingness to change their customs, the Christian’s feelings of superiority, and the inclusivity of Christianity. The loss of culture signifies the lack of unique views, values, and a sense of belonging. The differing customs of the Africans and Europeans were important factors to the destruction of the Umuofian society due to the Christians disdain for the African’s religion. For example, the Europeans believe they "have to put an end to the awful misery” (Source A).
The novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, defines an important literary example of the historical conflict of European colonialism in Nigeria during the
Things Fall Apart Everyone has its own unique perspective on certain things. In doing so, one must interact or collide with another throughout life. In Things Fall Apart, the author, Chinua Achebe, attempts to communicate the concept of cultural collision while depicting the life of the Igbo tribe. He creates two main characters with contradicting characteristics and responses to a cultural collision in order to strengthen the theme:
The tripartite novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, published in 1958 focuses on the changes taking place in Nigeria, as a result of colonization during the 20th century. Chinua Achebe’s pragmatics when writing the novel focused on changing the perspective of Western readers with regard to African society. He mainly wanted to falsify the assertions in books such as “Heart of Darkness” which he claimed gave people of African descent a dull personality. Social status is one of the novels’ main themes. Chinua Achebe successfully incorporates the importance of social status, giving readers the impression that for the Ibo society, social structure consists mainly of a hierarchy of both skill and strength.
Many stereotypes of African culture have emerged due to western literature and media and first hand accounts of explorers. Things Fall Apart offers a view into the truth and reality of African cultures, which are often misconceptualized by these stereotypes. Acebe shows how African society functions well without assistance from foreign travelers. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe counters the imperialist stereotypes of Africa by keeping certain words in the Igbo language, as opposed to translating them into English, to fight back against the spreading western culture and to embrace their own way of life. He also counters the imperialist stereotypes of Africa by using Igbo proverbs to show how their culture values many of the same things that western
Throughout Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, the authors' claim of "balance" within the Igbo tribe is invalid. Although one may view that women and men existing in this society as balanced due to the fact that both the men and women have a particular part in the general public; The men hunt for dinner, while the ladies prepare the meals and care after the kids. However, through close reading, the society is actually imbalance. While the women are living oppressed, the men are holding positions of high power. The women in the tribe not only being socially oppressed by men of high authority, but also physically and emotionally abused by men in their home who likewise holds power.
Everyone as a human being has experienced some form of change in our life, big or small, and it has a lasting effect on who they are and how they act. In Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’, change is a forward facing theme of the whole story, we see change in all forms occur throughout the book; the arrival of the white men and their changing of the igbo culture, the tearing apart of Okonkwo’s family by religion and traditions, and the change that occurs within Okonkwo himself when he realizes he cannot prevent change from happening in the community and culture he loved. Change is destructive in ‘Things Fall Apart’, especially to such a magnitude as we see in the story, it is destructive to communities, to families, and especially to individuals.
We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” In which achebe’s purpose was to condemn the white colonists for altering the Igbo culture, religion, "Igbo." - Introduction, Location,
Have you ever read a novel about African cultures and traditions from African point of view? The novel Things Fall Apart, a tragedy by Chinua Achebe, centers on one tragic hero in Igbo village of Umuofia in Nigeria and the effects of European arrival on his life and Igbo clan. Throughout the novel, Achebe introduces Igbo customs to the reader by creating several occurrences and how they react on them to claim that the Igbo is civilized before the Europeans arrive. The significant difference between Igbo and Western cultures is the way wisdom is passed on: Igbo oral traditions transmit values and knowledge orally by allegorical tales, while Western literary traditions educate people through generations by written texts, just like the novel itself.
Achebe illustrates that colonialism has a negative effect on Ibo culture by dividing Ibo people, which results in the downfall of Ibo civilization. Before white men arrive to Ibo society, there is no sense of colonialism. In this atmosphere, the Ibo society functions
Things Fall Apart, a book written by the author Chinua Achebe is a story filled with amazing culture. It is about the rise and downfall of the main character, Okonkwo. The book had many different aspects of the African culture and the different time period. For example, characters and their importance throughout the story, and how women were treated in this culture and time period. Topics from religion, family, and the social complexity were very much involved throughout the entire book and portrayed by many of the characters.
The term hero means a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe follows the life of Okonkwo who was a well respected and wealthy man of his tribe as he deals with the influence of British and Christian missionaries in the Igbo community. Okonkwo is considered a tragic hero because although he was a important person in society of the Igbo tribe his actions, choices, and tragic flaws lead to his downfall. Okonkwo was a important person in society. Because of Okonkwo's high rank in the village he “was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond” showing his importance among the people in society.
Achebe illustrates that colonialism has a negative effect on Ibo culture by dividing Ibo people, which results in the downfall of Ibo civilization. Before white men arrive to Ibo society, there is no sense of colonialism. In this atmosphere, the Ibo society functions
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the positive and negative impacts of colonialism. Key words: - Colonialism, Religion, Culture, Civilization, Conflict INTRODUCTION Things Fall Apart was published in 1958 just two years before Nigeria’s independence from the British’s rule in 1960. Achebe, who was born in 1930, had experienced colonialism in his country. The novel depicts the pre-colonial and early colonial Nigerian society.