Western Culture In Purple Hibiscus
The power of the western World has penetrated cultures worldwide. This is evident in African literature, where authors and plots become influenced by Western culture.
I agree with this statement because during my reading of the two novels, Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe and Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie, it is evident that Adichie was influenced more by western culture in the writing of the novel Purple Hibiscus, than what Achebe was in Things fall apart.
Many societies have beliefs that was enshrined through their religion. Some beliefs include polygamy, polytheism, and patriarchy, or rule by men. One such culture is that of Achebe 's Things Fall Apart. The men are overly domineering. The women and children are treated poorly
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What makes Purple Hibiscus so interesting is the interwoven Western influence that can be seen in a traditional Nigerian setting. This is a story about Nigeria 's recovery from colonialism because Eugene was among the first generation to come into contact with the European missionaries. In order to go to school, children needed to convert to Christianity, so Eugene and many of his contemporaries did. He takes the teaching so seriously that he condemns all practice of his native religion, and becomes uptight and self-righteous. The Western influence on religion is much more evident in this novel, as people who converted to Christianity in Things fall apart were …show more content…
Purple Hibiscus begins with reference to Chinua Achebe, "Things began to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the étagère." The novel tracks this family as the chilly, icebound order begins to break down, and something new replaces it. Visiting their aunt and her three children, Kambili and Jaja get a chance to see how a more ordinary, relaxed family functions. They come to know their "heathen" grandfather, whom Eugene will not see because he insists on practicing his traditional Igbo
Cultural Collision In Things Fall Apart Essay
924 Words | 4 PagesAn Unfortunate Result to Cultural Collision With the increased technology of today’s world, cultures collide constantly, and these interactions can either have positive results of a blended culture, or negative results of horrible tragedies and acts of violence. However, this trade of cultural ideas has been occurring for several thousand years, all over the world. The novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, is a breathtaking novel about the struggles of the African tribe of Umuofia to change their lifestyle to comply to that of a powerful group of white foreigners that invade their land. The collision of cultures is adapted to by some better than others, and the novel seamlessly conveys the results of each response to the newcomers, as
Money And Happiness In Purple Hibiscus
983 Words | 4 PagesSome would say that money and social position provide you with basic needs that are important for experiencing happiness, however, happiness is a complex emotion which is influenced by factors such as love, peace, and health, factors we cannot buy. This aspect is noticed in the novel Purple Hibiscus, written by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, in which Kambili the younger daughter of Eugene and Beatrice, and I also found that . I found this novel in the library and what called my attention was the way that the complete story is told from the protagonist point of view, the second aspect was the terrible things she shows about her social life her family, specially her mother obedience and her father’s brutality and religious dogma until their visit to their cousins’ at Nsukka, where, surprisingly, to them life can be more cheerful and happy, even when they did not have too much
Social Status In Things Fall Apart
1027 Words | 5 PagesThe 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.
Stereotypes In Things Fall Apart
1145 Words | 5 PagesMany 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
Essay On Gender Roles In Things Fall Apart
1083 Words | 5 PagesMany aspects of their lives have men as the prominent heads of their households, but women also have some importance in many of the concepts. In the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe presents the idea of how Igbo culture and religion define the roles for each gender and examines how unequal roles in society can lead to conflicts between each gender in order to illustrate how they can lead to permanently damaged relationships. The main driving forces behind gender role beliefs in Things Fall Apart are a result of the ideologies set by the Ibo people. Their culture dictated men as stronger people who did more work, while women were dictated as individuals who were weak and inferior because they did household activities.
The Negative Effects Of Imperialism
1006 Words | 5 PagesThe arrival of the Europeans with their customs and religion caused the natives to be wildly mystified and made them reconsider their own customs. Soon many native people began to convert to Christianity and this resulted in disunity among the people as they turned against each other. Chinua Achebe powerfully expressed this through his book Things Fall Apart: “Our own men and sons have joined the rank of a stranger. They have joined his religion and they help to uphold his government.” (Achebe, 155) Another way imperialism destroyed cultures began at the Berlin Conference where Europeans met up to divide Africa.
Analysis Of Igbo Culture In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
837 Words | 4 Pages“Things Fall Apart”, a novel written by Chinua Achebe about Africa through the character Okonkwo, a man who Achebe uses to illustrate the complexity Igbo culture, contrary to what the Europeans portrayed Africa as. One main focus of the book is to counter the single story, which is the idea that an area is represented by one story, similar to a stereotype. However, differing from a stereotype a single story often completely misrepresents something, and in this case Africa. Europeans had been the only ones writing about Africa, describing all the culture as problematic for being different, rather than looking at what African culture really is. Achebe was one of the first to write about African culture for westerners to read about, making Things Fall Apart a true innovation in writing.
Religion In Purple Hibiscus
1711 Words | 7 PagesPurple Hibiscus, written by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, is a novel set in post-colonial Nigeria where the protagonist, 15-year-old Kambili struggles growing up torn between two contrasting beliefs; Igbo traditionalism and western Catholicism. Religion as many believe is the hope in a power greater than ones self. It is also a means of worship, moreover as means of people uniting together as one and believing in one God. Religion is a very important aspect and can certainly impact and influence a person’s mentality. Adichie uses two conflicting religions to show the development of Kambili’s character and maturity, as well as explore the tension that is forced unto the her throughout the novel.
Compare And Contrast Aunty Ifeoma And Children In Purple Hibiscus
1051 Words | 5 PagesDespite growing up in the same house, Aunty Ifeoma and Papa Eugene from the book, Purple Hibiscus, raises their children in contrasting manners. Papa Eugene oppresses his children from having individuality and results to violent punishments when his children go against his views. On the other hand,Aunty Ifeoma is more understanding to her children’s decisions in life and uses more peaceful means to bring her points across. Another clear difference between Ifeoma and Eugene is the teaching methods they use to teach their religion, Catholicism, to their children. Eugene disciplines his child to be prejudiced against heathens while Ifeoma lets her child have more liberty in what to believe.
How Did Colonialism Affect African Culture
1753 Words | 8 PagesCulture, an assortment of human activities and principles, leads a group of people with common beliefs and values; but after it was taken away by the Europeans, all they felt was lost and with no identity. (Arowolo 2010, 4) Colonialism caused an abrupt decline of culture and tradition in the colonies because the Europeans imposed a new culture on the African’s traditional one. Due to Africa’s subjugation and it being controlled by the Europeans, Western civilization and life style began shaping the colonies. (2) One can say that European culture is characterized by a Christian worldview and individualism. (7) Consequently, imperialism caused African cultural heritage to become replaced by a prosperous European-based one.
Theme Of Silence In Purple Hibiscus
992 Words | 4 PagesPurple Hibiscus is about understanding the ways in which she can use what she already has for her own strength. A defining moment for Jaja is when Papa goads him that, “‘you must eat with us this evening, do you hear me?” But Jaja did not come out of his room. The most significant part of this passage is the way Jaja ignores his father’s actively: choosing not just to refuse dinner with the family, but also provide no clear explanation for doing so. Papa now finds himself in silence.
Sexual Identity In Purple Hibiscus
1227 Words | 5 PagesThis is the case with Purple Hibiscus as well: in Ouma’s words, the novel is “informed by the experiences of movement and contact with other words”(49). kambili’s father’s sister, aunty Ifeoma, works as a lecturer at Nsukka University, where the country’s flaws are flagrantly visible: unpaid salaries, authoritarian management, and career stagnation are driving staff members into exile. The idea of leaving raises diverse feelings in kambili’s cousins. The oldest cousin, Amaka, feels that leaving means running away, and she asks her brother whether the problems of the crisis-ridden country cannot be fixed. “Fix what?”
Analysis Of Purple Hibiscus
756 Words | 4 PagesPurple hibiscus reflects the theme of identity. In the home culture each female is exposed to a fixed identity, but when she moves outside her home life. She is able to develop her own values from the world views of his parents. Purple hibiscus is a coming of age story for the central characters Kambili. The novel is narrated by Kambili about her struggle to attain her self- identity.
Purple Hibiscus Analysis
2273 Words | 10 PagesPurple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a very dense novel that focuses on the development of the main character and the supporting characters which could be defined as Bildungsroman. The narrator, Kambili, takes a reader through the psychology of the characters and explores them in different ways. At the beginning, we are exposed to the family that has a patriarchal figure as a father and a husband who is the perpetrator of domestic violence. Yet he is a role model and a remarkable figure to the public. The novel penetrates deep through various forms of violence which are coercive, discursive and domestic and are the ones that separate families, communities and the Nigerian nation as a whole.
Patriarchy In Purple Hibiscus
1006 Words | 5 PagesPurple Hibiscus is the first novel and Bildungsroman written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The story is set in Enugu, a city in post-colonial Nigeria during the civil war in 1960. The Nigerian households in the 1960s worked in a patrilineal manner where the father is the head of the household and he is obeyed. The wife and children have little say and the wife is only seen has the one who gives the man his children (Qualls, A). The main character and also the narrator, Kambili Achike explains what it is like living under the roof of her patriarchal Father, Eugene Achike.
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