Chukwu Essays

Reflection of Traditional African Igbo Culture in Chinua Achebe’s Novel Things Fall Apart Sikandar Kadar Aga Abstract: The aim of this present research paper is to highlight the insights of the traditional African Igbo culture, as represented in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. Achebe in the novel Things

Chimamanda Adichie’s Ideas on the Emancipation of the African Mind Published in 2003 Purple Hibiscus, written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is the story of a young girl named Kambili Achike who lives in Nigeria with her parents and brother. Kambili struggled with the oppressive nature of her fundamentalist father to eventually find her own voice and path in life. Her father is a essentially a “colonial product” (13) as he embodies post-colonial ideals and practices in post-colonial Nigeria. Adichie’s

such as, they worship a god named Chukwu, two minor gods, a minor goddess, and six different spirits. The first and most important being they worship, as stated by world eras, is a god named Chukwu. The Igbo tribe believes that Chukwu is the creator of the universe. The Igbo people believe that Chukwu created humans and all the minor gods and goddesses. The Igbo tribe mainly associates Chukwu with trees, other plants, and rain. In addition, the Igbo tribe view Chukwu as the creator of all moral law

behind distinct gender division in Igbo culture is due to their strong beliefs in Ani the Earth goddess and Chukwu (Superior male god) which portray women as nurturing and men as assertive in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The Igbos polytheistic beliefs manufacture a sense of strength and dominance for men in society and within their homes. It has been known through many generations that “Chukwu was the Overlord” and all other gods were “little gods” or “his servants”(Achebe 180)

and the colonization of Christianity. In the Igbo religion, Chukwu is their primary God. He created the heaven and the earth, just like the god of the Christian faith. Although they have this belief in common, the Igbo religion differs because they believe in other Gods. As Mr. Brown and Akunna discuss Chukwu, Akunna brings up the other gods. Akunna says, “He made all the world and other gods” (Achebe 109). Here is where the

I have chosen the book called “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. The text that I have written is a speech from the aspect of Okonkwo’s close friend, Obierika. I chose Obierika since I thought he was the one that was most likely to stand up for Okonkwo. The speech presented was written in a harsh tone, combined with spirit and passion. A prominent style of the speech is that Obierika uses a lot of repetition, as he has preached about how his clan have lost the mighty warrior Okonkwo, and turned

supreme God, Chukwu. Chukwu is “an all-powerful, all-knowing divinity, the maker of the cosmos as well as all the minor gods that make up the Igbo pantheon” (Deities of the Igbo Religion 292). He is often thought of as the Sun, which the Igbos believe to be God’s “eye” on the Earth. (Deities of the Igbo Religion 292). Indigenous Igbos also believe in a female counterpart of Chukwu, Ala. Ala, whose name means “The Earth Mother”, represents the more feminine moon rather than the Sun. Chukwu is thought

them they worshiped false gods,gods of wood and stone”. (Achebe 114) The Ibo religion is polytheistic religion, meaning that there is more than one god. THey have one supreme god Chukwu, but they also have many other gods they worship. They also worship carved woods. “The tree from which it came from was made by Chukwu” (Achebe 18) They believe in a god that is alive, they have talked to their god and their god could be seen, such as their spirits. “You say that there is one supreme god who made

big say in the society and have all the power over women. The Igbos are very religious. These polytheistic people worship many gods. They believe that there are three levels of spiritual beings: the highest level is the supreme god, or “Chukwu.” Underneath Chukwu are not as powerful gods, called “Umuagbara”, and under those are the “Ndi Ichie,” the spirits of dead people. The Igbos also believe in reincarnation. They see death as a brief phase between life and the spirit world. When someone dies

religions in the world itself according to Reference.com. However, the Igbo religion is one of the strongest and most historic religions. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Igbo people believe in many gods but one of them is the supreme god Chukwu. The main character Okonkwo is a very religious person and he witnesses his village and people change because of religion. Throughout the story Okonkwo tries to stay true to his religion but fails each time, like when Okonkwo tries following the

The Igbo culture was an actual religion in Africa. Chukwu is their supreme god and was believed to have created the world. Each clan had an egwugwu or a masked ancestrals of a clan. I think that the Igbo culture did more harm than good to Okonkwo because of his multiple wives, pride, and when he killed a clansmen which leads to his deaths. Okonkwo had many wives. Having more than one wife can be good or bad. One good thing about having more than one wife is you get more food. However, a bad thing

catching onto the white men’s negative influence on their culture. They’ve established trading posts to bring in money, and Mr. Brown declares that the gods they all worship are powerless pieces of wood. In the Ibo people’s defense, Akunna argues that Chukwu, a creator of good things, designed this wood. Neither Mr. Brown nor Akunna change their views, but they learned more about each other’s faith through the conversation. Mr. Brown’s next project is a hospital and school, his reasoning being entirely

them to. The Umuofians were close-minded and only thought their religion was the right religion. Long after Okonkwo returned to Umuofia after his exile, Mr. Brown was explaining their religion to Okonkwo, Mr. Brown explained, “ There are no gods… Chukwu is the only God and all others are false. You carve a piece wood… and you call it a god. But it is still a piece of wood” (Achebe 179). Mr. Brown thinks that because he is from a different civilization that is much more advanced than Umuofia, that

Shanahan immediately noticed 4 main similarities between the natural native faith and the Roman Catholic faith. The Ibos seem to have retained some of the Roman Catholic traits from Benin. Even Shanahan recognised and emphasised some traits: 1. Chukwu - creator of all 2. Spirits -angels and saints 3. Offered sacrifices through priests for their sins and sins of these dead 4. Honour for mothers the holy mother – the most common female name of Annika – the mother is

in a higher power at work. On page 63 a conversation took place between a missionary named, Mr. Brown, and the Ibo people discussing their God(s). “You say that there is one supreme God who made heaven and earth. We also believe in Him and call Him Chukwu.” said the Ibo people. Pre and Post-Colonial of the Umuofia tribe believe in

religion is one of the most important aspects in Okonkwo’s sense of himself and the clan when the two cultures of the missionaries and the clan collide, leading to the tragic death of Okonkwo. For instance, “‘There are no other gods,’ said Mr. Brown. ‘Chukwu is the only God and all others are false. You carve a piece of wood—like that one (he pointed at the rafters from which Akunna’s carved Ikenga hung), ‘and you call it a god. But it is still a piece of wood,’” (Achebe 179). This quote is pure evidence

The clans of the Igbo society worshipped their gods, which made of stones and woods, differently than other religions. They had a representative for each of their goddess such as the Oracle of the Hills. The main god that they worshipped was Chukwu, who was believed had created heaven and Earth. His hatred and the humiliation he gets from the Christian make him kill the messenger of District Commissioner. Okonkwo thinks that the Christians have ruined their clans because the clans found a new

on the notion of the duality of gender. For instance, Chielo is a priestess for the male God, the Oracle. Also, such indication can be found in the narrated folktale stories by Okonkwo’s wives about the earth goddess, Ani, and the god of the sky, Chukwu. The balance of genders that the spiritual world of Umuofia society in Achebe’s novels reflects upon indicates at the same time the chaos that Okonkwo’s world develops to. By ignoring females and their importance in his life, Okonkwo fulfils Obierika’s

The novel, Things Fall Apart, tells the life story about Okonkwo, who is a clansmen of the Ibo tribe, which is located in Nigeria. Okonkwo is a famous wrestler, a skilled farmer and a respected leader, in spite of his modest upbringing. The novel is told through Okonkwo’s chauvinist point of view, where he accepts the theory that man is everything, and women is nothing (Bite & Bite, 2013). Okonkwo supports and encourages the traditional gender divisions, and regards women as weak, and powerless

This is the belief in one creator God called Chineke or Chukwu. They belief in spirits and ancestors. The high God is believed to be the creator God; He does not involve himself in the daily activities of the tribe or people. They belief He could be reached through other mini deities like Amadioha who is the