'THINGS FALL APART' TRANSFER TASK

How did Nigerian culture change from the 1890's, when the book was set, to 1958, when the book was written?

THE 1890'S WERE PRE-COLONIAL. LATE 1890'S AND ON, INCLUDING 1958, WERE COLONIAL TIMES. NIGERIA WAS COLONIZED BY THE BRITISH.

The British introduced new ideas, perspectives, beliefs, and ways of life to the Nigerian people. They changed Nigerian culture and the country as a whole.

RELIGION

1890'S

• Chukwu is the Supreme God
• Many minor Gods and Goddesses serve as messengers
• Some natural beings, such as pythons, are sacred
• Egwugwu are masqueraders of ancestral spirits
• Minor gods/spirits/deities take the form of natural objects

1958

• Many churches, mosques, and traditional religious worship centers
• State is predominantly Christian
• Different religions coexist peacefully
• Nearly even split between Protestant and Catholic Churches
• Christmas is a main event, as is Easter

MUSIC AND ART

1890'S

• Ekwe - a drum made of wood, Ogene - a kind of gong, Udu - a drum made of pottery
• Instruments were used by masqueraders and dancers
• Music was used in rituals, spiritual events, and cultural events
• Art included wood carvings and Egwugwu masks

1958

• Musical instruments were used to accompany church choirs

LANGUAGE

1890'S

• Folktales were a staple of culture
• Important lessons were told through folktales
• Igbo language was spoken
• There were many different dialects of Igbo

1958

• The SPILC (Society for Promoting Igbo Language and Culture) had been created
• It was in the process of translating Igbo to English
• It valued the preservation of Igbo language

GENDER ROLES

1890'S

• Women performed domestic chores such as farming, cooking, etc
• It was a patriarchal society and wife beating was allowed
• A man had multiple wives, each with a hut and family of her own
• Women did have important roles, like painting the egwugwu houses
• Women had financial freedom and had to help financially support their family

1958

• Colonial administrators changed roles in economics
• Males dominated the cultivation of crops for the international market & women grew cheaper food crops
• Colonizers believed in that women belonged at home, raising children.
• Women weren't allowed financial independence for fear she would lack respect for her husband.
• Legislation was passed that restricted women, preventing them from performing family duties.

GOVERNMENT

1890'S

• There was no strong centralized state, and no chief.
• The village was the center of government and decisions were made by elders from each family.
• An assembly, Amala Oha, was made up of adult males who performed legislative duties.
• The male population was divided into age groups, each with rights and responsibilities.
• Titles in Ozo society decide who has more prestige and power.

1958

• A "man of authority" was created by appointing individuals in society as kings, known as "warrant kings".
• They were given a warrant and forced to rule the community
• This way, the British could use them in their indirect rule system
• This meant they'd rule the whole village through one man

TRADITIONS/CEREMONIES

1890'S

• In marriage, the groom proposes and if the bride accepts, then the groom and his family visits hers.
• The bride price is decided after wine and kola nuts are given to the bride's father and a meal is eaten.
• Money and goods are given to the bride's family and the wedding takes place at her compound.
• The bride sells boiled eggs to the guests, then her father gives her a wooden cup full of palm wine as the groom hides in the crowd.
• She must find the groom and give him the wine, and then they are married.

1890'S

• Masquerades, traditional music, and occasionally sacrifices accompanied funerals.
• Yams were incredibly important.
• The New Yam festival celebrated the end of one yam cycle and the beginning of another.
• Twins were killed upon birth.
• Believed Ogbanje children were mutilated and buried in the evil forest.

1958

• Church wedding follows traditional marriage.
• In this ceremony, the bride and her single female friends all enter the church.
• They dance to music and the guests bless them by throwing money at them.
• The groom receives the bride at the altar.
• The priest gives the final church blessing.

1958

• The church has overtaken most old funeral traditions the Igbo used to perform.
• Twins are not killed anymore and it is a crime to do so.
• Children aren't allowed to be mutilated and buried in the evil forest.

SOURCES

• Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.
• Agbogun, James. "Pre-colonial Government in Igbo Land." The Nigeria. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
• Chun, June. "The Role of Women in Things Fall Apart." Post Colonial Web. 1994. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
• Pritchett, Frances. "A History of the Igbo Language." Igbohistory. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
• Rojas, Maria. "Women in Colonial Nigeria." Post Colonial Web. 1994. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
• "Samples of Musical Instruments From the Igboland." Umunna Cultural Association of Indianapolis. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
• Widjaja, Michael. "Religion." Igbo Guide. Michael Widjaja. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.
• Widjaja, Michael. "Traditional Family Ceremonies." Igbo Guide. Michael Widjaja. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.