Things_Fall_Apart__Its_Relation_to_Culture_and_Language

Culture And Language: It's Relation To Things Fall Apart Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart is set in Nigeria during a period of British Colonial rule in the late 1800s. In Things Fall Apart Achebe focuses on one village in particular, Umuofia. Achebe mainly focuses on Umuofia's culture and the language. The culture of Umuofia is Ibo, also known as Igbo, which is evident in the language they speak, the food, and religion. Culture is very important to the Ibo community as depicted in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. The language in particular plays a major role. The language “is derived from a group of languages commonly found in West Africa, the Kwa languages” (Froiland). The terms obi and chi are commonly used throughout Things Fall Apart. Obi means the largest living quarters for the head of the house and chi meaning personal god. Another aspect of the Ibo culture is the food. The yam is the staple crop. The yam crops are tended by the male and other crops are tended by the women. The people of the Ibo community also eat foo-foo and drink palm oil. Large servings of these foods are served during special occasions such as marriage ceremony’s and the thanking of one’s elders. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo thanked his kinsmen on his motherland by throwing them a feast. Religion is also an aspect of the Ibo culture. One belief is that “there is one creator, God, whom they call Chineke or Chukwu” (Widjaja). The Ibo people consult in the priestess of Agbala, the Oracle of the Hills and the Caves. The Oracle is also known as Chielo. In Things Fall Apart, the Oracle is the one that pronounced for Umuofia to kill Ikemefuna three years after taking him in. The main character in Things Fall Apart is Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a part of the Ibo tribe and follows the Ibo culture heavily by following the traditions of the language, foods, and religion even after the missionaries come and try to convert the village to Christianity. Though some are converted, Okonkwo is not. Culture and language relate to Things Fall Apart because it is the reason for why everything happens the way it does. Achebe describes the culture and the language of the Ibo people as he does in Things Fall Apart to allow the reader to fully understand the culture. Achebe allowed the characters to perform the traditions of the culture. The culture and the language of Umuofia are important to the Ibo village. The Ibo language, the food, and religion themselves are mainly depicted in Things Fall Apart.