Introduction
In the book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Anichebe the real-life situation of the noble African is brought out, especially in the colonial era. The lifestyle of each individual is subject to challenges and other factors that may influence the characters of the person involved. Additionally, the book tries to show that the life of a person depends on his/her deeds and his contribution to society. The two essays related to the themes in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, hence the paper will analyze the extent to which the two articles marry to the book.
Behaviour
As a result, the behaviour of an individual can be created and developed throughout his entire life, depending on the people he meets and associates with. Baldwin tries to show how one can construct a useful life that can possibly erase the wicked deeds of family members; as a result, it is significant to live a well-constructed life and trying to correct the mistakes. Césaire, on the other hand, tries to defend the non-European during the colonial period while also trying to bring out the real meaning of civilization.
Any individual undergoes several experiences in life that are primarily influenced by the parents and the society one lives. Due to this, there may be some resistance or hatred that may occur in the community as a result of the actions of the family members. For example, Okonkwo’s father was not accepted by the people due to tainted images where he had unpaid debts and did not take care of his children and wife. Being the colonial period, people saw him as a coward who could not fight for his people under any circumstances. An individual can delete the past of his family and bring out a different image of the family. In the novel, the main character is different from his father in all aspects, and his behaviour is suitable according to the community.
Additionally, Okonkwo displays very different characters from those of the father, and he is not a coward as he defeats one of the famous wrestlers in the community. Moreover, he took care of his children and the wife that is contradicting to actions displayed by his predecessor. In the village, most people try to judge an individual according to the actions and behaviour of the forefathers. Thus, people may have the wrong perception of an individual by considering his/her background, but Baldwin indicates that the behaviour and characters depend on an individual.
According to Baldwin, it is possible to construct a life that varies in terms of behaviour from that of the people who lived before. It is evident that the actions of Okonkwo made his famous and a favourite in the community. To some extent, he is appointed to the guardian by the elders of the community. The elders had the perception that Okonkwo was the right man to correct the wrong actions of his father. As a result, he brings peace between two communities that his father had created some hostility due to his works. The good deeds of Okonkwo bring a new face of his family, and this indicates that the right things can cancel the wrong behaviour of the past.
Moreover, Okonkwo is seen as a person who protects and cares for the weak this is evident by being so protective to his daughter and a son who seemed to be very weak and cowards. The character is also displayed after he comes from exile and tries to organize the society to resist the new way of life brought by colonialization. Having arrived back and found that people are already joining the new religion of the colonizers, Okonkwo feels betrayed, and he rises against the British. As a result, he starts a rebellion against the ongoing actions of the colonizers. It is necessary to respect the religion of each individual globally to avoid misunderstanding.
Hence it is essential to protect the weak in the community while also trying to resist any change brought by intruders in life. People should respect their race and be ready to fight for it and the cultural practices, this can be exhibited by being loyal to the traditions. Example, Okonkwo chooses death over being prosecuted in a colonial court; as a result, he opts to commit suicide on the day of case earing. To some, he was a hero while to others, and he was a coward although he goes against the norms of the Igbo community; this was a heroic action to preserve the traditions of his people.
Many individuals in the traditional community and ethnic groups feared being called cowards, and they would fight the name at any given cost. Being termed weak in society may be so discouraging and can lead to failure in life. Okonkwo's father received so much hatred from the community for being a coward and Okonkwo tries to fight the term “coward” by going to the extent of killing his adopted son who they hand powerful bonds. Basically, human beings are resistant to change, even if the changes are for the better. Due to the fact that they are used to specific traditions and religious activities, the society had to resist the new ways brought by the colonial rule.
Additionally, there is a lot of civilization in the society involved in the book, as people are too much into their ways of life. According to Césaire, non-European ways of living should be preserved hence not praising the European culture. Okonkwo had been away on exile, and during the period the colonizers had a chance to absorb some people to the European way of life.
Upon coming back, there was an emergence of resistance engineered by Okonkwo, and this was because the society had some level of civilization and was not ready to let it go smoothly. All human beings in the world are equal despite the cultural differences and should be respected. According to Césaire, this was not the case in the colonies of the western nations; instead, they did not see Africans as human; hence he talks about the idea of dehumanization.
Furthermore, the community had already its form of governance, and it had to change due to the upcoming forces. Césaire assaults the western nations arguing that there was no need of being civilized due to their behaviours. It is evident that the British were coming into the community and started using force to change the culture of the people. According to Césaire, this is not an excellent way to show civilization and power; instead, individuals should be friendly. Additionally, it is crucial to respect the culture of each individual, and this will lead to smooth lives without any conflicts and wars.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ideas discussed by both Césaire and Baldwin relates to the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Anichebe. Baldwin argues that the real characters of an individual can be developed without considering the family background. Considering this factor, Okonkwo emerges a favourite among the community despite the fact that his father was not in good terms with the people. His father did not make any peace in society and was always causing chaos and mistreating his wife and children. Contrary to this Okonkwo, a peace ambassador between his community and another community which had conflicts caused by Okonkwo's father. Finally, Césaire idea of inhuman nature that was experienced during the colonial period comes out clearly in the story. It can be examined as the leading cause of Okonkwo's death.
