CHRISTIANITY AS THE FOOTHOLD OF COLONIZATION AS SEEN IN THE CONFLICT OF IGBO PEOPLE IN CHINUA ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART
CHRISTIANITY AS THE FOOTHOLD OF COLONIZATION AS SEEN IN THE CONFLICT OF IGBO PEOPLE
IN CHINUA ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
YB ANUGERAH WICAKSONO KW
Student Number: 034214021
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I Thank God, I could finish this thesis. First of all, I would like to give my deepest gratitude to my beloved family; my father Vallone Kusumo in heaven, my lovely mom Noery Kusumo and my only sister Dita Bennet who gives me love everyday. Their smile is the greatest encouragement to finish this writing.
I thank Chinua Achebe who writes Things Fall Apart, the book that becomes my main inspiration in this thesis. I would also like to thank my advisor,
Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd. M. Hum. Who has guided and helped me during this
thesis writing process. I feel so grateful that she is still guiding me although I take much time to finish this work. I thank my co advisor Adventina Putranti, S.S.
M. Hum. for so many inputs regarding my writing content. I greatly thank all
lecturers of English Letters Department for their guidance, friendliness, and
knowledge they share during my study. My appreciation also goes to all the staffs in English Letters Department who give me a very remarkable support in writing this thesis.
I thank all my fellow classmates in English Letters of 2003, Ronald,
Satya, Tyas, Widhy, Prita, Renzzie, Ella, Ajeng, Frieda, Bayu, Yabes,
Yeremia, Agung, Adhi, Sustiani, Cindy, Nita, Dodi, Vendy, Martumpal,
Putri, Dian, Richard, and others that cannot be mentioned one by one. I give my
profound thanks to Lilik, Jati, Erwan, Eko, Nifa, and Budiarto for the strong ties of friendship. I especially thank Eka for the discussion and evaluation to this thesis and Arfiana who always supports and reminds me to finish this writing.
YB Anugerah Wicaksono KW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE............................................................................................ iAPPROVAL PAGE .................................................................................. ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ............................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................... v ABSTRACT .............................................................................................. vi ABSTRAK ................................................................................................. vii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 1
A.1 Background of the Study .............................................................
B.
4 Problem Formulation ...................................................................
C.
4 Objectives of the Study ................................................................
D.
5 Definition of Terms ......................................................................
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ........................................... 7
A.7 Review of Related Studies............................................................
B.
10 Review of Related Theories..........................................................
1.
10 Conflict ………………………...........................................
2. Types of Conflicts………………………………….…….. 12 3.
13 Western Colonialism...........................................................
C.
Theoretical Framework ………………………………………… 16
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ……………………………………. 17
A.17 Object of the Study.......................................................................
B.
19 Approach of the Study.................................................................
C.
20 Method of the Study .....................................................................
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ……………………………………………. 21
A. Conflicts in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.......................... 21 1.21 Conflicts before the Arrival of Christianity…………………...
2.
36 Conflicts after the Arrival of Christianity…..………….……...
B.
How the Igbo Society Deals with Its Conflicts before and after Christianization…………………………………………………. 48 1. Before Christianization…………………………………….....
48
2. After Christianization…………………………………………
61 C.
64 The Result of The Infiltration of Christianity…………………...
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION …........................................................... 73
BIBLIOGRAPHY ….................................................................................. 76
ABSTRACT
YB ANUGERAH WICAKSONO KW. Christianity as the Foothold of
Colonization as Seen in the Conflict of Igbo People in Chinua Achebe’s
Things Fall Apart. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Sanata Dharma
University.Things Fall Apart talks about Igbo society in dealing with western
imperialism. Igbo is agricultural community, living under the wisdom of an Oracle, a civil ordered society under the animism, dynamism reflected in their belief of many gods and spirits. The condition changes when the western arrives and introduces new perspective including Christianity to the native Igbo people. It leads separation among the community because some people decide to accept this new religion and some of them against it
There are some objectives that the writer wants to achieve through this thesis. The first is to classify the conflicts in Things Fall Apart in order to understand the conflict before the infiltration of Christianity and after the infiltration of Christianity. The second is to know how Igbo society solves its conflict before Christianization and its custom on solving the conflicts. The last objective is to see the result of Christianization toward Igbo society and to know the role of Christianity to colonization.
In order to analyze the problems, the writer is employing post-colonial approach. Post-colonial approach is considered appropriate to be applied to this topic because the discussion in this work is about the life of the Igbo people in Niger, Africa before and after the arrival of Westerner in Igbo’s point of view. In this study, the approach only focuses to discuss the conflicts of the novel.
The study has found that before the arrival of Christianity, conflicts exist but Ibo has strong social structures and traditional belief to solve it. While the society has various conflicts, the society also has well-established structures, such as religion, social structure, political systems, and economics. These structures are rooted deeply within the society, more deep-rooted and stronger than the conflicts, so all the conflicts can be overcome with the foundation of those structures. From all those structures, religion is the most fundamental element in Igbo society.
Although the structures in Igbo society are well established, some of its people are still facing moral dilemma regarding the traditional structures. The arrival of the Christianity gives such a hope to people who are not satisfied with Igbo structures Then, they accept, convert to Christianity and leave their traditional Igbo religion.
The sudden infiltration of Christianity into Igbo society results disintegration of the existing fundamental structures of Igbo society. It has direct impact to the traditional Igbo religion. Since the most fundamental structure of Igbo society is distracted, other structures are also affected. The situation that is full of continuous conflicts in Igbo society makes the colonists can easily penetrate into Igbo society in various other aspects such as education, government and law, social and economy. Christianity functions as the foothold for the entrance of those other fields that are infiltrated by the colonists. By following the new religion, those Igbo people gradually leave their traditional values and show their trust and consent towards the Western colonists and the values they bring.
ABSTRAK
YB ANUGERAH WICAKSONO KW. Christianity as the Foothold of
Colonization as Seen in the Conflict of Igbo People in Chinua Achebe’s
Things Fall Apart. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Universitas Sanata
Dharma
Things fall Apart mengisahkan masyarakat Igbo menghadapi imperialisme
barat. Igbo adalah masyarakat tani yang hidup dalam perintah pemimpin adat, masyarakan sipil yang mempercayai animisme, dinamisme dalam kepercayaannya terhadap banyak dewa dan roh. Kadaannya berubah ketika bangsa barat datang dan mengenalkan perspektif baru termasuk agama Kristiani kepada pribumi Igbo. Hal ini mengakibatkan perpecahan dalam masyarakat karena ada yang beralih pada ajaran baru ini dan ada yang menentangnya.
Ada beberapa tujuan yang ingin dicapai penulis dalam menysun karya tulis ini. Yang pertama adalah mengklasifikasikan konflik-konflik dalam Things Fall untuk memahami konflik sebelum masuknya Kristiani dan konflik sesudah
Apart
masuknya Kristiani. Yang kedua adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana masyarakat Igbo menghadapi konflik-konfliknya sebelum masuknya agama Kristiani.. Tujuan terakhir adalah untuk melihat akibat Kristenisasi terhadap masyarakat Igbo dan memahami peran agama Kristiani terhadap kolonisasi.
Untuk menganalisis masalah, penulis menggunakan pendekatan post- kolonial. Pendekatan post-kolonial dirasa tepat untuk diaplikasikan dalam topic ini karena bahasan dalam karya ini adalah tentang kehidupan masyarakat Igbo di Nigeria, Afrika sebelum dan sesudah masuknya bangsa barat dengan sudut pandang orang Igbo. Di dalam karya tulis ini, pendekatan difokuskan hanya pada konflik-konflik yang ada pada novel.
Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa sebelum datangnya agama Kristiani, Igbo memiliki banyak konflik tetapi Igbo memilikki struktur masyarakat yang kuat and agama tradisional untuk menyelesaikannya. Ketika masyarakat Igbo memiliki masalah, mereka juga memiliki struktur yang terbangun baik untuk menyelesaikannya seperti, agama, struktur sosial, system politik, and ekonomi.
Struktur ini mengakar sangat dalam di masyarakat, lebih dalam daripada konflik- konflik yang muncul, sehingga semua konflik dapat diselesaikan dengan dasar struktur-struktur ini. Dari seluruh struktur tersebut, agama adalah struktur yang paling mendasar di masyarakat Igbo. Walaupun struktur dalam masyarakat Igbo berdiri dengan kokoh, masih ada beberapa orang yang menghadapi moral dilleme tehadap struktur tradisional.o. Kedatangan agama Kristiani memberikan harapan bagi orang-orang yang tidak puas dengan struktur Igbo. Mereka lalu menerima, berubah menjadi Kristen dan meninggalkan agama traditional Igbo mereka.
Mendadaknya agama Kristiani masuk ke masyarakat Igbo mengakibatkan disintegrasi dari struktur-struktur mendasar yang ada dalam masyarakat Hal ini memberikan dampak langsung pada Agama tradisional Igbo. Karena landasan yang paling mendasar dari masyarakat Igbo telah terusik, stuktur-struktur lainnya juga terpengaruh. Keadaan yang penuh dengan konflik berkepanjangan dalam masyarakat Igbo membuat para kolonialis dengan mudah dapat masuk kedalam masyarakat Igbo pada berbagai aspek seperti, pendidikan, pemerintahan dan hukum, sosial dan ekonomi. Agama Kristiani berfungsi sebagai pondasi gerbang pada bidang-bidang yang dipengaruhi para kolonis. Dengan mengikuti agama baru, orang-orang Igbo berangsur-angsur meninggalkan nilai-nilai tradisional mereka dan menunjukkan kepercayaan terhadap kolonialis barat juga nilai-nilai yang mereka bawa.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Chapter one consists of the background of the study, objectives of the study,
problem formulation and definition of terms. The background of the study discusses the reasons for choosing the topic. Problem formulation is the list of question as the major problem to be answered in this study. The objectives of the study explain the goal of this thesis. The last part is definition of terms. In this part, some terms which are related to the study will be defined.
A. Background of the study
Literature is one phenomenon in human life. Although the word is common, to reveal what literature is becomes a difficult matter. Literature does not have any exact meanings. There are many sources and experts mentioning various definitions of literature. This basic problem should be answered before we discuss this thesis further. So, the writer quotes definition of literature from A Glossary of
LIterrary Terms “Literature work as an imitation, or reflection or representation of
the world and human life, and the primary criterion applied to a work is that of the truth of its representation to the objects represents, or represent” (Abrams, 1981: 36).
As a representation of a certain situation and thoughts happening in a certain setting of time and place, literary works are shaped by their cultural, historical, and ideological environment. However, Literature is not merely expression but also the product of social institution. Literature exists because the society also exists. Wellek and Warren explain that: Literature is a social institution,. Using its medium language, a social creation……… Literature ‘represent’ ‘life’; and ‘life’ is, in large measure, a social reality, even though the natural world and the inner or the subjective worled of the individual have also been objects of literary imitation (Wellek and Warren, 1956: 94)
Nowadays literature has developed in many ways, which result variety of literature. According to Rohrberger and Woods, there are four modern literary genres. They are short story, novel, poem, and drama. Each has its own form (1971:19). Novel is one of literary genres. By reading a novel, someone can be pleased, experience, or knowledge. Novel can be judged through its content or meaning toward human life, without considering high or low value (Harvey, 1965: 14). Therefore, through reading a novel we can learn some values of human life by revealing its content.
Novel has many varieties; one of them is Post-colonial novel. This type of writing has become very popular nowadays. So many authors, whose country had experienced being colonized under western colonial rule writes contra colonial writings. Post-colonial literature deals with the causes and results of imperialism/colonialism in the development of traditional culture. The point of view is more from the natives’ point of view rather than the colonizer (in this case, they are non-western authors, subaltern people or marginalized people). According to Bill Ashcroft, in the book The Post Colonial Studies Reader, “Post- colonial literatures are a result of its interaction between imperial culture and the complex of indigenous cultural practices” (Ashcroft et al., 1995: 1). So post- colonial literatures limit only on the cases between traditional and imperial cultures.
By using Post-colonial issues in a novel, the author from former colonized countries such as India, Africa, Hong Kong, Malaysia and any others that is known as Commonwealth countries can describe natives’ culture of the colonized land and its people that were badly treated. Post-colonial literature gives an opportunity for subaltern people to deconstruct their past and its relation with western colonialist. Moreover, they use literature as a means to express their thought or resistance in opposing Western colonialism. Post-colonial literature leads to the correction and clarification toward non-western history that have been corrupted during European imperialism era.
But at the same time as European criticism was shedding history, post- colonial literatures were revealing in interest in question community, of ethic and the national identity, of the cultural effects of industrialization and urbanization, and of the continuity or discontinuity of tradition (Ashcroft et al, 1995: 444).
Africa is one of so many colonized areas. Therefore, there are many writers in Africa use post-colonialism issue. One of the authors is Chinua Achebe.
It is often said that modern African literature originates with Chinua Achebe (Gikandi 1991: 2). Things Fall Apart (1958) is Achebe’s first novel. It took place in the time when British government and missions penetrated the Igbo tribe.
Achebe portrays a civil, ordered society under the animism, dynamism reflected in their belief of many gods and spirits. Igbo is agricultural community, living under the wisdom of an Oracle. They lived in their own visions, rules, and belief until the western people brought them new perspectives result the confusion of the Igbo that led to the separation among its society.
In this thesis, the writer wants to discuss how western imperialism penetrates to the native’s society. This thesis will examine the role of Christianity in integrated Igbo’s traditional identity with westerns. Then to know the effects followed the integration.
B. Problem Formulation
Throughout this study, the writer will be concerned with several major topics, which can be formulated into the following questions:
1. What are the conflicts in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart? 2.
How does Igbo society deal with its conflicts before and after the infiltration of Christianity?
3. What are the results of the infiltration of Christianity? C.
Objectives of the Study
Since the Problem Formulation consists of three questions, therefore the objectives of the study also has three sections. The first objective of this study is to know the conflicts happen in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. The writer will collect and discuss types of several conflicts in the story. This section will be divided in two parts that are the conflicts before Christianity and the conflict after the Christianity. The second objective is to know how Igbo people solve their conflicts before and after the infiltration of Christianity. By knowing how Igbo people deal with their conflicts before and after Christianity, reader will know the Igbo social system and its tradition to solve their conflict and how its destructed by the coming of Christianity.
The last section is to see the result of Christianity infiltration to Igbo society. By focusing on the conflicts after the infiltration of Christianity, the writer wants to show the role of this new perspective toward native Igbo people thought and how they overcome their conflict and its benefit to the colonialist.
D. Definition of Terms
It is difficult to discuss further without knowing terms that will commonly be used in this study. To avoid many kinds of misinterpretation in understanding, the writer would like to explain about some words, which are widely related to the topic that is going to be discussed.
1. Colonialism
Colonialism is a condition under imperial power including territory, natural resources and politics. Referring to Boehmer’s definition (1995: 2), colonialism is the consolidation of the imperial power, and is manifested in the settlement of territory, the exploitation of development of resources, and the attempt to govern the indigenous inhabitants of occupied lands. Another statement is taken from Colonialism and Christian Mission by Neill,
The term ‘colonialism’ appears to be a recent arrival in the languages in the western world taking the place of the older and more familiar ‘imperialism’. It is used almost exclusively as a term of reproach, implying that the only aim of colonial rule has been the exploitation and impoverishment of weaker and defenseless people, and its result have been the destruction of what was good in ancient civilizations and the multiplication of the measureless evils (1966: 11).
2. Post-Colonial Literature Boehmer (1995: 3) said that, postcolonial literature is that which critically scrutinizes the colonial relationship. It is writing that sets out in one way or another to resist colonialist perspectives. Postcolonial literature is deeply marked by experiences of cultural exclusion and division under empire.
3. Society Based on Chamber’s Encyclopedia, a society is the total system recurrent action, performed by an aggregation of human being, who are differentiated by age, role and status; linked by ties of kinship; sharing submission to common authorities; distributed over a more or less contiguous and banded territory (Greenwald, 1973: 667).
4. Conflict Based on A Hand Book to Literature, a conflict is the struggle that grows out of the interplay of two opposing forces in a plot. One of the opposing forces is usually a person, or, if an animal or inanimate being, is treated as though it were a person (Holman Harmon, 1986: 107).
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW This chapter provides some theories, criticisms, and data to support the
analysis. It is divided into three parts. The first part is Review on Related Study, which provides some criticisms of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart especially that deals with the infiltration of new religion. The second part is Theoretical Review, which consists of the theories that will be used to support the analysis.
The last part is Theoretical Framework that explain how the theories will be applied in the analysis
A. Review on Related Studies
Chinua Achebe started to get involved with literary works when he was studying in Ibadan University Colege. Things Fall Apart, published in 1958, is the seminal African novel in English. “Although there were earlier examples, none has been so influential, not only on African literature, but on literature around the world. Its most striking feature is to create a complex and sympathetic portrait of a traditional village culture in Af 8 June 2008)
Achebe fiercely resents the stereotype of Africa as an undifferentiated "primitive" land, the "heart of darkness," as Joseph Conrad calls it in his novel
Heart of Darkness . He realized that Conrad put African or black people lower than the whites. He put Africa as the opposite of Europe that is considered as the most civilized place.
Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as “the other world,” the
antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where man’s vaulted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant bestiality (Achebe, 1989: 03).
Throughout the novel Achebe wants to counter the attitude and domination of European writers that use Africa as an object of their works. He was raised among western writings that treat Africa as the inferior by making one perspective story based on western point of view. Later these writings become his inspiration on writing Things Fall Apart.
Achebe was taught consisted entirely of works by Europeans about Africa, such as Conrad' and Joyce Cary's Mister Johnson, which portrays a comic Africa who slavishly adores his white colonist boss, to the point of gladly being shot to death by him. Achebe has said that it was his indignation at this latter novel that inspired the writing of Things Fall Apart. Try to see in what ways his novel answers Cary's , 8 June 2008).
Achebe is trying not only to inform the outside world about Igbo cultural traditions, but also to remind his own people of their past and to assert that it had contained much of value. All too many Africans in his time were ready to accept the European judgment that Africa had no history or culture worth considering.
Things Fall Apart has a crucial role on influencing Nigerians and readers’ thought
to appreciate and valued their own culture. Moreover, Achebe suggests other African writers to present authenticity of their culture in their work. He hopes that
African people will be proud of their culture and reader will know that Africa, its culture and people has pride of what they have.
Three or four weeks ago my wife, who teaches English in a boy’s school, asked a pupil why he wrote about winter when he meant the harmattan. He said the other boys would call him a bushman if he did such thing… I think it is part of my business as a writer to teach that boy that there is nothing disgraceful about African weather, that the palm tree is a fit subject for poetry ( Achebe, 1989: 44) Achebe applies the African condition as the setting on presenting the conflicts. It is not a conflict between two opposing forces that can be solved in rational and common ways. Conflicts in African society and culture end with ritual reconciliation to achieve agreements between contenders. Conflicts in this novel are much about the making of decision in our lives and how we should accommodate our fear and anger in making decision, whether we want to hold tight what we believe, to follow the new belief or apply the new belief with the old one.
G.D. Killam said that “the conflict of the novel, vested in Okonkwo, Derives from series of crushing blows which are leveled at traditional values by an alien and more powerful culture causing, in the end, the traditional society to fall apart” He noted that, “ in showing Igbo society before and after the coming of white men, Achebe avoids the temptation to presents the past as idealized and the present as ugly and unsatisfactory” (http//www.landow.stg.brown.edu/post/achebe/things/html. 30 June 2001)
David Carrol said, “The most impressive achievement of things Fall Apart is the vivid picture it provides of Igbo society at the end of nineteenth century” , 30 June 2001). The story is so relevant because it presents a realistic conflict that is common and makes sense. Things Fall Apart brings a conflict between traditional and modern culture in which the modern try to replace the traditional one.
The naturalness of conflict in the story is important because readers sometimes need a fictional work that represents the real life they are not dealing only with the work that is based on the author’s imagination. The writer thinks Chinua Achebe’s things Fall Apart is successful in presenting the conflict.
By focusing on the conflicts, the writer aims to reveal the role of Christianity and missionaries in the early process of western colonization. This discussion is about the contribution of Christianity to the widening of western imperialism in Igbo society by seeing on the conflict in the story. Moreover, it also discusses how the most fundamental aspect in society may create conflict resulting separation and a crack for foreign penetration as seen in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart B.
Reviews on Related Theories
This part will explain and discuss further the basic theories needed for the analysis. As the basic problem solving, some theories are required to analyze the problem formulation established in Chapter I. Only with the help of these theories, the writer is able to answer the problem formulation
1. Conflict
The message of the story can be seen from some elements, for examples are: irony, symbol or sign, character and conflict. Based on Oxford Learner’s
Dictionary , Conflict in its broadest sense means “struggle of fight.” Furthermore,
it means “opposition, difference, or clash of opinion, desires, etc; for examples, the conflict between one’s duty and one’s desires, a conflict of interest between the achievement of one aim and that of another” (1989: 245). Conflict has its own definition in the world of literature. This definition, only applicable in literary work as Holman and Harmon defined the conflict as “the struggle that grows out of the interplay of the two opposing forces in a plot. It provides interest, suspense, and tension. At least one of the opposing forces is usually a person, or, if an animal or inanimate object is treated as though as it were a person.”(1986: 107).
Conflict has important role in a literary work because it always deals with the plot. It appears from central character’s action deals with other forces. Central character has a responsibility to solve the conflicts. Conflicts end when central character succeeds or fails in overcoming the other forces. Sometimes the protagonist gives up when the struggle is too difficult or worthless (Redman, 1962: 363).
Besides showing the struggle of the protagonist against someone or something, conflicts also show motivation and goal that want to be achieved (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 108). Moreover, conflicts also imply something that the author wants to convey. Conflicts may help the readers to know the central idea or the theme of the story. “Obviously the central conflict of the story is intimately related to this theme…” (Stanton, 1964: 17).
2. Types of Conflict
There are two types of conflicts, inner conflict and external conflict. Inner conflict refers to a struggle inside the heart and mind of the protagonist (Redman, 1962: 363). In this case, the conflict does not show any physical struggle; for example is the conflict in Robin Hood’s mind when he stole rich men’s money, while he knew that stealing was wrong. He did that because people were suffering and government did not care about them. Inner conflict always puts “two elements within the person” (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 107). It always confronts the character’s thought with his/her feeling. Those two elements usually have different importance. Therefore, they have a big influence to our choice.
External conflict refers to a struggle between the protagonist and the outside force (Redman, 1962: 363). This conflict usually shows physical struggles between the protagonist and his or her opponent. According to A Handbook to
Literature, external conflict can be divided into four types based on the
protagonist struggle. The first is the struggle against nature. This conflict presents the protagonist in dealing with natural forces, for example are natural disaster, climate, wild beast etc. Second struggle is struggle against ananother person, usually antagonist. This conflict involves struggle between the protagonist and another character as the antagonist (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 107).
Third is struggle against society. In this case, the protagonist may be in conflict with a society’s value systems. He or she believes or does something different with social value believed by the society. The fourth and the last conflict is the struggle against the destiny. This conflict is about the protagonist effort in dealing with the greatest force or his or her creator. It is often conflicting moral value or desire that people can build or change his or her own destiny. In a plot, sometimes we can find two or more conflict, for example, in Hamlet “Hamlet does not only have a conflict within his heart and mind, but also has a conflict with his uncle as the antagonist.” (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 108).
3. Western Colonialism
Colonialism constitutes the history of power as it has been exercised by one group over another, by the strong over the weak and the free over the slave, in that one-sided and un-mutual relationship. It is also important to understand that there was nothing in the Victorian so-called scientific research into human intellectual potential to suggest that the British were motivated by humanitarianism considerations toward the Africans in their endeavors to found Colonies. Rather, they were driven by a desire to exploit the African resources, both human and material, for their own socioeconomics gain (Mungazi, 1992:5).
Nowadays Asia and Africa projects the western imperialism, as a reaction of its domination.
In his Book, Colonialism and Christian Missions, Stephen Neill says that: Since the end of the fifteenth century, the initiative in this world affairs has lain in the hands of the western powers: we are now living in the days of the massive reaction of Asia and Africa against the west (1966: 12)
It can be seen that the initiative in world affairs has lain in the hands of the western powers since in the end of the fifteenth century. Stephen Neill classifies the western aggressions into five categories. They are:
1. Political aggression has resulted in the disappearance of ancient thrones and kingdoms like the disappearance of the Moguls of Indian before British and many Rajas of Indonesia before the Dutch.
2. Economics Aggressions has destroyed old and carefully balanced systems or organizations, and has resulted in a wholesale disappearance of traditional skills, arts and crafts, which adorned and colored ancient civilizations.
3. Social aggressions has trespassed the most intimate areas of personal and family life, upsetting the ancient order of the relationship between the sexes, between parents and children.
4. Intellectual Aggressions has paralyzed the creature powers of the great nations by subjecting the rising generation to alien system of education, and imposing categories of thought in which eastern and African people cannot find themselves at home.
5. Religion Aggressions as missionaries are the direct threat to those religion institutions where all and ancients cultures are founded for this strikes at the very heart of the nations and endangered their very existence as peoples with a history of destiny.
Christian mission is considered as the best way to colonize or to civilize the native. The mission will not be dangerous if it is not abused as a tool to conquer nation (Neill, 1966: 12). Using such mission, the west can enter the nation more safely than using political forces. Then, unconsciously the west can conquer not only the nation’s land, but also the nation’s mind.
However, the Christian mission of the Missionaries should not be judged from one perspective only, that it is used as the motivations of the colonizers for their humanitarian considerations toward the colonized in their endeavors to colonize the natives. It can be seen in another angle that the missionaries do not only introduce the Christian belief to the native religion converts but also give education to the indigenous so that they become literate.
The missionaries would have preferred a combination of religious instruction with literary education because they were trying to persuade the natives to accept the Christian values as a basis of new life; As Dickson A. Mungazi puts it:
That, recognizing the need of religious education, literary education must, at the time being, be left in the hands of missionaries institutions and the religious bodies et present undertaking it (1992: 23)
The quotation above suggests that the missionaries do not only spread their Christian belief to the traditional religion convert, but also give education to the native so that they become literate.
Colonialism most important area of domination is the mental universe of the colonized, the control a people’s culture is to control their tools of self- definition in relationship to others (Ngungi Wa Thiong’O, 1987: 16) Thiong’O also states that:
For colonialism this involved two aspects of the same process: thr destruction of the deliberate undervaluing of people’s culture, their art, dances, religions, history, geography, education, orature, and literature, and the conscious elevation of the language of the colonizer. (1987: 16)
From the quotation above, we can see that colonialism touches the culture of indigenous. Christian mission is used as medium of influence the native culture. If it is possible for the missionaries, they do not only introduce the idea of Christianity but also, try to influence, to change the traditional religions, customs and mind.
C. Theoretical Framework
The writer applies the theories above for problems that are formulated in the problem formulation. Each theory has its own focus and applied to solve the problems. First, the writer wants to know all conflicts deeper so that the writer can see the cause and effect of each conflict by using the Holman and Harmon’s theories conflict. By collecting data of the conflicts, the writer aims to classify the conflict into conflicts before the infiltration of Christianity and conflicts after the infiltration of Christianity. By looking the collected data and divide them into two categories, conflicts before infiltration Christianity and after infiltration Christianity the writer will compare and analyze the structures of Igbo society and answered the second and the third question of the problem formulation.
It is impossible to discuss post-colonial issues without regarding the theory of western colonialism because this research project aims to highlight the influence of western imperialism to the native. The writer also uses the theory of western colonialism to answer the third question in the problem formulation. By the application of this theory, the significant of missionaries on striking traditional culture and bringing new perspective to the native will be revealed.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY This chapter concerns with the method that is used in this thesis. Methodology consists of three parts. The first part is the object of study, which
gives a brief information and description of the novel discussed in this study. The second part is approaches. This part provides the approach that is used in conducting this study. The third is the method of study that deals with the procedures and steps that are taken in analyzing the novel.
A. Object of the Study
Things Fall Apart is the first novel of Chinua Achebe. Its first edition was
published in England 1958. This book talks about the life of African people in Nigeria. As part of African literature, Things Fall Apart gained a big attention in Africa and all over the world. The book used in this thesis was the first edition of Anchor Books, A Division of Random House Inc., New York, publish in 1994.
The book is 209 pages and consists of three parts. The first part has 13 chapters and tells about Okonkwo‘s life in his society before he is sent into his exile. The other two parts have 6 chapters each and talk about Okonkwo’s life in his exile and when he returns from his exile.
On the whole, Things fall Apart talks about Okonkwo in dealing with western imperialism. Okonkwo is a courageous and wealthy man among his tribe.
He accidentally kills someone at a funeral ceremony; he and his family are sent into exile for seven years to appease the gods he has offended with the murder. While Okonkwo is away in exile, white men begin coming to Umuofia and they peaceably introduce their religion. As the number of convert increases, the foothold of the white people grows beyond their religion and a new government is introduced. Okonkwo returns to his village after his exile to find it a changed place because of the presence of white men. He refuses the development and fight against it with some of his fellows. Okonkwo kills one of the white men messengers that come to stop Umofian uprising. He realizes with despair that the people of Umuofia are not going to fight to protect themselves because they let the other messengers escape and so all is lost for the Igbo tribe. When the local leader of the white government comes to Okonkwo's house to take him to court, he finds that Okonkwo has hanged himself
The conflicts in Things Fall Apart are not only the internal conflicts of Okonkwo as the main character but also conflicts of society dealing with the penetration of new culture. The Arrival of British Imperial Government in Africa emerges a great conflict not only between the natives and the British, but also between the natives and those who join the Christians. Igbo society in this novel lives in their community with their culture and customs. The condition changes when the western arrives and introduce new perspective including Christianity to the native Igbo people. It leads separation among the community because some people decide to accept this new religion and some of them against it.
B. Approach
Post-colonialism approach is used to analyze this topic. Bressler defines Post-colonialism approach as an approach to literary analysis that concerns itself particularly with literature written in English in formerly colonized countries (Bressler, 1999: 265).
Colonization has oppressed the colonized people physically and mentally, personally and collectively. The colonizers bring in their own culture, resulting in culture clashes and threatening the colonized people to lose their cultural identity. This approach origin is a reaction of the colonized people towards such impacts of colonization.
Born out of the colonized peoples’ frustrations, their direct and personal cultural clashes with the conquering culture, and their fears, hopes, and dreams about the future and their own identities, postcolonial theory slowly emerges (Bressler, 1999: 266).
This approach focuses on writings from colonized cultures that were once colonized by white male Europeans, such as Australia, Africa, and South America. It investigates the phenomenon of clash between two cultures, in which one of them, namely the colonizer, regards itself and its ideology superior to the other, namely the colonized. The context and theories of Post-colonialism comprise “how the colonized respond to changes in language, curricular matters in education, race differences, and a host of other discourses, including the act of writing” (Bressler, 1999: 266).
Post-colonialism is chosen as the most appropriate approach because the literary work discussion in this study is about the life of the Igbo people, in Niger, Africa before and after the arrival of European colonizers, as seen from the Igbo people’s point of view. The study itself discusses the result when religion, one of the aspects brought by the European colonizers, intrudes into the life of the Igbo people.
C. Method of Study
This study is conducted using library research method, because the data are obtained from books and texts related to the topic and work under discussion.
The primary data is the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The secondary data are obtained from books and articles from the internet including theories, references, critics, and any related topics.
This study employs theories about conflict, types of conflict, and Western colonization. Several steps are taken to conduct this study. First, the writer read the work under discussion. Second, the writer found the topic and formulated the problems in the form of questions. Three questions are raised in the problem formulation, namely the question about the conflicts in Chinua Achebe’s Things
Fall Apart , the condition of Igbo society before and after the infiltration of
Christianity as seen in its conflicts, and the results of the infiltration of Christianity. Lastly, the writer answered the questions systematically by referring to relevant theories and studies.
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS This chapter aims to answer the problem formulation in the first chapter. This chapter is divided into three parts. The first part will identify the conflicts in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart; the second part will discover the condition of Igbo society before the infiltration of Christianity, and the third part will discover
the results of the infiltration of Christianity, both to Igbo society and to the Western colonialists.
A. Conflicts in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
This part discusses the conflicts in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, based on the theories of conflict in literary work discussed in the second chapter.
The discussion of conflicts in this part is divided into two parts: the conflicts that occur before the arrival of Christianity and after the arrival of Christianity.