Things+Fall+Apart+Essay+-+Draft+1

Chantelle-Joyce Sangcap
12th Grade- Honors English Topic: Culture/ Tradition and ReligionQuestion: How did the Christian Religion ruin the Igo Culture? Whose culture is more important? Whose Culture is right? Whose religion is right?

Evidence:
 * Okonkowo is telling from when he observed his father-- "Every Yea' he said sadly, "before I put any crop in the earth, I sacrifice cock to Ani, the owner of all the land. It is the law of out fathers. I also kill a cock at the shrine of Ifejiokv, the god of yams. I clear the bush and set fire to it when it is dry." (page 17) -- Religion
 * "...Worshippers and those who came to seek knowledge from the god crawled on their belly through the hole and found themselves in a dark, endless space in the presence of Agbala.... His priestess stood bu the sacred fire which she built in the heart of the cave and proclaimed the will of the god. The fire did not burn with a flame The glowing logs only served to light up vaguely the dark figure of the priestess." (page 16-17) --Religion
 * "The wrestlers wee no almost still in each other's grip. The muscles on their arms and their thighs and on their backs stood out and twitched. It looked like an equal match. The two judges were already moving forward to separate them when Ikezue, now desperate went down quickly on one knee in an attempt to fling his man backward over his head. I was a sad miscalculation. Quick as the lightning of Amadiora, Okafo raised his right leg and swung it over his rival's head. The crowd burst into and thunderous roar" (page 60)--Culture.
 * Agbala = meaning woman/female... their culture is a very male dominate, so for a man to be thought of as an agbala like Unoka (okonkwo's father) is a disgrace.
 * "The only course open to Okonkwo was to flee from the clan. I was a crime against the earth goddess to kill clansman, and man who committed it must flee from the land. The crime was of two kinds, male and female. Okonkowo had committed the female, because it had been inadvertent. He could return to the clan after seven years." (page 124)-- Culture and Religion.
 * "The white man was also their brother because there were all sons of God. And he told them about this new God, the Creator of all the world and all the men and women. He told them that they worshipped false gods, gods of wood and stone. A deep murmur wen through the crowd when he said this. He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they died went before Him for judgement. Evil men and all the heathen who in their blindness bowed to wood and stone were thrown into a fire that burned like palm-oil. But good men who worshipped that true God lived forever in His happy kingdom. 'we ha been sent by this great God to ask you to leave your wicked ways and false gods and turn to him so that you may be saved when you die,' he said" (145)--Religion

Outline Thesis: Religion is a subject that causes so many controversies that two culture may not agree on. IntroductionParagraph 1 Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3 Conclusion
 * The religion of the Igbo people.
 * They have many gods.
 * They don't have direct contact with them, they are only able to talk to the priestesses
 * Offer offerings to their ancestors and to the gods/ goddesses.
 * Planting season, they offer offerings so that they can be blessed with a fruitful harvest
 * What role their religion plays in their culture.
 * Their offerings are just part of their culture and tradition.
 * Many do it out of the fear of bad luck
 * The religion of the European
 * They believe that there is only One God, "the Creator of all the world and the men and women"
 * Jesus Christ
 * Why did they come to Africa
 * They came to Africa to "spread the gospel" and to save these people from themselves
 * White mans Burden
 * Why did these two groups get into a fight
 * The causes: The different opinions
 * The Igbo people's culture/ traditions



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"The White Mans Burden" is referring to colonialism, when European countries that it was their duty to spread their belief of Christianity all corners of the world and to save people of other religions from themselves. But these people had their own cultures and religions that have existed for centuries. The Igbo people of Nigeria had their own set of belief like the Europeans. But whose religion is truely correct? Religion is a controversial topic, ripping many cultures apart, just like in Things Fall Apart.===== 

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In the Igbo religion they have various Gods, each specializing in a different part of what makes their world. Like many of the other religions, the Igbo people are dependent and believe that they gods hold their future and determine whether they will have a fruitful harvest. Although they don't have direct communication with the gods and goddesses they often seek advice from the oracles, and their priestesses. Unoka, Okonkwo's father, often had seek counsel from the priestess, " 'Every Yea' he said sadly, "before I put any crop in the earth, I sacrifice cock to Ani, the owner of all the land. It is the law of out fathers. I also kill a cock at the shrine of Ifejiokv, the god of yams. I clear the bush and set fire to it when it is dry." (page 17) Though he had done all of that like all the other people in tribe, his harvest wasn't as successful. Because of his many debts to the people around him he was known as the Agbala of the tribe, which another name meaning, woman or a man who has taken no titles. So to be on the good sides of these god to the Igbo people was very important because it didn't only mean whether the man was going to be able to feed his family but also his title or position in the tribe.=====

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The most dominate religion in Europe is Christianity. Christianity is based off the teachings of Christ, that there is only one God, who is the Creator of all things, and the Supreme being. In the bible it is stated that we shouldn't keep his blessing to ourselves, that we should missionize everyone that we can, for his children have been spread all over the world and we must bring them back to the fold. Because of these verses, many people went to different countries around the world to missionize the people, and save them from themselves. Here comes the birth of what is known as the "White Mans Burden." While they went to the countries to missionize people they also went there to colonize the people, and to take their natural resources.=====

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In Things Fall Apart when the European people slowly came to the different villages slowly converting people to Christianity, the people felt threatened because they were being told by foreigners that they way of like is wrong and backwards. "The white man was also their brother because there were all sons of God. And he told them about this new God, the Creator of all the world and all the men and women. He told them that they worshipped false gods, gods of wood and stone. A deep murmur wen through the crowd when he said this. He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they died went before Him for judgement. Evil men and all the heathen who in their blindness bowed to wood and stone were thrown into a fire that burned like palm-oil. But good men who worshipped that true God lived forever in His happy kingdom. 'we ha been sent by this great God to ask you to leave your wicked ways and false gods and turn to him so that you may be saved when you die,' he said" (145) To hear that your way of life is backwards is very offense and many people like Okonkwo had taken it offensively and people that something be done immediately. These missionary people had bluntly told these people whom have been living in that manner for centuries. This started many internal conflicts.=====