Confrontations Traditionalism and progressivism in Things Fall Apart – By: Adil Ahmad
Things Fall Apart, a postcolonial novel, by Chinua Achebe, is part of our course for specialization in literature. Like Modern American literature, South Asian literature and Canadian literature, African literature is also part of our semester’s subjects. We read this novel in postcolonial literature as well as in African literature. Simply, we read this novel in the postcolonial course as a postcolonial novel and in African literature as an African novel.
We were told, as a part of our presentations, to re-read any postcolonial text and would have to present it in the class. As an introverted student for me, it might be difficult to present in class, but as a pseudo-writer or columnist, it is easy for me to write a column about this novel. I read this novel, when I was at home, during summer vacation after the end of the spring semester.
Basically, this novel is about the Igbo Culture, its traditions, and colonialism. It’s the story of Okonkwo, an African, protagonist of the novel. This novel insights into the African culture and how colonialism destroys their culture and lifestyles. One of the interesting things about this novel is that this novel is written by an African writer and how Africans see Africa.
Before reading this novel, I read the Heart of Darkness, written by European novelist, Joseph Conrad. It is also a postcolonial novel, but it is a novel that is written about Africans from a European perspective. Things Fall Apart is written from an African perspective about the African culture and way of life, and discusses the impact of colonialism on African Culture.
I re-read Things Fall Apart and concluded it with some different ideas, I think, that aren’t discussed in class and I find it worthwhile to write those ideas in the column. Different people come up with various ideas and interpret the text from their perspective. When someone reads a text; he interprets that text according to his understanding of the text.
Things Fall Apart, in my opinion, discusses the confrontation between traditionalism and progressivism. Both are philosophical concepts that have been discussed in various fields. I discuss what I mean by traditionalism and progressivism; my understanding might be contrasting with yours.
Traditionalism, in my understanding, is being strictly associated with one’s traditions. Traditionalism means following traditions, morality and beliefs that are considered divine teaching which are followed by their ancestors. Traditionalists resist change and are strongly against the change. New things are not accepted and are resisted strongly.
Progressivism is contrasted with traditionalism; this prefers change and highly motivates towards progression. Progressionist, the one who believes in progress, doesn’t resist any changes but happily goes towards progression. Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart discusses the idea of confrontation between traditionalism and progressivism through various characters and events.
Okonkwo, the protagonist, represents the traditionalists. He feels proud following the Igbo tradition. At the beginning of the novel, we see that he wins a title for his tribe by defeating the Amalinze who is called the cat, because he never fell on his back in wrestling. Winning a title for its clan was tradition. He can be seen as a typical traditional man, when he kills his surrogate son. He kills him that people do not consider him a weak man. Ezeudo warns Okonkwo not to take part in the killing of Ikemefuna, but Okonkwo pays no heed.
When he is unwilling to kill Ezeudo son during a ceremony, he follows the clan traditions, flees the tribe and settles with his family in his motherland for seven years. During his absence, the white comes to his clan and converts many people to Christianity. The whites established schools and hospitals there. They built a new church there and preached Christianity in the Clan. After the arrival of White people, everything in Africa changed: their culture, their religion and their way of life changed.
Okonkwo, being a traditionalist, tries to resist the changes and the white people, but the whole Clan accept those changes. Okonkwo has either to resist or surrender in front of those changes, but being a traditionalist he couldn’t surrender. He doesn’t accept that progression and commits suicide. He prefers to kill himself rather than embrace the progression.
For survival, it was inevitable to accept the progression silently. The protagonist dies because of this confrontation between traditionalism and progressivism.
