CULTURE AND TRADITION IN CHINUA ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART AND CAMARA LAYE’S THE AFRICAN CHILD
ABSTRACT
Conflict
is a disagreement or clash between people, ideas; or in the case of our study,
cultures. Therefore, culture becomes a unique and sentimental phenomenon that
is not only cherished but also protected dearly by an individual as well. Thus,
literature has become the means through which cultural sentiments are projected
and expressed. Africans in particular, have been subjected to cultural
imposition through the displacement of Western Culture. This project tends to examine the Eurocentric
psyche that considers Westernization superior. This study adopted the
sociological theory by focusing on Achebe’s and Laye’s Things Fall Apart and
The African Child respectively because of the two texts best suit our study. We
discussed these conflicts through the societal norm and belief system and
psychological conflict. In line with this, it was recommended that no culture
should be seen as superior to the other.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Culture is learned
behaviour which each person acquires as a member of a group or society.
Therefore, each character is a product of its unique history. Culture is an
extensive feature of a group or society, also, it is a mark of identification
and something that the individuals or groups could easily get sentimental
about
.
.
Though the Encarta
English Dictionary (2009) has a different definition of culture varying from
“arts collectively”, “knowledge and sophistication”, “share beliefs and
practices” and so on, but the definition that best suits our course of study is
that which states that:
Cultures are beliefs,
customs, practices and social behaviour of a particular nation or people. Also,
it can be a group of people whose shared beliefs and practices identify the
particular place, class, or time to which they belong.
Culture is a human
characteristic in which man expresses the totality of his ways of life in a
collection set. It can also be referred to as some total human activities
shared by the member of the group, being a sentimental phenomenon which an
individual not only cherishes but also
protects dearly. Thus,
literature becomes the medium through which cultural and traditional sentiments
are expressed and projected. Africans, in particular, have, for a long time, been
subjected to cultural imposition and displacement of a foreign culture. This was
due to the invasion by Europeans in the African regions. This does not mean
that Africans received this foreign culture whole-heartedly. There was
resistance and there has continued to be resistance through African arts,
ethnic and culture. As a result of this resistance, the conflict between the
Western World and Africans began to manifest. Today, plays that are protestant
in nature are being written to this effect.
On this note, we shall
defined conflict by adopting the definition from the Encarta Dictionary (2009)
which state:
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It is a disagreement or the clash between ideas, principles, or people. It can also be psychological states
resulting from simultaneous but incompatible desires, needs, drives or impulse.
The keywords in the
definition are “clash” and “disagreement”. This definition best suits our
course of study because it is on this note that Achebe and Laye opposed in the
two texts being understudied.
African literary
writers are victims of cultural imperialism as a result of the colonial rule of the
European, therefore, at the same time, they try to force themselves out from
colonial cultural imposition while projecting and glorify traditional cultures.
In the words of Adeyemi (1993) citing Olurunmoye (P.15), “culture supplies us
our habits of life…”
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Research work is meant
for knowledge advancement. Every researcher uses this medium to elaborate upon
the information implied in the title of the study. As such every research work
has the intention of solving specific problems through a planned and systematic
collection, analysis and interpretation of data.
Today, Africans have
neglected some of their rich cultural heritage and adopted the “white-mans”
culture. Some of which has prompted the clash between the Africans and Western
culture. Africans, to some extent, disregard their tradition. Therefore, this
research will by the end have answered question like:
- How is Africans culture perceived by
Africans?
- What has been the effect of colonial
intrusion in African society?
- What causes conflict between African
and western culture?
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this work is to reveal the conflicting point between traditional and western culture using the texts: Things Fall
Apart and The African Child by Achebe and Laye. In doing this, we shall focus
on what these conflicts are and how they have been expressed by the playwrights.
To examine the
reserved, norms, nature, values and cultural practice of Africans by looking at
the play which is set in the past World War II in Nigeria.
1.4
Significant of the Study
Today African societies
have neglected some of the rich cultural heritage and embraced the
“white man's” culture. Some of this initiation has prompted the clash between
the Africans and Western culture. Writers, poets and even dramatist from
different spheres of Africans have been using their works to sanitize these
issues.
Similarly, it is
believed that the conclusion of this research work will make a significant
impact on the development of Africans literature adding to the existing work of a prominent researcher in exposing the conflict between Africans tradition and
westernization.
1.5
Research Methodology
Using a qualitative method of data analysis, this
research is mainly library-based. The primary source of data for this study is
Chinua Achebe`s Things Fall Apart and Camara Laye’s The African Child. The
secondary source of data collection is internet service and scholarly articles.
Based on the texts set aside for this research,
sociological theory is adopted because it is the best suit the study. Under the sociological theory, we shall look at societal norms, belief system,
psychological conflict, and generation gap conflict. In the analysis of these
elements, some of the dialogues of the characters in the text shall be looked
at, the characters, event, and incidents shall be focused on as well.
1.6
Scope and Limitation of the Study
This work aims at
finding the conflict between traditional and western culture. And also, how
Achebe and Camara's Laye have been able to Use: Things Fall Apart and The African
Child, to explore this. The research shall be limited to a critical analysis of the conflict between these two cultures mentioned by comparing the two texts and
showing how they have been portrayed because of both texts best capture the existence
of the conflicts of the two cultures.
1.7 Definition of Terms
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ALSO, READ ;
Culture:
This can simply be defined as the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular
society, group, place that has its own beliefs or ways of life. Also, it is a
way of thinking, behaving and working that exists in a particular society or the organization comprises of individuals.
Tradition:
This refers to inherited, established or customary pattern of thought, action
and behaviour such as religious practice or social custom. Tradition could be a
body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as
historical though not verifiable.
Similarly, it is the
handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of the mouth (oral
word) or by example from one generation to another without written instruction.
It can be regarded as cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and
institution.
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