Cosmopolitanism In Kwane Anthony Appiah's Things Fall Apart

Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures-national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a character’s sense of identity into question. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, there is a cultural collision that takes the form of the missionaries coming to Umuofia and forcing their religion upon the people. Different people react differently to this clash of cultures, ranging from simply conforming to going as far as killing somebody.

Change is a reoccurring theme throughout history. It destroys and creates. It displaces and introduces. It can cause death and life. The movement of imperialism in Africa brought great change to the native tribal life. Forcing the indigenous people to turn away from their century-old traditions caused violent rifts between the European settlers and the tribes, as well as internal problems between once amiable members of the Ibo culture. With the introduction of the foreign Western Society in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the tribe’s life and ideals are drastically altered as the new ethics and principles collide with the old traditions and laws, causing the members of the society to either adapt or be crushed underneath the foot of colonialism. Achebe’s character, Okonkwo, was impacted immensely by the cultural collision, as his previous way of life was pulverized before his eyes, and he found no reason to live any longer.

Imagine living in a village where everyone shares the same beliefs and speaks the same language, but suddenly one person arrives, and the world seems to move off balance. This is what happens in Things Fall Apart when Reverend Smith replaces Mr. Brown, a white missionary, in the African village of Umuofia. Soon after Mr. Smith arrives, the village because of the white people seize control of the village, causing the main character, Okonkwo, to commit suicide. When one applies Kwame Anthony Appiah’s ideas of cross cultural communication and diversity within a society in Cosmopolitanism to Reverend James Smith in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the character would have a change in his attitude towards the African culture in Umuofia.

“No flags… something more interesting,” (186) says Julius choosing a stamp at the post office. What he is delivering is Kwame Anthony Appiah’s, Cosmopolitanism, but what this detail delivers to the text is important context to one of the subtle themes of Open City: Cosmopolitanism. With globalization and thus increasing access to different countries and cultures, there is a question of whether or not cosmopolitanism is a desirable outlook to move toward. For Appiah, there are two “strands” of cosmopolitanism– one strand pushes past nationalism in the way it opens up the conception of community. This not only means conceiving of ourselves as citizens of the world, but extending our duties and obligations beyond those immediate to us

Prior to diving into the thoughts and explanations of Appiah, one must become aware that the commonplace definition of Cosmopolitanism is, “belonging to all the world; not limited to just one part of the world.” (dictionary.com) With that being said, the author of Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers, defines the idea of cosmopolitanism as this: The success of international exchange is a product of the acknowledgment of different cultures and their viewpoints.

Appiah was raised by his father, leader of the independence movement of the Gold Coast, and his mother, an English woman. He goes on to speak on his experiences living in Kumasi, the capital of Ghana’s Ashante region and the many faces he would meet on his walks down the city. He cites specific people at times, as if these memories were some of his fondest. While in Ghana, Appiah experiences a broad cultural understanding by being utterly enveloped and consumed by cultural integration and unity. It is without doubt that he would propose and praise the ideas of cosmopolitanism when he essentially grew up in a cosmopolitanism society. He goes on to state, “I never thought to wonder as a child, why these people traveled so far to live and work

The novel “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe, is a tale based on the traditional beliefs and customs of an Ibo village during late 1800’s Africa. Through the telling of this story, we witness the remarkable depth of Igbo culture through its functions of religion, politics, judiciary and entertainment.

A cultured character who displays an external critical point in their lives consistently have to select among numerous categories that will influence their own destiny in their particular traditional lifestyle. In Chinua Achebe’s bestseller, Things Fall Apart, Obierika’s devotion toward his community’s doctrine of religious customs uncovers an in-depth theme of a prolonged struggle in a precarious friendship between Obierika and Okonkwo. As a respected villager and trusted friend, Obierika restricts himself from having Okonkwo’s ruthless actions alter an outcoming course of events from fear of serious punishment; furthermore, this references his internal conflict amid consequence and concern for both parties. While Obierika beholds Okonkwo’s rashful deeds from the neglectance and disapproval toward the community’s new adjustments, his disinclination in opposing his native culture’s strict beliefs causes a differentiating disagreement between the two friends.

Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a strong man whose existence is dominated by fear and anger, and the Ibo tribe, a people deeply rooted in cultural belief and tradition. As events unfold, Okonkwo’s carefully constructed world and the Ibo way of life collapses. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected and feared leader of the Ibo tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace dramatizes his inability to evolve beyond his personal beliefs, affecting the entire Ibo tribe beyond measure. The “things” that fall apart in Achebe’s novel are Okonkwo’s life – his ambition, dreams, family unity and material wealth – and the Ibo way of life – their beliefs, culture and values.

William James, a famous American philosopher, once stated, “The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives”. This quotation effectively illustrates how change in one’s attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs can alter the environment in which one lives. This concept is clearly demonstrated throughout the novel Things Fall Apart, authored by Chinua Achebe, by establishing a connection through the development of its characters and the change in traditional African tribal villages seen in the Nineteenth Century. It will be established how various characters demonstrated by the author throughout the novel exemplify how change

By utilizing an unbiased stance in his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe promotes cultural relativity without forcibly steering his audience to a particular mindset. He presents the flaws of the Ibo tribe the same way he presents the assets—without either condescension or pride; he presents the cruelties of the colonizers the same way he presents their open mindedness—without either resentment or sympathy. Because of this balance, readers are able to view the characters as multifaceted human beings instead of simply heroes and victims. Achebe writes with such subtle impartiality that American audiences do not feel guilty for the cruel actions of the colonizers or disgusted by the shocking traditions of the tribesmen. The readers stop

In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, it is about the colonization of the Europeans through the views of an African American. In the novel, there was a cultural collision between the Ibo people and the white people that came to their land which is now modern day Nigeria and tried to change the culture of the Ibo people by force. Through the views of the novel’s main character Okonkwo, Chinua Achebe describes the cultural collision between the Ibo and Europeans from an African American’s view instead of a white man’s view. Okonkwo was caring, he was considered this because although he is stubborn, violent and doesn't show his true feelings he cares deeply about his family and his children. Okonkwo cared about his family because when one of his wives wasn’t in her hut making food, he became angry and violent towards her because he didn’t want his children to be hungry like how he was when growing up and being raised by his own father Unoka.

Two cultures, two kinds of people, two different ideas of what is right. All around the world there are thousands of cultures living side by side, their realm of influence dictated by boundaries. But what happens when one culture oversteps their boundary? A cultural clash. When two cultures clash, there is normally conflict followed by a wide range of results, both negative and positive. In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the cultural clash caused by European imperialism in the Mbanta Tribe caused a widespread negative reaction in the community. However, in this hatred of the white people and fear of losing their own culture some Mbanta Tribe members, like Nwoye, found opportunity.

A question someone would more than likely not ask themselves is what they would do if they invaded a culture or had their own culture invaded. For most, this question seemingly does not apply to them because of the “civilized” world in which they live in at that moment; however, it is that specific mentality and cause-effect consequence that author Chinua Achebe explores in his novel Things Fall Apart. This novel follows the main character, Okonkwo, of an Igbo tribe, through his life’s story. A major theme that presents itself at the end is the consequences of not caring for another’s culture regarding colonialism. So, the question is set: what would someone do if they were trying to invade a culture or had their own culture invaded? In the novel Things Fall Apart, one possibility is explored, and that is the people whose culture is being threatened will act violently which causes the perpetrators to act violently as well. Kwame Appiah discusses a cosmopolitanism’s view of the world and uses common ideas such as do to others what you want done to yourself, and pursuing conversation with people who are not like oneself. These two ideas will be used to explore an event in Things Fall Apart, so that an alternate view can be offered on a situation if it were in the context of a cosmopolitan’s world. In a cosmopolitan world, the people of Abame would have had conversation with the colonialists to try and negotiate a mutually beneficial setup whereas the colonialists would have

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was wrote in 1958 as a response to European Literature viewing Africans as savages who were then enlightened and found peace and safety by the Europeans. Chinua describes the Igbo people and showed the culture and showing the way of life of the Igbo people. This book shows this powerful and eye opening look into the complex society of these tribes and villages and how law and order is run. The major theme that is I will focus is that traditional development of the Igbo tribe alone and with the influence of the Europeans.