Devil on the Cross
While the country of Kenya isn’t occupied physically by the British today, many aspects of their society still still have influence in the African country. Devil on the Cross does a phenomenal job of showing the lasting impact of the British through six unique characters. Through them we see neo-colonialism in full force and how it still affects Kenyans to this day. To start, it’s important to look at the actual title of this novel itself and understand the meaning behind it. Just as the different characters in the novel each represent an aspect of neo-colonialism, the title stands for a deeper meaning than what's just written on the page. The Devil, is capitalism and all of the western customs that come with it. Even when the Kenyans believe they have rid themselves of oppression it resurges just like Christ, in the form of neo-colonialism. Ngugi wrote this novel to expose the problems with westernization and the corruption that is associated with it. Kenyans are tempted by the “devil” meaning these new ways of life brought to Kenya by the British that threaten their way of life. Ngugi fears that Kenyans have gone along with this and have started implementing western ideas and culture sacrificing their own in the process.
The main goal behind this book is to expose the problems with neo-colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism and how they’ve had a negative effect on Kenya. In order to do this. Ngugi introduces six characters throughout the novel, each
An illegal alien is a foreigner who enters the United States of America crossing the border by avoiding inspection. Luis Alberto Urrea, author of "The Devil's Highway," states, "The first white man known to die in the dessert heat here did it on January 18, 1541. As long as there have been people, there have been deaths in the western desert." pg.5 We might think we know everything, but we are not there yet. Just like we are not sure who was the first to die in that dessert, there are places in the world that we have not yet discovered. Places like jungles, rivers, forests, and maybe even other desert. Border patrols focus on putting an end on people crossing the border, their territory, but have they thought about what are their reasons.
There was a great question asked by numerous individuals in the eighteenth century with what happens to people’s lives when their country is a colony of another country. This was very important to Americans when they were being ruled by Great Britain, and even to this day it remains important when countries find themselves controlled by more powerful outsiders. But what is colonialism? Colonialism occurs when one nation takes control of another. Kenya’s experience as a colony of Great Britain gives us more of an idea of what being colonized meant both to the people being controlled and to those who control them. Although it seems hard to believe, Kenya was created by the Europeans and generally this had a positive on effect on Kenyans because it began development.
In the novel Segu, Maryse Conde beautifully constructs personal and in depth images of African history through the use of four main characters that depict the struggles and importance of family in what is now present day Mali. These four characters and also brothers, by the names of Tiekoro, Siga, Naba, and Malobali are faced with a world changing around their beloved city of Bambara with new customs of the Islamic religion and the developing ideas of European commerce and slave trade. These new expansions in Africa become stepping stones for the Troare brothers to face head on and they have brought both victory and heartache for them and their family. These four
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.
The British colonization of Kenya destroyed the culture and economy of the native people, but it established a democratic government and left Kenya a more modernized country.[1] During the 1880’s through 1914, the start of WWI, was an age of imperialism. One place that felt victim to this imperialism was Africa. At this time Africa was a wholly unmodernized continent. The reason the Europeans went after Africa was the introduction of the idea of social Darwinism and the “white man’s burden”. Social Darwinism is the belief that only the strongest and the most cunning can make it to the top of the social ladder, and it was the White Man’s Burden to step in for these undeveloped countries
I also find this article very interesting because it develops the idea of Devil’s Mark which, I know nothing about before reading this article. The Devil’s mark was used to increase the number of crimes that was committed. The idea was that people with the Devil’s mark were practicing witchcraft there they should be punished. Many innocents people have been killed because the idea of Devil’s mark, in fact many people are born with natural birth marks and that could lead to their deaths.
The story is an allegory for the loss of innocence and the projection of Brown's fear. The character Faith is a symbol for Goodman Brown's Christian faith. He talks about her: "With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil." In other words, Faith is a substitute for Brown's religious conviction. When Faith is in trouble, Brown's faith is in trouble too.
This paper will examine the Biblical passage found in Exodus commonly referred to as “The Call of Moses” and referenced as Exodus 3-4:17. The passage will be considered both for its literary content and historical background. The format of the call narrative as developed by Habel will be discussed, as well as perspectives which differ from Habel regarding Moses’ call. The purpose of this paper is to show that whether one receives a call or commission, it is the affirmative response to the call which matters in the context of pastoral ministry preaching and teaching.
College sports are rapidly increasing in the United States. Crowds of up to 75,000 fans squeeze into stadiums and arenas to watch teenagers play the sport they love. Many people may even argue that college sports are over powering professional sports. Students in college are solely playing for their love of the game and not millions of dollars. These student athletes are generating millions of dollars for their colleges every season and in return they receive scholarships. Some may say that sports have no official place in college and are compromising academic standards and are not fair to students who are not athletes. Others may say that it is wrong for football coaches to earn more than university presidents. Although these ideas are true, colleges should strongly support their sport teams and help bring the school together as a whole.
In 1949, many African nations began their surge for independence, and the native people did not accept the social modifications forced upon them. The revelation of the setting comes through the name “Ndume Central School” which is a school located within the African nation of Nigeria (595). Later, the setting reveals the deep divisions that take place in Africa at the time and allows the reader to understand why the villagers resists change. The separation between the school and village symbolizes the division, and this separation captures a modern school fighting a traditional village. Obi enforces the separation with the moving of the path and states that this new path should “[skirt] our premises” (597). The setting enhances the conflict between the villagers and Obi because the Africans at the time resisted the change that Obi enforced within the school. The setting of the school and village enhances the conflict because the school represents the transformation of society, while the village captures the stubborn, old way of living.
Achebe’s essay “An Image of Africa” analyzes the book Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. He dissects the false representation of the african people and the bias in his book. In “Heart Of Darkness,” Conrad feels that the people of Africa are undeveloped and they are savages; he looks at all their culture and tradition and only sees it as uncivilized, he has no appreciation for their beliefs. This relates to Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart, because Conrad’s views represents the white colonist and their feelings towards the africans. The colonists did not respect their culture or their gods. Okonkwo is well-respected by his tribe, he is extremely traditional and values his culture. The colonists are a threat to that because they do not understand or respect the African ways, they want to change it and convert them to Christianity. Okonkwo has a need to stand up for his culture and his beliefs, he feels he has to be able to prove that he is a strong and powerful man. Okonkwo worries that if he does not protect his customs, he will be seen like his father: cowardly and feminine. He has been haunted by that fear his whole life, “It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father. Even as a little boy he had resented his father’s failure and weakness, and even now he still remembered how he had suffered when a playmate had told him that his father was agbala”(Achebe 12). His need to distinguish himself from his father and protect his people are what drive him to make do things like kill Ikemefuna and the messenger. Things fall apart for Okonkwo because the other villagers do not have the same passion and drive as him. The
Though Kenya’s impoverished and underdeveloped conditions were certainly not highlighted in the film, I believe it is important to observe. These conditions are best displayed by the state of the primary school. In the film, students were forced to sit 5 students to a desk and were crammed into a tiny room. Moreover, the Kenyans were highly grateful for the concept of free education. This highly contrasts the state of American schools, which are typically well funded. Americans are used to the concept of free education, so much so, that people now desire free higher education. I believe this theme is important to note because it is the key difference between the Kenyan and American
Jomo Kenyatta’s ethnography, Facing Mt. Kenya was written in the 1930’s about Kikuyu society during 1890-1910, the early years of British colonialism in Kenya. Since the coming of the early colonization the Kikuyu people have tried to develop a religious attitude that would define it’s own culture while adapting forcefully to the European conforms of religion.
The Kenyan feminist and environmental activist, Wangari Maathai, explores the legacy of colonialism and oppression in her native country through her moving 2006 memoir, Unbowed. Maathai explains that over the course of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Africa experienced a massive influx of white settlers. In an effort to solidify control over recently acquired colonies, many European powers had encouraged large numbers of their ethnically white citizens to make a new home on the African continent. As a result, thousands of native Africans were displaced. Maathai’s ancestors, the Kikuyu and Maasai peoples were among them. The majority of these forced dislocations took
Though being a political narrative, the presence of women to strengthen the quality and reality of the novel is undeniable. Critic Abdulzarak Gurnah says: "Ngugi's writing is never far from the subject" and this is perfectly applicable for his description of the African women. However, being rather objective he also points a picture of the white women who though being secondary characters play a certain role in the novel.