Assignment

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Overview – Modern African Philosophy

Chinua Achebe is one of the best-known living African writers. Born in Ogidi, Nigeria in 1930, his work is representative of what is often called “postcolonial literature” – that is, a tradition of world literature that deals with life during the difficult transition made by many developing countries from rule by a foreign colonial power to freedom and independence. In this case, Achebe’s home country of Nigeria was under British rule until it achieved independence in 1960. Although the product of traditional Ibo culture (sometimes spelled “Igbo”) in southeastern Nigeria, Achebe’s parents were devout Evangelical Protestants who had converted to Christianity and were teachers in a missionary school. Both Achebe himself and his many novels and essays are the product of the conflict between these two cultures: indigenous African traditions and customs, and the externally imposed British and Christian ways. Paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident in 1990, Achebe now spends most of the time in the U.S., where he has taught at the University of Massachusetts, the University of Connecticut, and Bard College.

Our reading for this week is taken from Achebe’s novel “Arrow of God” (1964), which is the third in a trilogy of novels that began with “Things Fall Apart” (1958) and continued with “No Longer at Ease” (1960). “Things Fall Apart” has been translated into 50 languages and was voted one of the 100 greatest novels of all time. The trilogy of works depicts the trials and tribulations of the people in a group of small African villages as they attempt to negotiate the cultural changes connected with the challenge to their traditional way of life posed by the arrival of Christianity and British culture. A primary theme that is dramatized in Achebe’s work is the struggle to define an authentic cultural identity in the midst of these conflicting traditions.

So why are we studying a Nigerian novel for a unit on African Philosophy? Great question. First, the cultural conflicts that form the backdrop of Achebe’s work provide an interesting and thought-provoking opportunity for considering the differences between Western and African culture. More specifically, if we are going to take seriously the idea of philosophy as a “universal experience” put forth by Onyewuenyi in last week’s reading, it is important that we encounter an example of what such an approach to philosophy might look like. To recall, the idea of philosophy as a universal experience meant a way of doing philosophy, understood simply as reflecting on one’s world while trying to find meaning in it, that was more connected to everyday life and everyday people than Plato’s elitist conception of a purely intellectual pursuit open to a select few and detached from daily life. It may be that Onyewuenyi’s African approach to philosophy as a universal experience may lead us to expand our conception of what counts as “philosophy” to include literature, poems, traditions, and even music. Keep this in mind as you read the brief selection from Achebe’s “Arrow of God.”

Learning Objectives – Modern African Philosophy

1) To interpret the major conflict between two different cultures and ways of life symbolized by the events and arguments in Achebe’s story.

2) To contemplate how the forced introduction of Western ideas and beliefs has impacted the culture, values, and identities of Africans.

Notes & Key Points

Notes on Reading

Achebe’s “Arrow of God” tells the story of group of characters in the fictional village of Umuaro, struggling to find meaning in the midst of the deep cultural conflict between their traditional way of life and the foreign culture and religion of their colonial rulers. As with any kind of literary work, it is important to be alert to themes and symbols when reading. Think about what different characters and events represent in terms of the larger cultural struggle between Africa and the Western world that we have been describing.

The first thing you will notice of symbolic import are the names of the characters (for a list of the main characters see “Key Points” in these Lecture Notes). Some of the characters have names of obvious African origin, like Oduche or Ezeulu. Others are clearly non-African, like Mr. Goodcountry. Still others seem to suggest a combination of different cultures, like Moses Unachukwu. As they say, there are no accidents or coincidences in fiction. Names and events have been chosen intentionally for their symbolic significance (think about what Moses represents in the Jewish tradition for a clue to Unachukwu’s role). Each character seems to represent a side in the debate about what should become of traditional African culture in a context where not only Christian beliefs but Western cultural influences more generally have penetrated even their small village. Try to think about what the argument between Unachukwu and Mr. Goodcountry is really about.

It becomes clear that the key conflict in the story is between Christianity and the traditional African way of life. Apart from the names of the various characters, the central symbol in the story is the python. Think about what the python represents and what it is that Oduche is struggling over in terms of the larger cultural context when he contemplates killing the python (p. 221). The other conflict in the story of interest to us is that between Ezeulu and his son Edogo, described on pp. 221-222. As you read from Achebe’s novel, try to think about what Achebe’s overall point is. What would you say is the moral to this story?

 

Key Points

  • List of main characters:

– Mr. Goodcountry (Christian missionary, an African)

– Moses Unachukwu (carpenter, missionary of new church)

– Oduche (young boy who contemplates killing the python)

– Ezeulu (priest and village elder)

– Edogo (son of Ezeulu, sent to missionary school by his father)

 

  • The story opens with a debate between Mr. Goodcountry and Unachukwu (pp. 219-220).
  • After listening to both sides of the argument, Oduche makes an important decision about killing the python (p. 221).
  • Note the different reactions to the killing of the python by both Ezeulu and Edogo (p. 222).

ASSIGNMENT

 

Modern African Philosophy

In a 500 word essay answer the following questions:

  • The story opens with a debate between Mr. Goodcountry and Unachukwu (pp. 219-220). What is the central conflict between them about?
  • After listening to both sides of the argument, Oduche makes an important decision about killing the python (p. 221). What does the python represent? What does the way in which Oduche goes about this task reveal about what he is thinking and where his loyalties lie? Note the specifics of how he kills the python. (This is very important and symbolically relevant).
  • Note the different reactions to the killing of the python by both Ezeulu and Edogo (p. 222). What does this tell you about the generational differences in how traditional African culture is viewed?
  • What does Achebe suggest about the future of traditional African beliefs and the Ibo cultural identity? Will it survive Christianity and British colonialism? If so, how must Africans treat these traditional beliefs if they want them to survive? The way Oduche treated the python?
  • Finally, can you think of a current modern-day context where these same issues are apparent?  Note briefly.