Documents Related to Essay on Things Fall Apart

Essay Questions: Things fall apart

Due Date: November 20

Using evidence from the text of Achebe’s novel, primary sources where appropriate, and at least one secondary source, write a five (5) to eight (8) page essay addressing one of the following questions:

1. The title of the book Things fall apart comes from a poem by William Butler Yeats titled “The Second Coming,” and clearly, religion is one of the main subjects of the book. Discuss the role of religion in the British imperial project. How was Christianity used as a tool of imperialism? What were the similarities and differences between the Igbo (Ibo) religion and Christianity? 2. Consider the matter of justice in Achebe’s novel, comparing how the Igbo (Ibo) and British dealt with matters of criminality and justice. Be sure to consider the egwugwu (Supreme Court) and the British courts. 3. Consider how government worked in West Africa. Compare the Igbo (Ibo) method of governance and tribal leadership to methods used by British colonial authorities. Which was more democratic? 4. How does Achebe address the so-called “civilizing mission” of Westerners, the “burden” Rudyard Kipling says white men bear? If you choose to answer this question, be sure to first explain what the civilizing mission was. 5. Most societies in the late-1800s were patriarchal, meaning that they were dominated by men. However, women played an important role in Igbo (Ibo) society, as they did in Western civilizations. Using Things fall apart and the movie Germinal, compare the status of women in traditional central Africa and the mining towns of northern France. How were women able to protect themselves and play a larger role in the community? Were these women, separated by thousands of miles and a multitude of experiences, more different than they were similar, or were they more similar than they were different. Make sure you consider the roles the women played in family life and family decision-making, as well as in public-life.

Notes: Your essay will be evaluated based upon the strength and persuasiveness of your thesis; the structure of your argument; the proper and effective utilization of sources; and the quality of your writing. I will be happy to read drafts of your papers prior to November 13- but no later!!!.

Achebe essay Frey, History 112 Sources: 1. Primary sources: Below you will find several on-line primary documents concerning imperialism. Most of these sources have been assigned as part of your class readings. I have provided URLs for those readings not already accessible through your syllabus. When writing your essay, you need not restrict yourself to these primary sources. If you are aware of other official documents, contemporary novels or contemporary accounts of imperialism in Africa, you may use them where relevant. If you have questions about what a primary source is or how to find additional primary sources, please consult your writing guide or your instructor.

Primary sources not assigned as regular readings: Letter from missionaries urging British annexation of New Hebrides islands (in Far East) – 1893 - http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1883hebrides.html Chapter 8 of David Livingstone’s Travels and Researches in South Africa. Gutenburg etext project - ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext97/mtrav10.txt Captain F.D. Lugard, “The Rise of our East African Empire,” 1893 – http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1893lugard.html

Assigned readings accessible from course website: Jules Ferry, “On French Colonial Expansion,” 1884 Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden,” 1899 Edward Morel, “The Black Man’s Burden,” 1903 Kaiser Wilhelm II, “A Place in the Sun,” 1901

2. Secondary Sources: You are responsible for finding secondary sources on your own. Examples of topics you should search under in the library include: British Imperialism, Chinua Achebe, Colonialism in Africa, etc.

Achebe essay Frey, History 112