Pierre Geoffrey L.

Macalino

142426

Critical Paper 2: Tradition versus Modernity

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart can be considered as a response to past literature
regarding African communities. These works, such as Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness,
were criticized for depicting Africa and its culture in an unpleasant manner. Notions of
colonialism were present in Heart of Darkness as it seemed to iterate the idea that Nigerian
localities needed civilizing. The barbaric dogma set precedent by Joseph Conrad on these local
tribes were regarded by several critics as malicious and degrading precisely due to the fact that
the locals were defined appallingly. Chinua Achebe’s work attempts to liberate the image of
Africans by providing a birds-eye view of a local in the person of Okonkwo – subsequently
removing the Western lens that is traditionally used in interpreting African culture. This way,
the book grants its readers the privilege of viewing this culture with a perspective that is
respective to the Africans themselves. Owing to this, the readers are able to recognize and more
accurately identify the normal occurrences in an African society, the various practices in their
culture, and the traditions of an African man and his family.

The premium put on tradition by the Igbo people is emblematic of their isolation from
outside influences. Modernity, or more aptly put “change”, is merely an inclusion of the
periphery: from the West to the inner tribes of Africa. In this sense, change is not necessarily a
transition into modernity or a progression of sorts but rather an adaptation of Western
ideologies and values. Multiple facets of Western influence such as philosophy, technology,
governance, and theology adhere to a more liberal dimension in contrast with the commonly
intolerant traditions of African communities. However, to say that these communities do not
for themselves have their own set of philosophies, political structures, and religions would be
a radical mistake. For example, the village of Umuofia readily had a political structure in the
hierarchy of their society. Between the elders, warriors, men, and women there already resided
political relations. They had institutions such as the tribal council which accommodated
communal decisions and formal consultations. Liberating from the idea that the West brought
a system of governance to these African communities would be misguided if not utterly wrong.

Things Fall Apart starts by introducing its readings to the Igbo society by following the
story of Okonkwo. By highlighting the several traditions, laws, and norms of Umuofia, the
novel readily gives its readers a perspective on how the society operates. Various inner conflicts
within the village and inter-tribe disputes accentuated the traditions of these African
communities by demonstrating how stringent they are. The novel then proceeds to usher in the
“White man” into the story to prepare the main conflict; the White man versus the African man.
While the story was initially about personal beliefs and customs, it becomes a story of colonial
conflict. The novel turns into a portrayal of the clash between the government brought by the
White man and the traditional culture of the indigenous Igbo people: a war between two
differing cultures. It is important to note, however, that while there are two distinct ideologies
at war they are not necessarily univocal. The traditions of the Igbo people itself are not
unanimously advocated for by all the members of the African society. There already existed an
inner struggle, albeit implicit, against the adherence to several of the practices of the Igbo
tradition. The rigid adherence to tradition may even be recognized as nothing more than a
novelty of simply maintaining the past.

Among the Igbo people who showed opposition against specific practices of the Igbo
culture are Nwoye and Ekwefi. They are the example of pinning adherence to tradition as
simply following what has already been done for a long time, but they do not necessarily find
these traditions justifiable. For example, when the daughter of Ekwefi, Ezinma, was taken by
the Oracle to a cave for an unknown reason, Ekwefi followed the Oracle to the cave and showed
distraught over not only the Oracle but also the gods.

As these things went through her mind she did not realise how close they were
to the cave mouth. And so when the priestess with Ezinma on her back
disappeared through a hole hardly big enough to pass a hen, Ekwefi broke into
a run as though to stop them. As she stood gazing at the circular darkness which
had swallowed them, tears gushed from her eyes, and she swore within her that
if she heard Ezinma cry she would rush into the cave to defend her against all
the gods in the word. She would die with her. (Achebe, 108)

The quote above is relevant because it shows the instances where the power of their
gods, which was highly regarded among the Igbo people, are challenged by the African people.
It shows an opposition to tradition by neglecting, even if temporarily, the belief in the power
of their gods. Even in the stringent demand for respect by their gods, Ekwefi was willing to
protest against them for the sake of her child. Since Umuofia is also generally patriarchal, the
rise of Ekwefi in her independence by simply raising a voice is surprising and is indicative of
the “modern” ideology of individuality. Ekwefi did not only object to their traditions as an Igbo
people, she also defied the norms of the society she lived in by defying the demands of her
husband – who forbade her to pursue the Oracle. “Modernity” is commonly associated with
liberal ideologies: the implementation of democracy as a form of government, the abolition of
slavery, and the strengthening of women rights. Things Fall Apart shows a vestige of these
ideologies not only with Ekwefi, but also with the largely matriarchal motherland of Okonkwo.
In discussing the relations of tradition versus modernity in Things Fall Apart, it is important to
note that some notions of modernity were already either secretly longed for by some individuals
of the society or already being practiced.

The centrality of tradition in Things Fall Apart can be further exemplified by analyzing
the writing style that Chinua Achebe opted to use. By employing a third-person narrator,
multiple facets of Umuofia are more effectively depicted which would not have been possible
with a first-person’s point of view. In doing this, the readers, once again, are able to gain a
clearer grasp of the various cultural and societal norms prevalent in the village. Simultaneously,
this also grants the reader access to interpreting the traditions of Umuofia with more rigor.
Furthermore, the impending collapse of Umuofia and the other African neighboring villages
can be observed and examined without falling short in perspective. By considering the multi-
dimensionality a third-person point of view brings, the readers are not rooted to only viewing
the events from Okonkwo’s perspective. This makes the contrast between tradition and change
crisp and more recognizable with regard to education, style of governance, and religion.

Looking at the characters more closely, Okonkwo is symbolic of the strict adherence to
tradition while Nwoye, his son, is symbolic for the transition into ‘modernity’. Modernity in
this sense represents change more so than what the term usually implies. It refers to the moving
away from tradition and transitioning into another – most commonly a colonial culture.
Okonkwo strongly holds the conventional ideas of rank, reputation, and masculinity in high
esteem. However, his adherence to tradition is ungrounded and has instances where he fails to
find justification for it. The slaughter of Ikemefuna exhibits this dynamic when Okonkwo
disobeyed orders and had a hand in the killing for the sake of masculinity. Even if it was clear
that Okonkwo did not desire for Ikemefuna to be killed, he still held strongly to his own veil
of fortitude hidden under the illusion of masculinity. Due to his adherence to this tradition –
appearing strong – he kills his surrogate son. This drove the final wedge between him and
Nwoye, driving the latter away. Nwoye is shown to be critical of the rules and norms of the
Umuofia society throughout the book. Even before the appearance of the White man, Nwoye
was already questioned some of the practices such as the inhumane disposal of babies at the
Evil Forest. His critical attitude towards Igbo culture may have been the reason why it was not
difficult for him to adopt the culture of the White man. In the battle of tradition versus
modernity, Nwoye symbolizes the transition or the change to modernity while Okonkwo
symbolizes the strict adherence to tradition.

The battle between tradition and modernity is also a recurring theme in Marvel’s Black
Panther, evident in Wakanda’s lasting desire to remain as the most technologically advanced
nation of Earth whilst simultaneously remaining true to their thousands of years of tradition. In
the film, Wakanda is pressured to remain proactive: they are pressured to adjust their policies
to align with the modern-day climate. T’Challa is not the only Black Panther in Wakanda: it is
a role given to strong political leaders in their society. As the ruling king, T’Challa inherited
his role as the protector of Wakanda and the avatar of the Panther God. This role reaches back
to their society’s prehistory. The tradition of this role can easily be recognized due to this very
lineage. The kings of Wakanda are not just super heroes, they are political leaders and religious
figureheads as well.

The Panther God is the central deity of Wakanda’s state religion. If the Igbo people
idolized the serpent, the people of Wakanda idolized the black panther. It is possible to closely
follow the tradition of Wakanda back to its African roots despite it being the most
technologically advanced country in the world – albeit in secret. Wakanda preserves its long-
lasting tradition of the role of the king as multi-faceted and somewhat a representative of their
god. T’Challa wields the power if his country’s supreme technology and is also believed to
have the blessings of his country’s goddess. To the wider world, he is a super hero. But in
Wakanda, he is the king who decided to end the country’s long seclusion.

Furthermore, another example of how Wakanda adheres to tradition as well is their

ceremonial bout of hand-to-had combat which decides the leadership of their society. Given
Wakanda’s technological prowess, it is uncharacteristic for something so modern to associate
with something so traditional. Traditions constitute adherence to the persistence of the way
things were done as opposed to the how they should be done. To give an example, after
Killmonger has taken the throne and has taken the leadership position in Wakanda there were
some people who question the legitimacy of his position. Nakia asked, “Why should we hand
the reins of the kingdom over to someone who only appeared here several hours ago?” to
which Okoye replied, “We have no choice, it is our tradition.”. Like how Nwoye questioned
the traditions of Umuofia, it appears here that there are some people in Wakanda who also
question their tradition.

Another interesting dynamic in the film is the sharp contrast of the culture of Wakanda
with their technological prowess. As aforementioned before, modernity is usually associated
with advancements in society – most particularly with regard to technology. A modern society
is one which is not only fluid to change, but also one that is technologically advanced. Wakanda
symbolizes the struggle of tradition versus modernity in this respect. While they are
technologically advanced, they still value adherence to tradition to the point of blind following.
This stringent adherence to tradition allowed Killmonger to get power by winning the
ceremonial bout for leadership.

Black Panther’s narrative calls into attention the premium put on blind adherence to
tradition and how it is not necessarily the right thing and may even be harmful for the society
of Wakanda itself. Killmonger’s rise to power is representative of this: even if T’Challa clearly
has the moral and ideological superiority, due to the persistence of the traditions of the past
Killmonger’s appointment was continued. Change in this respect is unlike the one in Achebe’s
Things Fall Apart. It is more symbolic of a clash between modernity and tradition in a non-
colonial sense. Where tradition fails to supply the necessary ideologies to ensure the betterment
of society, Black Panther shows that modernity – or change – might be a pleasant alternative.
Tradition creates an environment in which stronger ideas are sublimated in favor of the
persistence only of a valueless past.