Both the Ibo ancestral religion and
the Christian invaders both explain the world around them. I understand why the
Ibo people were reluctant to accept Christianity because it goes against their
traditional practices that have been around for generations. While Ekwefi told
her daughter a story about how a turtle’s shell became jagged, Christianity
would teach that God is the almighty creator. Christianity preaches that God is
the answer to how everything came to be. Both Christianity and Ibo culture are
trying to explain the natural world around their people.
Instead
of banishing all of Christian followers and trying to curse them by having them
build on evil land, they should see the commonalities between their religions. I
cannot understand why Okonkwo gets so angry with his son for joining the
Christians, when it seems to be the most logical explanation without math or
science. I understand that it is hard to let go of tradition but Christianity
seems to be more appealing to the masses. The Christians are promising a simple
lifestyle that guarantees equality between men, women, and children, and an
equal chance at an eternal life with God. Whether it is a tribal religion or a
major religion like Christianity, we are need an explanation for how everything
came to be.
Hey Katelyn!!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I love your blog! The backround is really trendy and cool.
I love how you talked about the Ibo people and the religion aspect as the Christians tried to invade and change the Ibo people. It certainly is an important aspect in the novel, and changes a lot of the culture within the Ibo people. I really enjoyed how you created the comparison between the two cultures and religions, but pointing out how each is different and why.
My only critique is that I wish you had more of a general introduction. If I was reading this blog for the first time, without reading Things Fall Apart, I might have been really confused about who the Ibos were and why it was so critical to understand that the Christians came in and changed things.
Overall Katelyn, I really loved your blog post. The ending sentence really left an impact, and helped me to rethink a lot of what I had assumed before about both religions within the book.
Great Job!!!
-Millie
Hi Katelyn!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post about the Ibo ancestral religion and the christian invaders. I think that what some of the Ibo people are doing to the christian is almost a natural reaction and is not that terrible. The Christian did go onto their land and tried to put something on them that I believe most of the Ibo people didn't need. The Christian missionaries thought that these tribes need their help and a savior when in reality they could survive on their own. But I do agree when you say that the Ibo people and the Christians should find some common ground so that they can work together and teach each other about their beliefs and religion instead of just assuming that they are enemies. Really Good post!
-Annie Iacobelli