Apart from religion, superstitions play an important part in the Ibo culture. Do you have your own sets of superstitions which you find difficult to discard?
The following points can help you as you write your reflective post on the role of religion and superstition in the novel and in your life:
- Analyse how superstitions and religions play in the life described in the novel.
- Do superstitious beliefs and religion affect the development of a country? How?
- How does one's beliefs affect the nation in terms of politics and culture?
Source: http://reflectiononthingsfallapart.blogspot.com/
In the Things Fall Apart novel, superstitions played an important role in the peoples' life. This is because they tend to be clouded by the superstitions that they believed in. For example, they kill twin babies because they think it is evil. They also make children as sacrifices. However, these are not the good superstitions and therefore I do not agree with all the bad things that they believe in.
Superstitious beliefs and religions do affect the development of a country. This is because their mind will never be open to new development if they keep believing in something irrational such as the Evil Forest in The Things Fall Apart novel. They believe that the forest is evil, so any development could not be done there.
Class: PISMP TESL (1)
A question to ponder upon..
Think of your own country. Are there any superstitious beliefs which affect the development of the nation? Your own state?
In Malaysia, each and everyone has their own religion. Until now, there are no cases of burying twin babies or sacrificing children to make anything happen. I strongly believe that superstitious beliefs that can affect the development of my country are not present in Malaysia. This also includes my state. However, what I can observe is that people of Malaysia are not as open-minded as other developed countries and that is for me, the greatest challenge that affect the development of the nation.
The most unacceptable yet practiced belief of the Igbo people is the dumping of the twin babies. I strongly disagree with this because obviously, this is very cruel. However, this practice is still happening as they believe the twin babies bring bad luck to the society. The mothers must be so hurt by this but they are helpless as this is a culture that have to be practiced by hook or by crook. Another is practice of throwing away the bodies of those that don't excel and contribute much to the society during their lifetime to the Evil Forest. I think every person deserve the same treatment which by mean their bodies are perfectly buried even though they might be a failure during their lifetime. Besides, the women are also not allowed to go out but to stay at home and serve the family well. In Okonkwo's case, he even beats his wife when he knows that she's not preparing dinner but to go out to get her hair braided.
However, when the new religion comes which by means the coming of the White people, I can see this as a great relief to those mothers that are carrying the twin babies. The babies are saved as this practice is strongly rejected based on the Christianity belief.
In my society, the Kayan bride are not allowed to go to the house of the groom's family if they haven't married. This brings shame to the bride's family if she is doing so. Another one is the practice of not cutting hair at night. It is believed that the ghosts are wandering around at night and they are going to haunt them if they are doing so.
As we are living in a multicultural country, I think the practices and cultures are greatly influence the economy as they are attractive to the tourists to come and experience by themselves. The practice of the Chinese people during the Chinese New Year by hanging the red lantern is one of the practices that I found attractive.
Therefore, we have to be proud of our own beliefs and live it so that the next generations know their root.
Posted by,
Angela Devung Dennis
In the novel Things Fall Apart, superstitions in the Igbo culture can be seen in a lot of aspects and events that happened in the village. For example, they believe that the members of the tribe that suffered from infirmities were seen as unclean. These people would not be buried, but be cast into the Evil Forest. Besides, during the Peace Week, Okonkwo commits a great sin when he beats his wife and in their superstitious and beliefs, it is believed that evil will fall upon the whole clan, so he must repent and sacrifice a lot. They also kill twin babies because they believed that it is evil which for me are not relevant. Because of their superstitious and belief, there are no development occurs in their country. They are blinded by their fear of the superstitious and belief until they are afraid to make any changes to their country and always lives in fear towards their belief.
For me, one’s belief shall not affect the nation in terms of politics and culture as if it is a good belief and can be accepted in the culture and society. Everybody has their own right to hold on to their belief as long as it is not affecting the nation in a bad ways.
-KELLY KATTY JAMESON
Think of your own country. Are there any superstitious beliefs which affect the development of the nation? Your own state?
ReplyDelete