Chinua Achebe Inquiry Discussion

Today’s inquiry discussion led the group mostly towards the cultural aspect of Chinua Achebe’s work. Thus, my biggest takeaway from the discussion was a greater understanding of the true impact of colonialism in Nigeria and the upsetting of society that came as a result. While discussing this topic, i seemed to frequently reflect on a specific quote, "the white man has put a knife on the things that held us together, and we have fallen apart." I feel as though this quote embodies the effect of colonialism and the way it impacts the indigenous people. This quote is referring to the disruption of the social order and an upsetting of society. In the case of Nigeria, the British decimated the system that was previously in place and incorporated the many disparate and detached Igbo Civilizations into one. All the different religions, customs, habits and cultures were combined into one. This led to a new civilization and a “new reality” that the Igbo people had to adjust to drastically. This affixes with the ability of colonial powers to maintain control as was also discussed in today’s class. In order to assert power colonialists would combine different cultures, causing a tension between them allowing them to be governed with more ease.