Ateeq Medina Bt. Mohd Maliki

1. Based on your reading of “Things Fall Apart”, what aspects of the Igbo culture allow the British to take over?

The traditions of their people which is cannot be accepted by some people. For example the dumping of twin babies in the Evil forest. Some people think that it is a mean thing to do. People who disagree of this thing also might not be agree with the concept of outcasts or bad luck that was practised by the Ibo people. In the novel we can see that Mr. Kiaga accepted osu or known as the outcasts and the woman who gave birth to twins into the church. He shaved the outcasts's hair which was feared to kill the outcasts if removed and soon enough they became the strongest adherents of the new faith. Nwoye, the son of Okonkwo also did the same when he started to questioned the killing of Ikemefuna whom he known as his brother and other horror things that Igbo people do. When the christianity came to  the village, it was like answering his questions. The 'imunity' of the Christians who built their church on the doomed land had proved that they are powerful to the villagers. It is because the Igbo people had taken that land which located in the Evil Forest to be an abominated land and they would not last for even a day but they did and even became stronger. From there, the villagers started to believe of what the missionaries said and later there were many man and children joined the new faith.

2. Since Sarawak has also undergone colonisation, how has this affected aspects of culture in our society

The coming of the British people had affected the lives of Sarawakian in many aspects,including the culture. Many Sarawak tribes had changed because of the colonisation. Firstly, it had changed the religion of most of the native Sarawak where they were originally anismist, religious worldview that natural physical entities including animals,plants, and even inanimate objects or phenomena to be Christian. Next, the names of the people also changed from the original native names to the christians names like Catherine, Joe and Darrel. Only minority of them kept their original name till now. the clothes are also modified as they dressed modernly now and only wore their traditional outfit for events and gatherings. Some of them even wear gown and tuxedos for wedding now. The values of traditionality slowly faded away.

3. Are there any changes brought about in the lives of the indigenous tribes in Africa and Sarawak?

It has brought many changes in Sarawak and Africa, the colonisation. . Before the coming of the British, the Sarawakian and the African only fed from their farming be it paddy or yams. they did not evolve but when the British came, they had brought progress with them. The building of school, hospital, church and also courthouse has made the people to be more advancing and modern. The people ought to have proper education, proper clothes and be more civilised than before. the creation of transportation also came from the coonisation when in the novel Things Fall Apart, the African was amazed by the "iron horse" which was a bicycle that they have never seen before. Then, they evolved.