English 1020E Lecture 11: English-1020E
Document Summary
Igbo culture features undoubted misogyny, and has titles , representing hierarchy, but it broadly embraces the masculine and feminine principles, because it is a culture built upon community and wholeness. Reverend james smith"s conversion approach is more individualistic. Mr. brown"s approach is more interested in the community- corresponds with african notion of connection. Colonizer"s approach is typically based on binaries (smith"s approach) Imperialism succeeds best when those you are reducing start to believe you. This novel doesn"t surrender to the logic of binaries. Okonkwo kills himself because colonizers have destroyed all his beliefs. He will never achieve the status he desired. His suicide is a result of his self interest- he wants to be the one to kill himself, narcissism and egocentric.