Things Fall Apart With Postcolonialism

            For my upcoming essay on the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, I will be applying the theoretical text on postcolonialism as the central idea. In the novel, the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe, becomes colonized by Europeans. White men attack a neighboring village and send missionaries to convert the residents of the Umuofia clan. The missionaries make an attempt to force the people of the clan to desist their belief that there are many Gods. The theoretical text makes an excellent connection to the experiences the Umuofia clan faced in the novel.

           

            In the text, Cultural Studies: Postcolonialism, African-American, and Queer Theory, by Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin; several writers and thinkers ideas on postcolonialism are expressed. The theoretical text quotes that, “From the perspective of many white Westerners, the peoples of Africa, the Americas, and Asia were “heathens,” possessing ways that must be Christianized.” This quote shows a direct relation to what the missionaries thought of the Umuofia clan in Things Fall Apart. Not only does it relate to the novel, but it also makes a connection to what natives throughout history are faced with when they become colonized. It is also said in the text that when a culture is colonized, they ask themselves the question, “To what country or countries or to what cultures am I forever linked?” and their answer would be that, “He or she is both an individual and a social construct created and shaped by the dominant culture.” However, not everyone would adapt to that idea such as the main character of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, who would choose death over submitting to the rule of the white men.

           

            As I develop my essay, I will connect the many ideas of postcolonization to the novel Things Fall Apart. I will compare Okonkwo’s rebellious attitude to the colonization of his tribe with other people’s reactions towards colonization.  Also, I will correlate the experiences of the people of the Umuofia clan with what others experienced as they became colonized. I hope that through this essay both myself and others will gain a better understand of postcolonialism.

Technocracy to Technopoly Blog

In Technocracy to Technopoly by Neil Postman, he begins by expressing the idea of Technocracy, which is a society only loosely controlled by social custom and religious tradition and driven by impulse to invent. He states how the invention of machinery and new ideologies have benefited society in various ways even if it may have trampled on some of the original customs of society. Postman goes on and explains how technocracy eventually developed into Technopoly, which can be viewed as a totalitarian Technocracy. Technopoly induces the idea that technology has gained complete power over humans and society because of its positive value. However, Postman concludes with Frederick Taylor's idea that people would only submit to the power of technology if they do not possess the proper knowledge and responsibilities to control it.


After viewing Postman's passage, I can admit that I agree with his views on the change from Technocracy to Technopoly. The influence of technology would only be strong to those who allow it to have complete control over their life. Moderation must be put into effect when it comes to subjects such as technology. It is true that technology has benefited society in many ways through its developments, but that doesn't mean that it should be used in every aspect of the human life. I believe that the true ideals left from the fore fathers of the various technologies we have today was just to use it wisely and efficiently. 


In conclusion, it is an apparent fact that the idea of Technocracy was essential to the modern development of society. Although Technocracy is believed to to have transitioned into Technopoly, I view it much differently. I see the belief that man has submitted to the power of technology to be only a state of mind. It is true that a major population has submitted to the power of technology, but it can be easily be avoided simply by using the necessary technologies for its intentional purpose.