The Imposition of Colonialism on Africa - 1233 Words

African Colonialism The imposition of colonialism on Africa drastically reconstructed the continent. All over, European powers attempted to â€Å"assimilate† countries into their own, all the while exploiting and victimizing their people, culture, and resources. However, if there was one aspect of colonialism that provided a fertile ground for conflict, it was the unknowingly insidious method of introducing religion, specifically Christianity, into African families. This is particularly exemplified in the novels Things Fall Apart, Houseboy, and Weep Not, Child. Throughout these novels, the assimilation of Christianity within the protagonists’ not only results in a destruction of their sacred and traditional values, but also their well-being†¦show more content†¦Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.† For Toundi in Houseboy, he is also seduced by the concept of Catholicism, but to a greater extent. Taken in by Father Gilbert, though he appears to be a benevolent fellow and is adored by Toundi, he is actually an elitist and patronizing white man, not only because he takes the poor black boy from his family eagerly, but also because he trains him to become the perfect specimen of African possibility. He even goes as far to show off â€Å"his boy† to the other white colonists, treating him as if he were a pet. Oyono’s use of Christianity here clearly displays the way that Christianity was sold to Africans: through treats and trinkets, they drew children in and with threats of damnation they made them stay and disregard their irrelevant and nonsensical traditional religions. This is made clear by Toundi’s affection for Gilbert. However, this affection soon sprouts into gullibility and is exemplified within Father Gilbert’s death. After being killed by a fal ling branch, Toundi calls him a martyr which is a huge overstatement. Unfortunately, it is also at this peak of naivety, where he is sent to the Commander’s household to become his houseboy and what results is a complete desecration of his life along with the Christian morals he was raised with. For example, Madamme is seen as a strong, moral ChristianShow MoreRelatedAfrican Perspectives On Colonialism By Adu Boahen1138 Words   |  5 PagesHistory 108 Section G 4/23/15 â€Å"African Perspectives on Colonialism† is a book written by A. Adu Boahen. This book classifies the African responses to European colonialism in the 19th century. Boahen begins with the status of Africa in the last quarter of the 19th century and follows through the first years of African independence. This book deals with a twenty year time period between 1880 and 1900. Boahen talks about when Africa was seized and occupied by the Imperial Powers of Europe. EurocentricRead MoreColonization Of The Colonial System1473 Words   |  6 Pagescountry, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. Between 1870 and 1900, Africa faced European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressure, military invasion and eventual conquest and colonization and at the same time African societies put up various forms of resistance against the attempt to colonize their countries and impose foreign domination. However, by the early twentieth century, all Africa except Li beria and Ethiopia was seized and occupied by the European imperial powers ofRead MoreEssay about The making of modern Africa1393 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿The Making of Modern Africa: Colonialism Take a look at the past, our history; although there is only one factual outcome, there are an infinite number of opinions, perspectives and almost always more than one side to a story. I will be taking a look in to the novel, Colonial Africa, written by Dennis Laumann, as well as, African Perspectives on Colonialism, by A. Adu Boahen, and hopefully through this, we can gain a stronger understanding of Colonialism in Africa and how Boahen and Laumann compareRead MorePost Colonial Afric State Building And Economic Modernization1596 Words   |  7 PagesPost Colonial Africa: State-Building and Economic Modernization The professor Ali Mazrui, imaginatively titled one of his journal articles â€Å" Africa Between the Baobab Tree and the Owl of Minerva: A Post Colonial Narrative of Memory and Learning†. The choice that Mazrui made in this title is particularly interesting; by juxtaposing two symbols, that are respectively associated with African and European cultures, he acknowledges the profound impact that Europe has left after colonization. It is trueRead MoreEffect of Colonization in Kenya1159 Words   |  5 Pageseffect of colonialism in Kenya This essay analyses the effect of colonialism in Kenya. It explains the depth of colonialism within Kenya’s context and analyses the impact of colonial conquest, the imposition of international and local administrative boundaries. It also examined further the lasting consequences of colonial economic and social policies concerning colonialism in Kenya. This essay gives more explanation that has to do with British colonialism in Kenya. Colonialism developedRead MoreColonization of Africa1542 Words   |  7 Pagessubjected to colonialism have been faced with a number of impediments throughout the years which have hindered social and economic growth, and laid the foundation which bred cultural conflict. Colonialism, however, too bought Western civilization and all its attractions to underdeveloped countries during the process of colonialism. 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Achebe was a Nigerian man who became one of the most well-known authors in the world. His works were inspired by African culture and he helped define African literature. Chinua’s most famous literary work is  ¨Things Fall Apart ¨, but he has many other books that he is known for, including â€Å"No Longer at Ease†,  ¨Arrow of God ¨, and  ¨A Man of the People ¨Read MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1462 Words   |  6 PagesAuthor. The novel depicts the rural life in small Nigerian fictional village just before the white missionaries and colonizers landed into Nigeria. In the novel, Achebe explores the challenges that the local ‘Umuofia’ faced due to a sudden cultural imposition from the Europeans. The novel is also a representative of the wider picture of African cultures and the socio-economic changes that char acterized the colonial era. Ideally, Achebe’s literary work shows clearly that the colonization, introductionRead MoreColonialism and the Imposed Identities of the Indigenous in North America, Latin America and Africa2270 Words   |  10 Pagesnineteenth and twentieth century, colonialism swept across the globe like a brush fire engulfing the African Savanna on a dry summers day. Long since colonial rule has seised though, the detrimental effects left by the imposed structure and influence have charred and damaged the identities of the indigenous populations of the world. To this day, the collective identities of the indigenous populations are being regrown and transformed, but the barriers left by colonialism ensure a painstakingly slow process