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"The Horror of Traditions" |
“Why should a man suffer so grievously for an offence he had committed inadvertently” (Achebe 87)? It is the nature of man to question actions he thinks are unjust, cruel, wrong, or immoral and to express his opinion. In the novel Things Fall Apart , written by Chinua Achebe, there are many characters who question the customs of their village. The traditions in this novel and in the essays “Looking for a Rain God,” and “The Lottery” seem primitive, cruel, or savage. Traditions cannot be challenged or questioned and this makes them an abomination to humankind. The novel Things Fall Apart is set in a small village known as Maibano in Nigeria in the 1800s. Traditions in this village were developed from an animistic religion that is practiced by the villagers. Many of them involve bloodshed. Twin children were left in the Evil Forest to die, murder was avenged with murder, and ogbanjes or evil children were left to die or were mutilated. Obierika, Nwoye, and many mothers who had lost their twin children questioned these traditions; yet, they could not voice their opinion. Their fear of repercussions forced them to remain silent. “The morning of June 27 th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blooming profusely and the grass was richly green” ( Jackson 1). The title of Shirley Jackson’s essay “The Lottery,” as well as the bright beginning, is a deception. Most people think of the lottery as a delightful event where people win money or other prizes. However, Jackson’s essay is quite the opposite and no one wants to “win” this lottery. The prize for winning is being stoned to death by the townspeople. This tradition is practiced every year. This tradition is misogynistic because the “winners” are women. Women cannot voice their opinions in this patriarchal society. The sacrifice of two young girls in Bessie Head’s essay “Looking for a Rain God,” was insignificant to their family. This village was also patriarchal. The oldest family member, Mokgobja, remembered an old sacrifice ritual from his African tribe to please the rain god. They did not hesitate in their decision to kill the girls, because they were already verbally and physically abusing the little girls. The women in this family were depicted as unstable, “It was really the two women who caused the death of the little girls. Each night they started a weird, high-pitched wailing that began on a low, not and whipped up to a frenzy” (Head 5). Once again misogyny is the theme in this family and in its tradition. Misogyny is a substantial theme in these pieces. The traditions show women as weak, unstable, and easily expendable. Although the religion of Maibano in Things Fall Apart was centered on women, such as Mother Earth, Agbala, and the priestess, the men made all the decisions and mistreated their wives. The men in “Looking for a Rain God” also made all the decisions and women were beaten for their ignorance or clumsiness. In “The Lottery,” the women “won” the death penalty and were also depicted as forgetful and expendable. The women also had no voice. Even the men in Things Fall Apart who questioned the traditions could not voice their opinion for fear of being called an agbala or woman. Change is inevitable. Traditions become old, people forget certain rituals, and in some cases are replaced by other traditions. In Things Fall Apart and “Looking for a Rain God,” Christianity replaced traditional African beliefs and customs. Christianity is not always the right answer as seen in “Looking for a Rain God,” where Christianity failed to help the desperate family. Traditions cannot be challenged as shown in all three pieces: in the novel Things Fall Apart, the essays “The Lottery,” and “Looking for a Rain God.” If traditions cannot be questioned, then they should be abolished. The nature of man is to question norms set by society and to voice their opinion. Traditions are not good for mankind and should not be the path for anyone. Traditions drown out the sound of man’s voice. |
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