Ba and Achebe - Comparative Analysis - Essay Example

Jenna Bing 20 September 2006 Ba and Achebe - A Comparative Analysis Introduction Mariama Ba and Chinua Achebe are famed whohave made indelible imprints in the annals of literature. This essay will focus on Ba's So Long a Letter and Achebe's Things Fall Apart and by using these texts as a backdrop will attempt to highlight the respective thematic concerns of both writers, while attempting a comparative analysis from particular standpoints designed to enrich the reading experience by enhancing the readers' understanding and appreciation of the text. Ba and Achebe wrote about issues close to their heart. So Long a Letter dwells on the trials and tribulations of a woman in contemporary Senegal and explores the issues of polygamy, changing lifestyles and the need for emancipation. Things Fall Apart is a powerful novel that attempts to portray the Igbo way of life and to depict the advent of colonial rule and subsequent disintegration of the Igbo society and the old order. On the surface these two novels have precious little in common, but a deeper reading reveals that Ba and Achebe using broad strokes of their pen have traversed much of the same terrain with regard to themes like tradition, gender roles, oppression, religion and the like. Preceding a comparative analysis of the two, information about the authors, summary of the plots and an understanding of the recurring themes is called for. About Ba and So Long a Letter Mariama Ba was a Senegalese writer who wrote largely about the social injustices meted out to women. She belonged to a traditional Muslim family. Thanks to her father she received a good education at a prestigious French school despite prevailing tradition which did not encourage the education of women. Her talent as a writer manifested itself at an early age when she wrote bold and thought-provoking articles for journals and newspapers. So Long a Letter was her first novel and it won the Noma Prize. Following its success she wrote the Scarlet Song, her final contribution to literature. So Long a Letter is a novel told in epistolary style that is it takes the form of a letter written by Ramatoulaye to her friend Aissatou following the death of Ramatoulaye's husband. She writes about her marital problems that resulted from her husband's taking a second wife and her subsequent alienation from his affections and resources. She recounts the twists and turns both their lives have taken. Finally she furnishes details about her new life even as an uncertain future beckons to her. Her unique style allows readers intimate glimpses into the life of the protagonist which transports them into the core of her existence. According to Pritchett, in this novel "Thoughts on constitutional politics, economic development, and international relations combine easily with thoughts on life, love, marriage, childrearing, duty to others and self" (50). About Achebe and Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe is a world- renowned Nigerian writer. He attended the Government College in Umuahia and University College in Ibadan. In the course of his readings he was appalled to note the way Africans were portrayed and set about trying to remove the stereotypical impressions created by such works. He had an impressive career as a writer and received prestigious awards. His works include Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God and Anthills of the Savannah. Things Fall Apart tells the tale of the rise and fall of an Igbo man named Okonkwo. Starting of with few advantages Okonkwo drags himself to the uppermost realms of success and just when he begins to enjoy the trappings of success, circumstances lead to his taking an innocent life and this event marks the beginning of his decline. The tragic flaws in his character lead to his downfall and ultimate destruction. Thematic Concerns of Ba and Achebe The works of Ba and Achebe need to be viewed within the context of colonialism, which nearly annihilated the traditions, beliefs, value systems and culture of native Africa. The aftermath of colonialism, the tremors it sent coursing through the nation and its insidious invasion of African culture occurs as a recurring theme in So Long a Letter and Things Fall Apart. Ba brings out the nuances of the effects of the changes wrought by colonialism through the eyes of her protagonist. According to Sehulster, colonialism with its attendant legacy of oppression and subjugation "comprises the history of Africa, a history still evolving, still shaking itself from the falsehoods attached to it and the fetters used for its oppression. Mariama Ba's So Long a Letter presents an allegory of that journey from colonization to independence by using the fictional predicament of women as a parallel to that journey" (365). The women in the novel represent the colonized as they try to deal with oppression in its myriad forms stemming from traditional, religious and modern beliefs. People found themselves desperately clinging to the traditions of the past even as it rapidly disintegrated before their very eyes even as society became increasingly westernized. As Ramatoulaye says, "society is shaken to its very foundations, torn between the attraction of imported vices and the fierce resistance of old virtues" (Ba 73). Further colonization brings with it choice and the promise of a brighter future secure from the real and imagined vicissitudes of the past. Or one may choose to embrace the best of both words. As Pritchett puts it, "Individuals can now float between competing systems, exploring their own best options, or they can attempt to carve out a space for themselves in the interstitial region between traditional and modern coercive systems" (56). In Things Fall Apart Okonkwo's life and demise symbolizes the beginning of the end for native Igbo culture at the hands of ruthless colonialism. According to Klein, "Achebe introduces us to Igbo society in the late nineteenth century and gives us an Igbo view of the beginnings of colonial rule" (26). When Okonkwo returns from his exile, he is horrified to find that Igbo society as he knew it no longer exists. The colonial powers have made deep inroads into the heart of Africa and men from the tribe including his own son have been enticed into joining the ranks of the white man. As Obereika, his best friend puts it, "The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceable with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and let him stay. Now he has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart" (Achebe 125). Okonkwo unable to reconcile himself to this state of affairs, like the branch which refuses to bend in response to the implacable wind ultimately breaks. Through this character Achebe brings out the need to adapt to change. In this particular instance it appears that Ba and Achebe seem to be in thematic agreement. In So Long a Letter and Things Fall Apart the writers attempt to draw parallels between the lives of their protagonists and the destructive course of colonialism as it set about razing the very foundations of African life and culture to the ground. Further both focus on individuals struggling to survive in the chaos brought on by the clash of opposing cultures. And both write with nostalgia for a past that is over as they know it while acknowledging the inevitable nature of change and the need to adapt. Thus we may conclude that Ba and Achebe arrived at the same destination via different routes and it is likely that both writers would have concurred with the views of the other in this respect. Gender is a theme that is given great prominence in Ba's So Long a Letter. The novel's primary area of focus is on the plight of women in modern Senegal with the choices and added strictures of postcolonial Africa. The issue of gender is dealt with far more subtly in Things Fall Apart. Ramatoulaye is devastated when her husband decides to avail himself of the institution of polygamy in keeping with his own interpretation of Islam. Her friend Aissatou would have also experienced the same plight. Ba therefore reveals the callous treatment women experience at the hands of men. Men, like the colonists who subjugated them to their will, become colonists themselves in their treatment of women by first dehumanizing them and then relegating them to the kitchen or bedroom to perform the roles men have assigned them in those particular domains. That being said Ba through Ramatoulaye rejects gender inequality and believes instead in the essential complementary nature of the relationship between the sexes. Ramatoulaye says, "I am one of those who can realize themselves fully and bloom only when they form part of a couple. I have never conceived of happiness outside of marriage" (Ba 55). Ba depicts such a complementary relationship between Ramatoulaye's eldest daughter Daba and her life partner. The Igbo community functions harmoniously by carefully maintaining a balance between groups of contrasting values. According to Jones, "Those groups of values tend to be identified as masculine and feminine respectively" (25). Ikemefuna, who comes into Okonkwo's life as a peace offering from another tribe, epitomizes the perfect balance between masculine and feminine traits. Okonkwo in his quest to avoid being like his father detests traits like flexibility, compassion, gentleness and sensitivity on principle and takes excruciating care to suppress such tendencies in himself. Therefore he quells the much needed feminine characteristics needed to restore the delicate balance in his soul and that was so crucial for self-preservation. Thus Okonkwo paves the way for his own destruction. Achebe emphasizes the need for this balance between masculine and feminine attributes to ensure harmony. Ba and Achebe look at the issue of gender from the perspective of their own respective genders. However both concur on one point the need for a balance between masculine and feminine characteristics and for a complementary relationship between the sexes. It is likely that Achebe would have sympathized with Ba's description of the inhuman treatment of women. However with regard to the issue of polygamy Achebe would have agreed only in part. Okonkwo has three wives in keeping with his social status and despite his gruff exterior he has a kind heart and his wives have no cause for complaint. Ba meanwhile despite the tenets of her religion cannot quite bring herself to accept polygamy. Achebe would have condemned her husband for taking another wife without having the means to support both and for not securing the consent of his first wife. But other than that Achebe has no criticism for polygamy as seen from the cultural context of the Igbo society. The role of religion is another important theme in both novels. However an understanding of the geographical context is necessary for a thematic interpretation of the role of religion. According to Curry, "Christianity and Islam have influenced West African traditional religions especially in Nigeria and Senegal" (37). Thus for Ba hailing from Senegal and Achebe from Nigeria geography was responsible for shaping their religious beliefs and this is embodied in their respective texts. French occupation of Senegal in the 1890s brought with it Muslim influence and the Tidiane brotherhood prevailed in that area, the characters in So Long a Letter belong to this particular branch. (Curry 38). Christianity spread in Africa in the fifteenth century. British colonization resulted in the arrival of missionaries who settled down in the continent with the sole purpose of converting Africans to Christianity and making the Africans renounce their pagan practices. In So Long a Letter Ba examines the implications of Islamic tenets on women. However she does not condemn Islam in any way. With typical brutal honesty, she criticizes individuals who manipulate religious ideology as per their convenience and to justify their baser instincts as in the case of Ramatoulaye's husband, Modou and Aissatou's former husband Mawdo. While bewailing the hardships imposed on her by a society that predominantly favors the male, she does not analyze the role of religion in this state of affairs. According to Curry, "Her allegiance to the percepts of Islam does not allow her to analyze the distinction between religious demands and those of the greed and the selfish desires of her husband's family" (48). Achebe's description of the role of Christianity in dealing a fatal blow to the Igbo community is largely dispassionate and to an extent neutral. He merely allows the events in his novel to unfold without passing judgment. Christianity with its missionaries is the juggernaut which stamps out the last vestiges of the old order. Social outcastes from the old order are the first to embrace Christianity, soon members from respected families like Nwoye, Okonkwo's son accept the new faith as it soothes their injured spirits and offers solace for the hurts they suffered at the hand of their old faith. This division in their ranks takes the fight out of them and in the words of wise Obierika, "Our own men and our sons have joined the ranks of the strangers. They have joined his religion and they help to uphold his government How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us" (Achebe 124). Thus Achebe describes the role played by Christianity in the oppression and subjugation of a whole race. Here Achebe and Ba for their own personal reasons refrain from passing judgment or condemning their chosen faith. However they do not shy away from pointing out the inexcusable excesses carried out in the name of religion. Individuals who choose to interpret religion and manipulate it into justifying their actions reprehensible though they may be are criticized by both writers. Ba uses Modou and Mawdo and their innate perversity in their shameless manipulation of religion to justify their lust for pleasures of the flesh. Achebe is very subtle and he merely directs the reader's sympathy towards the simple Africans who are hapless in the face of such relentless propaganda and the inexorable force of change. The role played by elders is another recurring theme in both novels. Ba reveals that older people held an exalted position in pre-colonial society. "Locked within their beings was knowledge of contingencies that youth had yet to experience, nuanced responses to complex issues that only infrequently arise and remembered solutions to problems lurking just beyond the view of those more junior" (Pritchett 57). Therefore the elderly were treated with respect and immensely valued. However in post-colonial society, the role of the elders has been considerably diminished and it is youth and what it can offer that is valued. Ba feels that in such a society the security afforded by experienced individuals is stripped away to be replaced by the recklessness and experimentation of youth. In Things Fall Apart, the elders are portrayed as the decision makers. These people enjoy the trust of the people and are entrusted with their affairs. It is up to the elders to maintain peace and prosperity by means of careful decisions. According to Jones, "their decisions are neither arbitrary nor individualistic but grow out of a long tradition and a finely interwoven set of beliefs - religious, social and political" (24). The advent of imperialism signaled the end of this form of government. With regard to the role of the elderly, both writers recognize their value to society at large. They recognize that society is becoming more youth-oriented and it is unlikely that the elderly will receive the respect due to them. Ba and Achebe from their own vantage points of view appear to have a shared apprehension for a future to be shaped by youngsters with their propensity for experimentation without the temperance or restraint of age. Here again the writers set out with different assumptions but appear to be in thematic agreement. Given the thematic concerns of Ba and Achebe it would appear that both writers would have held the work of the other in high esteem and would have respected the others value and belief systems, morals etc. Ba concerned herself mainly with the portrayal of women and the social injustice done to them in contemporary Senegalese society. Achebe meanwhile set out to explore the impact of colonialism and European influences on traditional African society. The works of both writers are characterized by a lack of unnecessary sentimentalism. Both seek to depict events with accuracy and realism and refrain from using either an apologetic or overbearing tone. Ba and Achebe would have approved of this quality in the other. The importance of education and its ability to provide hope for a better future is emphasized by the two writers. They are shining examples of the impact education can have on the quality of living. Ba through her characters Ramatoulaye and Aissatou brings out the value of education in providing endless opportunities and as an invaluable weapon in facing the trials of life and the vagaries of personal fortune. Achebe's characters also recognize the importance of education. For Nwoye education provides an escape from his troubled relationship with his father and his culture. It provides the answers he has been searching for all his life. Thus he embraces Christianity in order to avail himself of the benefits of education. Therefore this is another area of concurrence for both writers. Given the cultural and geographical context in which their texts need to be viewed, for a proper thematic interpretation there are times as outlined above when the writers agree but for different reasons and on the basis of different assumptions and for the same reason there are times when they are only in partial agreement. Conclusion There is a lot one can learn from such a comparative analysis of the writers' agreement with the issues at hand. The importance of such an analysis lies in the wealth of information that is generated subsequently particularly with regard to historical, geographical and cultural perspectives. Such background information considerably enhances the reading experience. The casual reader is unlikely to appreciate the deeper implications of the text in the absence of such relevant information. Moreover there are valuable lessons to be learnt about life - the fragility of human existence, the inevitability of change and need to adapt in order to survive to name a few. Such a comparative analysis also provides much needed insights that enable us to understand the human condition at its most majestic and at its most pathetic. The sheer complexity of cultural and intercultural relations is also brought home to the discerning individual. Incredibly the works of Ba and Achebe are relevant to this very day and the lessons they have taught resonate across the globe. The lives of Ramatoulaye and Aissatou mirror the struggles of the modern woman in her quest for emancipation and identity albeit in a different setting. Similarly Achebe's themes have significance in today's world as traditionalism with its moments of rigidity battles it out with the self- centeredness and liberalness of individualism. It is the ability of these texts to transcend the limitations of time, place and culture and make its presence felt across the eons of time that renders it unique and its claim to greatness in the annals of literature as truly justified. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1996. Ba, Mariama. So Long a Letter. Trans. Bode-Thomas Modupe. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1989. Curry, Ginette. Awakening African Women: The Dynamics of Change. Buckingham: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2004. Jones, Catherine Lynette. Chinua Achebe. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Klein, Martin. "Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart". Hay 25 - 36. Pritchett, James. "Mariama Ba's So Long a Letter". Hay 49-62. Hay, Margaret Jean. Ed. African Novels in the Classroom. Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2000. Sehulster, Patricia. "So Long a Letter: Finding Self and Independence in Africa." Western Journal of Black Studies 28. 2 (2004): 365- 371. Read More