Tribal customs of the Ibo (Igbo) people - Essay Example

He eventually kills himself because of the Christianity (Achebe p208). As Achebe accurately depicts, the Ibo people have a rich culture as evidenced by their tribal customs such as their values, social structure, language, religious beliefs and government. His main aim or theme therefore was to depict traditional Ibo life prior to and after the advent of the Christians missionaries. Tribal custom dictates every aspect of members lives. In a wonderfully unbiased approach, Achebe’s text offers the reader the cultural roots of the Igbo people, all their beliefs, customs and historical past.

In the whole of section one of the text, Achebe explains the details of the Ibo culture. To immerse the reader in the Ibo way of life, he goes into detail talking about the more subtle cultural aspects of the community such as the customs of feasts and communal activities, sporting events and crop rotation. In the tribe, the number of yams a man grows, the number of titles he holds and the number of wives he acquires determines his worth. Their acknowledgement of a mans very being is by the gods approval.

Okonkwo struggles to live up to what he perceives as traditional standards of masculinity. His failure to adapt to the changing world points out the importance of tradition and custom in the novel. In the novel, the tribe of Ibo defines itself through the age-old traditions it practices. While some habits mold the daily lives of the people, other customs are reserved for special ceremonies. An example of habits that mold the daily lives of the people is when the head of a family honors male guests by praying over and sharing a kola nut with them.

He offers the guest the privilege of breaking the nut and after the provider of palm-wine tastes it, they drink together with the oldest person taking the first sip. Ceremonial customs on the other hand are more elaborate. One example is The