A White Man s Burden, And Achebe s Things Fall Apart

In history, colonization was a truly popular tradition practiced by great and powerful empires in order to extract and retrieve all materials necessary to support their homeland. However, in order to achieve such sense of commerce and well-being, those colonists who had the power, had to colonize weaker and far less advanced societies. Great powers such as Britain and France would then travel to these societies and implement their rule in order to gain prosperity. Some, those who benefited from colonization, felt that the practice of colonization was an obligation to better the â€Å"uncivilized,† societies and help them advance, but the emotional and physical hurt that came from colonizing outweighed the positive aspects. The intention was good, but the manner in which colonization was carried out was poor. This topic is immensely controversial that pieces such as Kipling’s poem, â€Å"A White Man’s Burden,† and Achebe’s â€Å"Things Fall Apart,â €  have been written in order to support or go against colonization. But despite much debate, colonization has been a tradition that has caused those regions being colonized much struggle and negativity. The novel Things Fall Apart, speaks of the life of Umuofia2, a fictional Nigerian village, and its traditions before colonization and then the changes it faces at the initiation of colonization. It is based around the life of a man named Okonkwo before the colonists come and the struggles he faces when they arrive. Just as all other regions, UmuofiaShow MoreRelatedThe Book Things Fall Apart Essay986 Words   |  4 PagesThe book ‘Things Fall Apart† highlights many different aspects of African culture and shows us how incredibly bright, beautiful, harsh, violent and mystical the lives of Nigerians were. In this text several concepts will be questioned and analyzed, such as the importance of the character’s daily life and rituals, the language used throughout the writing, comparing how they deal with problems and solving them, determining whether or not the text contains a local or grand narrative, and if thereRead MoreThings Fall Apart and Universal Appeal951 Words   |  4 PagesThings Fall Apart-Universal Appeal Confronted with a global conscious filled with hazy, negative conception of the African reality, appalled with such one sided works as Heart of Darkness and Mr. Johnson, Chinua Achebe determined in 1958 to inform the outside world about Ibo cultural traditions1. One can appreciate then, Achebe s inclusion of universal themes and concepts in is novel as a means of bridging the cultural gap with his audience and reiterating that Africans are in the end, humanRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1410 Words   |  6 PagesTeddy Manfre Ms. Blass ENG 209-001 April 24, 2017 Things Fall Apart In 1958, Chinua Achebe a famous Nigerian author publishes one of his most famous novels Things Fall Apart. The novel takes place in a Nigerian village called Umuofia. During the time that this novel is published Nigeria is being criticized by the Europeans for being uncivilized. In response, Achebe uses his brilliance in this novel to express the valued history of his people to his audience. His focus in the novel is on the pre-colonizedRead MoreChinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Essay1736 Words   |  7 PagesThe classic African literary tale Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, is a brilliant account of historical African culture and the destruction colonialism can cause upon such cultures. As the reader follows the narrative and complexity of the characters through the novel, a sense of pride, trust, and faith in history emerges. Yet, with the introduction of colonialism the characters must learn to embrace and adapt to a new culture and set of beliefs or face ter mination from society. TheRead MoreThe And Its Effects On The Culture1333 Words   |  6 PagesPut yourself in this situation: It s a particularly sunny day, and no cloud in the sky. It s a normal day to you, and your going about your business. Carrying out your everyday deeds, believing in the most precious things that you hold to yourself, and then something strange occurs. A shadow of change swoops over your head. Your everyday priorities don’t matter anymore, and your greatest beliefs and goals become your greatest burden. But this imaginary situation is just a mere reality to thoseRead MoreNegative Effects Of Colonialism1253 Words   |  6 Pageshumanities and eventually stripped every aspect of their originality. Civilizations are intended to have firm foundations based on their own morals and values. This movement of dominant invasion caused culture s firm ground to be shaken, eternally. Colonialism only results in societies being torn apart and stripped because of the diversion of newcomers. They do not realize it at the time but eventually, they will begin to realize the disatisfaction they have obtained because of the changing in their customsRead MoreChinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay examples1048 Words   |  5 PagesChinua Achebes Things Fall Apart The last chapter of Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart concludes with the sentence: He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger. This refers to the District Commissioners chosen title for a book he has written that would have the African people, the Igbo tribe specifically, as the main subject. From the title itself, one can say that the writer has an unfavorable bias againstRead MoreThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe Essay1851 Words   |  8 Pageschoice and styles are critical not only to the reader’s understanding of the text but to his appreciation as well. How language is effectively manipulated in their writings enhances the reader’s valuing of the works. The selected novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a representation of Igbo culture and their language. It explores the life of an Igbo tribe at the time of when colonization hit Africa. It could be considered as a post-colonial text, as the protagonist of the story and the otherRead MoreAnalysis Of Jon Lee Andersons The Distant Shore1215 Words   |  5 Pagestheir existence through the ingenuity of economic advancement. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the Ibo people slowly experience their own cultural deterioration not only through religious burden, but also through the establishment of labor for a purpose of promoting the circulation of currency (Achebe 150). Instead of allowing the persistence of a polytheistic, down-to-earth, and culturally rich aesthetic of humankind, the white man’s triumph ceases the potential of both respected and appreciativeRead MoreImapct of Colonialism on Africa889 Words   |  4 Pagessome conspiracy or intended act that has obscured the will of Africa or maybe it s a view of a time gone by and will pass like all times do. Africa will come into its own as the continent of major commodities, wealth and cultural brilliance. Africa will blossom as its political ship is corrected and steered toward harmony rather than despotism. â€Å"Accidental Empires - NYTimes.com.† Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart: A Novel. 1994th ed. Anchor, 1994. Print.    â€Å"Africa from Colonialism to Cold War:

Tremaine Neverson Free Essays

â€Å"Success can be a dangerous drug. It definitely changes people and it can take you to another world if you allow it to. † These are famous words form popular singer, songwriter and activist Tremaine Aldon Neverson. We will write a custom essay sample on Tremaine Neverson or any similar topic only for you Order Now Born November 28, 1984, Tremaine is also known as Trey Songz. Searching for himself, he gained a love for music and began singing at the age 14. At the age of 15, he met a producer by the name of Troy Taylor, whom started his skyrocketing success as a singer. In 2003, he released his first album, and then began writing music for other artists. He has five different albums in which he considers to take his fans on five different journeys of his life. From BET to Grammy awards, Trey Songz is more than just an artist. He has used his gift of music as the launching pad to various philanthropic and entrepreneurial endeavors such as the â€Å"Angels with Heart Foundation† and the â€Å"Songz for Peace Foundation. † Through his â€Å"Angels with Heart Foundation,† Trey encourages to give back and to have a positive impact in their community through community service with local charities and random acts of kindness. Through his â€Å"Songz for Peace Foundation† he aims to curb the violence in youth. I admire Trey’s dedication to music. It is something he loves and he always pleases his fans. He is also promoting positive messages through each of his foundations. As an artist, he’s only obligated to deliver music and videos to his fans, but he does so much more for us. I am all for community service and giving back to the community, so just for that I admire him. To find someone who satisfies your taste in music and your taste in activism means a lot to me as a fan and a young adult. In closing, I would like to dedicate this special tribute to Tremaine Neverson on this very special day, Happy Birthday Trey! How to cite Tremaine Neverson, Papers

Assessing the Essence of Teh Eclectic Paradigm free essay sample

Aspects frequently highlighted include global media and telecommunications, global brands, worldwide production and integrated financial markets. At the forefront of these phenomena are Multi National Enterprises (MNEs), benefiting from the opening of markets across the globe, and from advances in computing and internet technology, which make it possible to link far-flung activities in global networks. Considering these elements, globalization can further be defined as the process of increasing and deepening interactions between individuals and organizations across the globe, facilitated by advancing communications technology and the opening of markets to trade and investment. Theories of International production have attempted to explain the convergence towards a globalised world, while addressing the different types of international expansions. These theories have focused on MNEs and Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs). FDI can be defined as investment by an organization in a business in another country, with a view to establishing production in the host country. While Raymon Vernon is known for his theory of Product life cycle, Stephen Hymer laid emphasis on the location and ownership advantages of countries, which helped in attracting FDI from MNEs. John Dunning incorporated Internalisation to the analysis of Hymer, which became known as the Eclectic Paradigm (or OLI Paradigm), one of the most comprehensive theoretical explanations with specific focus on FDI. Still the Eclectic Paradigm is being challenged in the modern globalised world, as it fails to take into account the implications of existing modes of entry of MNEs, as well as the advantages of Alliance Capitalism. It is being discussed further in this report. Theories of International production have greatly facilitated the understanding of the globalization phenomenon. Different theorists at different time intervals attempted to justify the expansion of MNEs across the globe. Hymer (1970) was the first one to propose that MNEs are institutions of international production rather than international capital movement. Still he ignored the natural imperfections attributed to transaction costs in an imperfect market. In today’s world, with the proliferation on Internet use, imperfections like bureaucratic hurdles and control of distribution systems (Bain, 1956) are absent. Even the imperfections like price determinism and information transfer are shrinking. Thus it can be argued that Hymer’s major contribution relating to the importance of structural market imperfection in determining FDI activity does not hold good for corporations, which are expanding globally through e-channels (for instance). Vernon (1966) came up with the International Product Life Cycle (IPLC) theory, which explained the locational dimension of FDI. According to him, production first starts in the home country fro local markets, and exporting is used to attain foreign markets. As the product matures and production is standardized, production moves to less developed countries to reduce labour costs. The basic assumption of the IPLC is that knowledge is not equally and universally distributed (Vernon, 1966). This assumption, however, is not applicable in today’s world, as Vernon (1979) himself admits that there is a more perfect distribution of knowledge across the globe. He argues that firms who are global scanners follow a different trend than that of the IPL approach, because such firms have the ability to effectively scan global markets for the best factor endowments. Though, a lot has been discussed and said on the theories of International production, yet none of the approaches (Hymer, Vernon, Barney) simultaneously explains the importance of resources heterogeneity, entrepreneurial competence, network governance and the rise of alliance capitalism. Thus, an overarching analytical framework is needed, that can synthesize these disparate views and account for the importance of location- based advantages and ownership advantages. Such a framework was developed by Dunning (1973; 1988; 1993) known as The Eclectic Paradigm. It is a framework that explains the growth of MNEs by bringing together disparate theories. According to Dunning, the Eclectic Paradigm is less of an alternative theory of International production and more of a framework that synthesizes the essential and common characteristics of each main theoretical explanation on the growth of MNEs. For more than two decades the Eclectic Paradigm (EP) remains a widely used general framework for studying the growth of MNCs and Dunning has also continuously revised and extended the EP to explain changing facets of MNCs. Dunning (1988) has re-stated that the EP is robust and general enough to incorporate future developments like renewed the focus on entrepreneurship and the emergence of global networks (Dunning, 1995). The Eclectic Paradigm explains that the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and growth of multinational corporations (MNCs) is linked to the extent and nature of ownership-specific advantages of the firm, the extent and nature of location bound endowments, and the extent to which markets for these advantages are best internalized by the from itself. In short, it is the configuration of these Ownership (O), Location (L) and Internalization (I) advantages that determines a firm’s international production and growth. In a somewhat updated version, Dunning (1988) describes the three essential factors for international expansion: * Ownership Advantages are unique competitive or monopolistic advantages, typically developed in the home market, that permit the firm to compete successfully in overseas markets. These factors are of two types: Asset Advantages arise from proprietary ownership of unique assets protected by structural market distortions, and Transactional advantages provide a unique capacity to capture value from the transaction benefits of owning a network of assets located in different countries. * Location factors, tied to the local foreign market, which make production in the host country preferable. These are immobile factors, such as cheaper labour, high shipping costs, local image or trade barriers, that can be combined with transferable intermediate ownership assets to generate superior products. Internalisation factors, typically related to the industry, produce transactional market failure in transferring ownership advantages to foreign markets. This also explains the naming of the EP as the OLI configuration as well. The eclectic model, then, pulled together the key elements of neo-classical theory – location, industrial organisation theory – monopolis tic advantage and internalization theory – transactional efficiency. It used this eclectic mix to produce an internally consistent, compelling and testable model of the multinational firm and its strategic processes.