Egyptian

The feast of the yams, inter-village wrestling matches, and peace week were all staples of Nigerian culture. A model that flourished with no kings or presidents, no organized police force, and no standing army, the Nigerians set the standard of a self-sufficient community. The clansmen and women lived their lives based on customs and traditions created by their forefathers and dared not to stray from those ideals. However, as we see in Ð'¬Ð'¬Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart the influx of European missionaries into the native land gradually fragmented the Nigerians' cultural reality. This fragmentation leads to a major shift in rituals, traditions, and practices of the Nigerian people. The fragmentation prompted Nigerians to re-evaluate their self-image and reconstruct their reality resulting in stark contrasts to the society before the fragmentation. Some of these contrasts include the dilapidation in the family structure, adapting a foreign religion, and an increased emphasis on commerce. These contrasts were the product of a covert campaign that the Nigerian people initially perceived to be harmless additions to their community, however later realizing the immense effect it had on their culture.

Throughout history there have been examples of many deceptive forces or movements appearing to be beneficial, only to end up being detrimental to one's livelihood. A fine example of a deceptive movement is the great migration of blacks from their indigenous land of Africa to a foreign land where they served as slaves until death. Originally emerging to be a way for individuals to repay debts and stimulate trade, the migration subsequently developed into a brutal system that stripped individuals pride, dignity, and humanity. The new reality required learning a new language, eating new food, and wearing new clothes, which all play a role in redefining the individual. In their search for a new identity, the oppressed developed complexes in which they made comparisons of inferiority based light skin vs. dark skinned people and wooly hair vs. thin hair. Issues that were not important before began to surface as the changed individuals attempt to redefine themselves.

Another good example is the story of Adam and Eve told in the bible. Before swallowing the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve lived a life of pleasure, harmony, and peace. They were shielded from the realities of humanity and this supported a balance between them and nature. Once biting into the apple, which originally was conceived to be a good thing, their reality changed. They wore no clothes and were oblivious to being naked. Immediately after biting the apple they noticed they were naked, and started to develop personal insecurities as they began to question who they were their entire lives. Again, we see the trend of how perception was not the reality and good ended up being evil.

The great migration of slaves and the story of Adam and Eve are both first-rate illustrations that exhibit the idea of fragmentation. In both of these illustrations one can see the gradual collapse of the individual. One of the key characteristics of fragmentation is that change is incremental. The fragmenting of the mind and body is not an instant process and this is what perpetuates the fragmentation. It is the idea that initially one does not realize that their reality has taken on a new form and now represents only a fragment of the original. In the migration, the fragmentation occurs because people were forced to move from their native land leaving their original self thousands of miles away. In Adam and Eve, fragmentation occurs because of the forbidden fruit revealing previously unknown realities of life.

In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, fragmentation occurs as a result of colonization. In this book we see how European Imperialism undermines the basic principles of the Nigerian culture. We also see how colonization redefines what it means to be a Nigerian and the way the Nigerians perceived themselves.

After reading Things Fall Apart and researching books, periodicals, and scholarly journals from all over the world, one can develop a thorough understanding of the complexities and rituals in the pre-colonial Nigerian culture.

The Nigerians demonstrated a strong devotion to family. Most adults were married, and they had several children. Under traditional Nigerian culture, the father of the daughter was responsible for finding a suitor for his daughter. Once the suitor was identified, the two were married in a ritual that primarily