As you read, think about these ideas:
Africa was known as the "dark" continent. The author wrote the book in response to the racist depictions of Africa that he had read as a child in Nigeria.
White authority figures feared the end of Western Civilization and did not respect the cultural traditions or government of the Ibo people.
Examples of Igbo Cultural Concepts and Traditions:
Bride price
Dry Season
Egwugwu ceremony
Engagement ceremony
Funeral ceremony
Evil Forest Feast of the New Year
Kola-nut ceremony
Palm-wine tapping
Polygamy
Rainy Season
Titles
Week of Peace
Please read the following excerpt and write examples of racism or prejudice in your notebook.
And between whiles I had to look after the savage who was fireman. He was an improved specimen; he could fire up a vertical boiler. He was there below me, and, upon my word, to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat, walking on his hind-legs. A few months of training had done for that really fine chap. He squinted at the steam-gauge and at the water-gauge with an evident effort of intrepidity--and he had filed teeth, too, the poor devil, and the wool of his pate shaved into queer patterns, and three ornamental scars on each of his cheeks. He ought to have been clapping his hands and stamping his feet on the bank, instead of which he was hard at work, a thrall to strange witchcraft, full of improving knowledge. He was useful because he had been instructed; and what he knew was this--that should the water in that transparent thing disappear, the evil spirit inside the boiler would get angry through the greatness of his thirst, and take a terrible vengeance. So he sweated and fired up and watched the glass fearfully (with an impromptu charm, made of rags, tied to his arm, and a piece of polished bone, as big as a watch, stuck flatways through his lower lip), while the wooded banks slipped past us slowly, the short noise was left behind, the interminable miles of silence--and we crept on, towards Kurtz. But the snags were thick, the water was treacherous and shallow, the boiler seemed indeed to have a sulky devil in it, and thus neither that fireman nor I had any time to peer into our creepy thoughts.
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Go to these websites and write your observations of Nigerian culture, traditions, challenges and successes in the comments section of the blog.
http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/index.html
