Tradition refers to the transmission of long standing customs or beliefs from generation to generation. Tradition is at the heart of Nigeria’s culture, and everyone in the community, no matter your tribal status, is expected to respect and honor their traditional beliefs. Achebe’s ‘Thing Fall Apart’ and Adichie’s ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ present tradition to be both constructive and destructive towards native Nigeria. They intentionally focus on both sides of tradition, unlike previous novels such as; Joyce Cary’s ‘Mister Johnson’ and Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’; whose accounts on post-colonial Africa inaccurately portray the African culture, people and traditions. By doing this, they’re showing an unbiased view of Nigeria’s traditional beliefs from an African perspective, unlike the biased and often times misinterpreted accounts the world saw in white colonial novels. This ambiguity explored through their characters, themes and structure makes it difficult to say that tradition is definitely beneficial or detrimental: not just towards people, but towards the growth of Nigeria as a whole.
Adichie and Achebe both present tradition as something that ensures the gathering of people. Both authors include the tradition of Kola nut (a very significant tradition in the Ibo society), in their novels. The Kola nut is historically known for bringing about the gathering of people across Africa. It’s at the very core of traditional beliefs, often used regularly and ceremoniously as a symbol of hospitality towards visitors. It’s a very honorable job to break Kola as it introduces the spirit of the gods in gatherings. Odenigbo and Okonkwo both recognize and practice this vital part of their tradition when receiving guests, arguably showing that in both texts, Tradition does hold people together. In ‘Things Fall Apart’, Okoye the village ogene player says: “He who brings Kola brings life” in response to Unoka’s offer of Kola. This tribal philosophy is used to explore civilization through the Igbos. Since Kola represents life, Achebe’s therefore suggesting that whoever isn’t worthy of blessing the Kola, is not living a blessed life according to the gods of the land. This idea is further explored by Achebe when the priest of Ezeani refuses to share Kola with Okonkwo since he beat his wife during the peace week saying: “Take away your Kola nut. I shall not eat in the house of a man who has no respect for our gods and ancestors”. Okonkwo’s honor is being stripped away as he’s compromised his status in the Igbo clan and is no longer worthy of sharing life /kola until he proves himself worthy.
Similarly, in ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ all of Odenigbo’s meetings and discussions are opened with the breaking and sharing of Kola nut. This remains to be a part of tradition that’s not tainted by the arrival of the British. Odenigbo says; “you know the kola nut doesn’t understand English” in order to reaffirm the idea that some traditions are so deeply rooted in the society that they’ll never disappear. The use of the contraction “doesn’t” proceeding the verb “understand” suggests that carrying out tradition isn’t a choice you make but a staple in society, so a traditional man won’t just let British mannerisms alter his traditional ideologies. In this novel, the breaking of Kola nut is the only tradition of the Igbo society that lives on throughout the novel. In Chapter 29, Ugwu “felt a cold hard kola nut and warm thick blood” in the pockets of a dead man. The Juxtaposing ideas of “cold” and “warm” exaggerates the idea of life and death; with blood representing death and kola representing life. Adichie also makes a direct reference to Achebe’s work by saying: “he who brings kola brings life”. This core traditional value therefore shows that tradition is constructive towards Nigerians and that in the midst of the most calamitous situations, there are still very positive traditions carried out that brings hope to the Igbo society.
Alternatively, both authors present tradition as something that drives people apart. Achebe presents this through the structure of the novel’s protagonist, Okonkwo’s life. Some may say, that the climatic demise of Okonkwo in the end of the novel, “one of the greatest men of his time”, the representation of all things traditional definitely presents tradition as a destructive force. The adjective “greatest” emphasizes just how far he fell from grace to grass. His stubbornness and refusal to give up his ridiculous traditional beliefs ultimately leads to his death. He viewed himself as a victim of oppression when the British missionaries arrived in Umofia and was disgusted that his own son Nwoye joined them, which in his mind was the ultimate sign of disrespect. He was even more revolted after learning Umofia wouldn't go to war to protect their pride which to him meant: "worthy men are no more". Achebe uses the adjective “worthy”, putting clear emphasis on the fact that Okonkwo’s conscience validates violence which a modern reader would obviously attest to. In this instance his desire for vengeance to protect his traditional values drove him and his family apart.
Likewise, in Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, ideas in the novel seem to present Tradition as the driving force that destroys people. Odenigbo’s mother says: “too much schooling ruins a woman; everybody knows that” an archaic belief that’s been wired into the brains of women in the Igbo society. The inclusion of “everybody” explores how widespread the tradition of not educating female children was. It’s so widespread that even Richard, the British writer knew about this. Adichie through female education is therefore introducing her feminist ideas into the novel. Mama thinks education makes women; “bigheaded”, “useless” and “loose” all ideas that are seemingly absurd to the modern reader but were vehement beliefs in that 1960s society. Mama’s strong belief in not educating women destroys the relationship between her and her daughter in-law Olanna; and alters the relationship between her and her son, ultimately presenting tradition as destructive towards the development of women in society.
It could be argued that colonialism is the main force driving people apart, whilst tradition holds people together. In both novels’ the Igbo society lived in ignorant bliss until the arrival of the white colonial masters. In Adichie's novel Odenigbo says; “I am Nigerian because the white man created Nigeria and gave me that identity. But I was Igbo before the white man came”. Through statements such as this one, Adichie explores the idea that colonialization drove a wedge between people. Igbo Natives weren’t happy to have an identity forced upon them and the Igbo characters in the novel never actually refer to themselves as ‘Nigerian’; a conscious decision Adichie made to show how deeply the natives hated the change colonialism brought. Ugwu even states that “he disliked her nigerianness” in reference to Miss Adebayo. His attempt at using “nigerianness” to describe someone, shows how great a wedge has been driven between natives that there’s now an “us” and “them” mentality within society. Furthermore, several characters in the novel suggest that the Biafran war, which caused the destruction of 1-3 million people, was orchestrated by the British. Richard said the British used “divide and rule” policies, giving power to the Hausas who they proclaimed to be the “dignified” in comparison to the “surly” Igbos. This was to ensure “unity wouldn’t exist” between the natives, brain washing them and keeping them engaged in a war that’s supposedly due to ‘ancient tribal hatreds’, whilst secretly stripping them of their natural resources. This is further explored through the relationship breakdown between Abdulmalik, a Hausa man and the Mbaezi family, who are Igbos. Once very close friends, the brutality expressed by Abdulmalik the supposedly “dignified” Hausa in butchering the Mbaezi family despite their close bond can only be justified by war “stripping our humanity”. The verb “stripping” suggests colonialism had such a huge influence on natives, that it forced them into destruction and dehumanised them by doing so, exposing all their negative qualities. Therefore, Adichie could be suggesting that colonialism destroyed relationships between friends by using their tribal differences against them; which definitely presents colonialism as the driving force behind the destruction of people.
Similarly, in Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’, colonialism is also presented as negative in the novel’s anticlimactic end, whilst tradition continues to be at the heart of society. Although Obierika, Okonkwo’s friend and clan mate recognizes that suicide is in fact a sin that’s “against our custom” he still lashes out at the British commissioner, blaming him for the death of “one of the greatest men in Umofia”; saying “you drove him to kill himself”. This shows that the Natives deeply believe that tradition is in fact a constructive part of society and colonialism is destroying society. The use of the verb “drove” suggests colonialism forcefully made drastic changes in their society without their consent. Since Okonkwo, the direct representation of tradition is still victimized, even though he’s gone against the land’s traditional beliefs by committing an “abomination”, colonialism is therefore to blame for the annihilation of tradition. The structural positioning of this encounter also presents colonialism as the main thing that caused the destruction of people. Achebe intentionally structures this confrontation at the end of the novel. The confrontation, an anticlimax that’s there to demonstrate the cultural differences between the British and the Igbo expresses how Nigerians are viewed in the eyes of the British. A nation the British “toiled to bring civilisation to”, a land of “primitive tribes”. Achebe uses negative language such as the verb “toiled” and the adjective “primitive” just to emphasise how harshly Africans are viewed by a society that doesn’t try to understand them, yet want to write “reasonable paragraphs” on them. “Reasonable” as though that should be enough for the world to understand them. Through this negative representation of colonial masters, Achebe is suggesting that Colonialism has definitely been destructive towards Nigerians.
However, it’s also possible to argue that Achebe, unlike Adichie, also presents colonialism as Nigeria’s saving grace whilst tradition is presented as a barrier between native societies and the ideal; which is civilisation. In ‘Things Fall apart’, colonialism brought exposure for the Igbo society, which led to clan members abandoning barbaric traditions such as the killing of twins and enemy’s children, for civilisation. The senseless murder of Nwoye’s “brother” Ikemefune, a boy that "could hardly imagine that Okonkwo was not his real father” is described as a "sad story" that is "still told in Umofia unto this day." The fact that it’s a “story”, “still” being told expresses just how destructive tradition is towards people like Okonkwo who’ll do anything in the name of tradition. Nwoye couldn’t understand how a “father” could choose the side of tradition over his son’s life, which starts his questions about the worth of tradition in society. Nwoye says “a vague chill had descended on him” upon encountering both of these pointless customs. The adjective “vague” suggests how unfamiliar these feelings of uncertainty towards traditional beliefs are to Nwoye, whilst the verb “descended” suggests a forced feeling of constant guilt and turmoil. This ultimately led to his conversion to Christianity, the religion of the colonial masters, where he was able to acquire knowledge on how wrong such traditions are, and in doing so, finally have peace of mind.
In both Literary texts, customs and traditions have been presented as destructive and constructive towards the Natives. Some parts of tradition such as; the refusal to educate females, in ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and the destruction of twins in ‘Things Fall Apart’, can be counterproductive to the development of Nigeria. Yet, some traditions such as the use of kola nut in both novels is constructive towards people’s relationships. The fact that it still exists in today’s culture is a testament to how great it is in bringing people together. I believe Achebe’s novel portrays tradition to be more destructive towards large groups of people in society whilst Adichie’s novel presents tradition to be mainly constructive in building relationships between groups of people. I believe tradition was mostly destructive in post-colonial Africa. It severed relationships between friends and families; created tension between tribal groups and led to catastrophic wars.