Abstract

My paper is on the effects of religious imperialism in Ireland and Africa, more specifically the stories Cal and Things Fall Apart. In this paper I will cover the background of imperialism in the areas along with some basic background on the two main stories I will be looking at.

I will start by looking at Things Fall Apart, and how the plot revolves around religion and how the story is affected by the sudden appearance of Christianity in their society. Afterwards I will discuss the effects on the main character, Okonkwo, and how his decisions were changed after Christianity took a foothold among his people.

Second I will discuss Cal in the same manner, discussing the plot and how it is affected by the turmoil between Catholicism and Protestantism in Ireland, followed by how Cal's decisions were changed as well by conflict he witnessed.

I will finish up by looking into how the experiences with religious colonialism in the stories are similar, as well as how they are different, bringing up how the stories and characters are altered as the religious conflicts go on for longer periods of time. The main example will be the comparison between how the earliest phase of religious colonialism is experienced in Things Fall Apart, when first contact with the other religion is made, versus the ongoing conflict in Cal's Ireland.

This will all be held together by combining examples in the book with others found in my research, as well as historical background of the two areas covered in the novels.