AFRICAN CONCEPT OF HAPPINESS IN THE LIGHT OF CHINUA ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART: A HERMENEUTICAL APPROACH

Egbo Anthony Chukwuebuka

Abstract


Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, reflects a deeply relational and communal worldview. Happiness in African thought is not merely tied to individual fulfilment or material wealth, as often seen in Western perspectives, but is rooted in harmonious coexistence with others and the environment. For Africans, happiness arises from a balanced relationship with all forces in the hierarchy of beings, a notion which emphasizes interconnection and collective well-being. This contrasts with Western metaphysical views that tend to prioritize individual pleasure or material achievement. African happiness extends beyond this life, focusing on a state of blessedness in both life and the afterlife. Understanding this concept requires grasping the African notion of Being, which is seen as relational, where existence is defined by one’s connection to others. Achebe’s work exemplifies these ideas, showing how happiness is experienced through peaceful co-existence and the absence of egocentric attitudes. This study established the African philosophy of "Being-with," where happiness is an ontological experience derived from natural and collective existence, rather than self-centred pursuits.

 

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African concept of happiness, Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, hermeneutical approach

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejls.v5i2.558

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