Things Fall Apart

how does the story of the tortoise and the birds relate to colonialism

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The story of the Tortoise and the birds is one of Igbo folklore. The folk tale prepares the way for the colonialism that descends upon Umuofia. In the story, the Tortoise (the villagers) convinces the birds to join them. The story gives two different scenarios for defeating the Tortoise. One scenario is that the birds take back all of the feathers they've lent the Tortoise; the birds (colonists) must band together, but their unity as opposed to the disintegration of the village allows them to overpower the village. Thus, we have colonialism at its finest. And yes, I was being sarcastic! :-D