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  • Essay / Ayi Kwei Armah's novel, The Healer, addresses questions of tradition, life and values ​​

    Theodore Roosevelt once said: "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is good thing. The worst thing you can do is do nothing. Often, illusions of comfort block the mind and influence an individual's ability to clearly see the moral path that should be taken. In the novel The Healers, Ayi Kwei Armah presents readers with a moral dilemma that will unite or destroy the Asante Empire. Densu, the protagonist throughout the story, is forced to choose between two worlds. One world will potentially exterminate the Asante Empire through greed and power, and the other world will slowly heal the empire with patience and inspiration. Densu faces these two driving forces; Ababio, his evil and manipulative guardian, and his inclination to live simply as a healer. Throughout this novel, Armah emphasizes that traditions, values, and life cannot be conceded or mediated through his continued examples of how greed, fraud, and deception can destroy and divide a community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayArmah brings us an animated tale with a simple yet complex plot about manipulation versus inspiration, imagination versus destruction and unity against disunity. Critical changes occurred during this period due to Britain's colonization of Ghana and regular fighting between the Asante, Fanti and Assen empires. Armah constantly implies throughout the story that the destruction of the 19th-century African community lay in its failure to recognize the invading force of whites for what it was; greed and deception. Densu's guardian, Ababio, is a driving force behind the manipulation and destruction within Asante society. Ababio, who desires material goods rather than the general well-being of his community, seeks to destroy Densu after refusing to follow the manipulative rule of the courts over the Asante empire. Ababio declares: “We will be on the side of the whites. This is where the power lies. We have chosen power because powerlessness disgusts us.” Densu, who is a thoughtful young leader of the Asante Empire, must choose between two simple paths; succumb to his tutor's evil schemes or join a think tank called "The Healers". Preferring the work of ascetic healers rather than the manipulative world of royalty, Densu must defeat Ababio and the royalty in order to unify his community. Armah uses Ababio to portray good versus evil throughout the novel. Densu continually chooses to pursue the path of inspiration and healing as it promotes unity of body, mind and society. Armah demonstrates the power of illumination through Densu to emphasize the influence of inspiration on manipulation. Armah demonstrates throughout the novel the importance of unity and living within a community by giving countless examples of how disunity and death divided the Asante Empire. Although Densu has the opportunity to become the next king-elect, he compassionately chooses to continue his life as a healer. Densu understands the importance of life when he lovingly chose not to kill the tied bird during the finale of the festival season games. By choosing not to kill the bird, Densu showed how these games are a representation of the division and disunity within his community due to the emphasis on individual competition. Due to Densu's actions, Armah shows that unity cannot becarried out using force and manipulation. Instead, Armah expresses society's need for a thoughtful community called the Healers. The Healers' great goal is to unify not only their community, but black people as a whole. Armah constantly speaks to the African community and emphasizes that good things take time. Armah constantly calls on the African community to take action and voice their concerns when greed and divisions arise. Armah brings to the public the think tank called the Healers to inspire people of African descent to stand up for what is truly important to themselves and within their society: unity and patience. Densu's mentor, Damfo, is the leader of the think tank who call themselves the Healers. Damfo is a positive driving force for Densu and because of this, Densu is able to discern which path is morally right. Damfo explains to Densu that it is possible to view the world and one's experiences through understanding rather than through greed and deception. Damfo helps people see, hear and know themselves so that the individual can truly understand and act. Armah continually reminds his audience of the importance of tradition, values ​​and life by giving his audience a character like Damfo, who strives for unity and integrity within his community. Damfo and his community of healers are against the colonization of Britain because many of the traditions and values ​​that the Asante Empire believes to be true are constantly being compromised and invaded by new religious beliefs and ideologies. As a result of these new religious beliefs and ideologies, Armah believes that the African community is becoming divided and fragmented. Armah argues that the African community is fragmented and segregated because disunity between healers and royalty prevailed due to British colonization. Armah demonstrates his beliefs by giving examples showing that the British were the sole reason for the initial division of Africa. Armah continually demonstrates that the overall restoration of unity, patience and health in Africa will test the limits of time if people continue to allow greed, self-interest and ideologies and corrupt people to govern Africa who continually promote separation and division. Slavery, an idea often associated with causing and initiating a segregated world, encouraged a lack of respect for human life. Due to the impact of slavery on the Asante Empire, it had a negative influence on the Asante population by encouraging an environment that glorified death and violence. Ababio, who encouraged whites to invade and enslave their tribesmen, says: “If you didn't know it before, know it now. Every royal family is also a family of slaves. The two go hand in hand. You don't get kings without slaves. You don't get slaves without kings. Armah consistently demonstrates how the lack of respect for human life is directly linked to the division of Africa. Because of this division, Armah calls for a society without kings or slaves. Through healers, he hopes to inspire and unify Africa again through a society based on respect between African people. Armah emphasizes the severity of life by using Asamoa Nkwanta, who is part of the royal family, as a special challenge for Damfo. Due to fragmentation and disunity within his community, Damfo, who views members of the royal family as corrupt exploiters, is skeptical of his decision to cure Asamoa Nkwanta because of his association with the royal family. Damfo's ability to help Asamoa.