Fear Of Change In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Change is a word that the world does not like to hear. Whether it is politics, family, or even the climate, change is a factor of life that people fear. The world has tradition and a set pace of culture. One place this tradition and culture is prominent is in the underdeveloped regions of Africa. Chinua Achebe wrote a novel, Things Fall Apart to put on display the culture of a group called the Ibo from Nigeria. These Ibo people are a perfect example of how change does not occur and how tradition prevails in some places. The story is of their everyday life and specifically follows one character named Okonkwo, who is the ultimate example of a fear of change. Events in his life that do change him and his family allow for a dramatic story of a

This causes trouble among the hearts of Okonkwo’s clansmen. Toward the end of Part One, just moments after Ezeudu’s son is killed, Achebe writes, “The confusion that followed was without parallel in the tradition of Umuofia. Violent deaths were frequent, but nothing like this had ever happened,” (Things Fall Apart, page 124). Achebe mentions the confusion of the tribe which emphasizes to the reader that the clan understands what must happen to Okonkwo. They know he must exiled which leads into the confusion being “without parallel in the tradition of Umuofia,” (124). Turmoil such as this had never occurred in Umuofia. But Achebe is also displaying another facet of the Ibo culture when he says that “The confusion that followed was without parallel in the tradition of Umuofia,” (124). Because Umuofia was such a traditional culture as Achebe accents throughout the novel, any event that is out of the ordinary is going to cause a great commotion among the people. Then Chinua Achebe mentions that “Violent deaths were frequent, but nothing like this had ever happened,” (124). By saying this, the author means that the great warrior of the tribe is