Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

1112 Words3 Pages

The novel Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe highlights the many important historical events that happened during the period of colonialism, spread of religious fervor to Africa from Europe, and the importance of the native religion among African societies. Achebe shows that religion holds a major influence in many African societies and influences the daily life of the natives. Furthermore, the novel introduces a major event that happen during pre-colonial Africa, the spread of the Christian faith, which forever changed and affected the natives in Africa, more specifically the Igbo society located in Nigeria. Things Fall Apart vividly describes and explains how the Christian faith that arrived in Africa changed both the individuals in the Umoufia and society. To add on, the novel shows how the spread of Christianity ultimately leads to the destruction of the many native African cultures, and shows what redeeming qualities that arise from the destruction of their culture. Achebe describes how the Christian faith acts as a guide to the Igbo society and at the same time acts as the inevitable downfall of the Igbo society. Nwoye was greatly confused about his religion and his society. He was not greatly connected with his tribal religion due to the conflicting ideas between his tribal religion and his view. However, with the arrival of the Christian faith brought by the missionaries Nwoye felt deeply connected with the foreign religion and seeks its guidance. Stated on page 128, “He felt a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul.” From this quote it states that Nwoye suddenly feels captivated by the song that the Christians sing; however, it has a deeper meaning because the song provides Nwoye with the... ... middle of paper ... ... of respect and appreciation for a different culture can take part in the downfall of the Igbo society. The Christian faith shown in Things Fall Apart represents the downfall of many different cultures in Africa due to the takeover by the European. The situation that is shown in the novel can even be related to society today with the event that transpired in North Korea. The new leader, Kim Jong Un, purged the old regime from power and replaced with the new people that he elected. The main protagonist in the Novel, Okonkwo is similar to Jang Song Taek, Kim’s uncle, because both men represent the old ways. In addition, both were forced to by another power that ultimately toppled them and they were the last resistance that stood in the way of their opponent. It shows that without unity and respect for a culture, another force can take over and destroy a society.

Tragedy in Chinua Achebe´s Things Fall Apart
590 Words | 2 Pages
Set in Africa in the 1890s, Chinua Achebe's ‘Things Fall Apart’ is about the tragedy of Okonkwo during the time Christian missionaries arrived and polluted the culture and traditions of many African tribes. Okonkwo is a self-made man who values culture, tradition, and, above all else, masculinity. Okonkwo’s attachment to the Igbo culture and tradition, and his own extreme emphasis on manliness, is the cause of his fall from grace and eventual death.
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Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
966 Words | 2 Pages
In the book, Things Fall Apart, there are a couple of folktales that are extended throughout the book. These folktales contributes to and comments on the central narrative of the story. Animals and folktales were important to the Igbo people. They used animals in fables and stories to demonstrate their beliefs and rituals. With all rituals, animals and symbols play a crucial role in Igbo society. The fable of the Tortoise and the Birds has uncanny similarities with Okonkwo and his rise and fall. The tortoise’s strength and cunningness eventually gets to be too much, which ends up crushing him. And Okonkwo’s inability to adapt to change leads to his demise. Both the tortoise and Okonkwo’s seek to be strong in society and they both want to be known as important. That is why I believe that the fable, The Tortoise and the Birds, is the closest fable to the central narrative of the story.
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Okonkwo Clash With Western Culture Analysis
622 Words | 2 Pages
When the western missionaries first arrived in his Motherland, he was against their religion and presence in the clan, but his son, Nwoye, decided to ap...
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How Is Okonkwo's Positive Change In Things Fall Apart
715 Words | 2 Pages
While in Mbanta during his father’s exile, Nwoye is compelled to convert to Christianity, although his father completely opposes it. Once his father discovers the true intentions of his son, Nwoye does not back down. He instead runs away, finally defying Okonkwo and his strict beliefs. The Christian influence eventually becomes so impactful and manipulative that schools are introduced or “strangers would come from other places to rule them” (169). In response, Nwoye truly showed his motivation for the first time since Ikemefuna’s death and began to attend the Christian schools. Overall, the influence of the Christian missionaries on Nwoye was proven to be positive. After the Westerners came in, Nwoye gained confidence and understanding, even though it opposed what he had previously known. All of his life had been based on his father’s views, but Nwoye was finally able to make his own decisions. Choosing to isolate himself from his father, even telling Obierika that Okonkwo “…is not my father,” (137), Nwoye grew greater as a person. Nwoye gained the courage to oppose his father’s oppressive rule, and eventually attended the new college to become a teacher. After the Westerners arrived, Nwoye truly
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ada
1195 Words | 3 Pages
The Igbo and Christians hold contrasting views about the spiritual world, which cause strain. The Christians believed that there was one God manifested in three individuals. When a Christian missionary and his translator arrive in Mbanta they talk to the Igbo people about the Christian faith because they view the Igbo conceptions of gods as wrong. The narrator states, “He told them that the true God lived on high and that all men when they died went before him for judgment” (Achebe 111). The narrator says that the missionary tells the Igbo people that the authentic God dwells above and that every man who died went in front of him for discernment. Chinua Achebe shows that the Christians refused to see the similarities between Christianity and the Igbo religion because they saw the Africans ...
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Cultural Differences In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
960 Words | 2 Pages
Culture makes us who we are. Each individual has their own culture from their experiences in life and is developed from societal influences. The various cultures around the world influence us in different ways which we experience at least once in our lifetime. There are occasions, especially in history, where cultures clash with one another. For instance, the English colonization in Africa changed their culture. Chinua Achebe, the author of Things Fall Apart, portrayed this change in the Igbo people’s society, especially through the character Okonkwo in the village of Umuofia; the introduction of Western ideas challenged him. In the novel Things Fall Apart, the author Chinua Achebe introduces to us Okonkwo whose character’s response to the
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African Culture In The Poisonwood Bible
1314 Words | 3 Pages
Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, a novel that explores the fraternization of African culture with foreign ones, states that “No other continent has endured such an unspeakably bizarre combination of foreign thievery and foreign goodwill [as Africa].” Similarly, Nigerian-born Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart examines the “foreign thievery” of the well-developed village, Umuofia, by the European Christians as they gradually colonize on the African continent and “steal” Umuofia by replacing its culture with their own. By defamiliarizing Christianity and the Western perspective, Achebe asserts that African culture is not primitive.
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How Is Colonialism In Things Fall Apart
719 Words | 2 Pages
Things Fall Apart is about the tragic fall of Okonkwo our main character and the Igbo culture. Okonkwo is a respected leader within the Igbo community of Umunfia in eastern Nigeria. He first gets respect within the village by defeating Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest. Okonkwo is determined to become a powerful and wealthy man unlike his father who was weak. Within the community, Unoka was considered a failure and a laughingstock he was looked upon as a woman who had no property to call his own. He eventually died a shameful death and left numerous debts. Okonkwo despises and resents his father gentle ways he decides to overcome the shame that he feels for his father’s weakness by becoming what he considers to be “manly”. He dominates his wives and children by being insensitive and controlling. Over the years, Okonkwo becomes an extremely volatile man. For example beating his youngest wife Ojiugo for accidently forgetting to prepare the afternoon meal for his family. Things begin to fall apart soon with the arrival of Christian missionaries who spread their religion and culture throughout the land and. Colonialism is a theme that’s constantly addressed throughout the book and is to blame for the fall of the Igbo culture and Okonkwo.
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Converting the Umuofia People to Christianity in Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe
766 Words | 2 Pages
...taken up his religion also say that our customs bad.” Christianity is destroying and guiding two different societies. It guides the people that don’t believe in Christianity to convert because converts who once had the same beliefs as them are saying that theirs customs are bad. This causes Ibo people to convert to Christianity.Which guides the Christian society into better directions because they are gaining more converts. At the same time this destroys the Igbo religion because they are losing their members to the Christian society.
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Influence Of Imperialism In Things Fall Apart
1262 Words | 3 Pages
The western missionaries also bought a new faith and realigion to the people which started to change many of the villages in Africa all together. Most missionaries came to this country with the idea of just helping the Igbo see what was right. Instead they ended up almost forcing or imposing mainly their religion and education upon the Igbo people. This happened in the book as well when they tried to burn down the shriens of the Igbo people’s gods. The head missionary, Mr. Brown, relized that instead of forcing something he should try a different approach like trying to understand the Igbo and using that to convert them. The missionaries basically used mainpulaiton to convert the Igbo people. Western imperialism were able to attract some of the Africans and convert them over to Christianity was by being able to show that they can bring just not religion but trade and money to their country and villages. They also attracted them by telling them what type of life they would be living if they converted over to Christianity, which was their way of taking over the community. In Things Fall Apart, the British colonist used force in order to give the support of the missionaries which was by any needs neccsary. When Okonkwo and some of the other villagers burned down the church they ended up being arrested and are suddenly under British rule and justice system at this point. The British command disrespect and treat those people that are in prison by shaving their heads and starving them for three whole days. They then forced this poor village to pay money in order for these men to be
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Culture, Change, and Tragedy in African Imperialism
782 Words | 2 Pages
The realistic fiction novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, depicts the life of Okonkwo, a descendant of Igbo heritage, during the imperialistic times in Africa. The story follows through the village of Umuofia, present-day Nigeria, and places significant ties between the historical background in this time period. During the story, the tribe is bombarded by the white man’s religion, and while Okonkwo is away in exile, their culture begin to fall apart. Torn by the woman-like behavior of his clan upon his return, Okonkwo can’t bear the idea of living with such change, and hangs himself. Like Okonkwo, John in Brave New World also takes his own life because of the changed society. Many of the same factors in Brave New World and Things Fall
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Perspective in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
934 Words | 2 Pages
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells the story of how one unified Umuofian community falls due to its own inner conflicts, as well as to the arrival of Christian missionaries. Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart to change the brutish image of Africa, for the Western world. The use of changing perspectives greatly aided Achebe in accurately portraying Africa as colorful, diverse and complex. For Westerners, viewing Africans as more than tribal and barbaric was a new concept, of which Achebe helped usher in. The story is told through the eyes of many Umuofians, which gives the reader a personal sense for the individuals within the tribe. When all the individual pieces of the story are brought together, the sifting perspectives creates a vast overview of the community, while also deepening the readers since for the tribe by allowing personal details to show through. Achebe captures the complexity of the Umuofia community by changing the perspective from which the story is being told frequently.
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The Loss of a Tribe's Livelihood in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
1561 Words | 4 Pages
Igbo spirituality weakened in two waves. First Christianity provided answers that the inhabitants of Umuofia and Mbanta were seeking. At the end of Part One Obierika's thoughts are expressed:
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The Power Of Religion In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
765 Words | 2 Pages
many brutal wars, such as the Crusades, yet also founded many hospitals and charities, proving it difficult to categorize religion as a positive or negative influence. Author Chinua Achebe acknowledges this debate in his novel Things Fall Apart. This novel takes place in Nigeria during the late 19th century and shows the Ibo tribe’s transformation after Christian missionaries arrive. Achebe suggests that Christianity can guide a society by including outcasts but can also destroy a society by breaking family values and establishing schools.
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People Fall Apart in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
1669 Words | 4 Pages
... middle of paper ... ... With Achebe?s words, we?re inclined to appreciate the Igbo culture in spite of it being different from our own. Achebe?s intention is not to justify western dominance over Africa, but to present Africa in such a way that we can respect it for its strengths and despite its weaknesses.
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Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Tragedy in Chinua Achebe´s Things Fall Apart