Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, tells the story of Okonkwo. As a fearful and stubborn protagonist, the novel retains a clear focus upon his thoughts and actions. Through the skewed perspective of a character-focused narrative, Achebe presents the complexities and subtleties of life in the Ibo community. Although the rigid frame of Okonkwo’s fears and beliefs restrict most of the narrative to his myopic account of Ibo life, the views of those in contrast to his can be seen on the outskirts of the text. These alternatives to the central narrative, at first, appear distant and periphery possibilities of reality, but through the associations between repeated terms and the recurrence of themes the novel foreshadows importance and influence of this alternative perspective. Perspectives, which will, eventually, overwhelm Okonkwo. The most prominent examples of these splits in understanding often concern the treatment and actions of characters who, at the beginning of the narrative, hold no voice or power in the eyes of Okonkwo or the clan. Yet, as the influence of these characters becomes increasingly more visible within the life and future of the clan, the revelation of such importance destroys Okonkwo’s reality. The understanding of gender roles, by Okonkwo as well as the clan as a whole, presents the first, and most recurring, conflict between perspectives. Okonkwo, keeping with the tradition of a patriarchal society, views women as inferior. Often wishing that his daughter, Ezinma, “should have been a boy” (64). This wish reflects a practice, consistent by both Okonkwo and his clan, of devaluing women’s experiences and importance to the society. However, the level of this devaluation becomes unclear through the dialogue an... ... middle of paper ... ... hold of Nwoye, who walked away and never returned” (152) provides the evidence for Okonkwo’s inability to alter his perception. Specifically, the phrase “he left hold” implies that the decision was made by Okonkwo. Okonkwo could not allow his son to remain his son while demonstrating traits which he believed to be opposed to what he thought a son should retain. This quote clearly demonstrates another occurrence of difference between Okonkwo’s and the clan’s view. While the clan has made compromises with the church Okonkwo rejects the idea entirely, to the point where he exiles his own son. By once again appealing to the gendered definition of weakness, “If any one of you prefers to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye” (172). This ultimate rejection of his own family provides that last piece of evidence of his damnation, a fate that at one point was laid out for him.
"He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger."
A similar value for both cultures is instituting guidelines for young boys to look up to in becoming a man; however, the means by which it is done greatly differ from each other. In the Igbo society, specific traits set boys apart from men and establish manliness. Nwoye’s actions in chapter seven of the novel illustrated this best. He began displaying the qualities of a man in his expressions, actions, and remarks. Nwoye “would feign annoyance and grumble aloud about women and their troubles” (Achebe, 1959, p. 32). Okonkwo was pleased to see this development in his son. He yearned for him to grow into a tough and prosperous man. Nwoye’s grumbling about women offered a glimmer of hope to Okonkwo. It showed that he would be able to control his own women someday, something Okonkwo believed to be very important. He stated, “No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (especially his women) he was not really a man” (Achebe, 1959, p.32). Okonkwo wanted all of his sons to become men. He “encouraged [them] to sit with him in his
'"But the times have changed, and we [the clan] must be fully prepared." ' (Achebe 259). The novel takes place in a civilized, African community known as Umuofia, a village in South Africa. It emphasizes the conflict between the village people and the arrival of the missionaries. Before they arrive, the culture of Umuofia is based on the strength and power of the title-holding clansmen, such as the main character Okonkwo. When the missionaries arrive, the values of Umuofia are changed and power is stripped from the elders of the clan and obtained by the Christians. In Chinua Achebe 's novel Things Fall Apart, the author discusses the arrival of the missionaries ultimately producing a negative effect on the villagers, in order to teach the reader that a great and immediate change can cause chaos to society, destroy traditions, and put strain on relationships, ultimately resulting in failure.
Due to this fear, Okonkwo is unwilling to conform to the changes of Umuofia once the missionaries arrive. Okonkwo is incapable of self-acceptance. He bases his success and failure on his father’s and successively puts those same pressures on his children, leading Nwoye to hate his own father. Okonkwo cannot cope with the evolution of the tribe and village when the white men arrive which eventually makes his world “fall apart.” He feels he has no place in the “new” village and the old traditions are as unnecessary as he is. Since Okonkwo measures himself and others by standards that are no longer valid, he feels unimportant, which led him to commit suicide. Okonkwo fulfills his gender expectations in the society effectively by repeatedly demonstrating his assertive nature and proving his masculinity, which shows beyond doubt that he possesses the perfect and ideal nature of the standard Ibo man. Nevertheless, as the society changes, as well as its expectations, Okonkwo fails to do so, leading to his eventual
Crime is another main theme in the novel. In the Igbo tribe, crime is an offense towards the gods of the land which can also bring bad luck to the land. When a member of the clan commits a crime, the member can be exiled, or can serve some form of punishment or make sacrifices to avoid bad luck. In chapter thirteen, Okonkwo accidentally kills Ezeudu’s child during Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s funeral. This crime gets him exile from his clan for seven years. After his return to Umoufia, Okonkwo kills a white man and commits suicide because he lost faith in his clan to fight back and take back their land from the missionaries. Okonkwo breaks the greatest abomination of their tribe, which is to kill oneself. His body is deemed evil and bad for the land. Since Okonkwo commits a crime of killing himself, his clan decides not to bury him.
Chinua Achebe’s seminal novel, Things Fall Apart, portrays the difficult struggle of a native African society to preserve its beliefs and values when faced with a powerful and dangerous outside influence. The struggle is most poignantly captured in the story of Okonkwo, a warrior who cannot reconcile his most treasured principles with the changes occurring in his society. It is through the lens of Okonkwo’s passions that we come to know the subtleties of his tribal village, Umuofia, and their complex religious and cultural practices. One of the most complicated concepts in this close-knit community is the concept of womanhood – its weakness, its strength, and its sanctity. For both Okonkwo and the Umuofia society, the idea of the feminine is contradictory and difficult to sustain; it is at the same time a source of comfort and fear, pride and shame.
The classic African literary tale Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, is a brilliant account of historical African culture and the destruction colonialism can cause upon such cultures. As the reader follows the narrative and complexity of the characters through the novel, a sense of pride, trust, and faith in history emerges. Yet, with the introduction of colonialism the characters must learn to embrace and adapt to a new culture and set of beliefs or face termination from society. The novel explores the troubles of African cultures and their adaptation to colonialism. As the novel progresses, one can also observe the influence of religion throughout history and how it has changed the face of many societies. Although many readers would describe the collision of culture and colonialism in Africa as inevitable; a closer examination of this novel would suggest that the need(s) of human nature to expand their values and beliefs upon others causes ancient cultures to evolve or fade out of existence.
Okonkwo’s participation in the slaying of his adopted son, Ikemefuna is a pivotal moment in Things Fall Apart. It is a moment of horror that cannot please Ani, the great earth goddess, the center of community, the ultimate judge of morality for the clan. It is a moment that changes the course of events, a moment eerily paralleled in the death of Ezeudu’s son. It is a moment that ultimately causes Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye’s to abandon his ancestors and become a Christian. It is a moment when the center of community life, the need to honor blood ties and the need to respect the earth goddess, can no longer hold. It is a moment when things fall apart.
In the novel Things Fall Apart the Igbo society is dominated by gender roles. For example, a Husband can beat his wives for bringing food to them late. Women are discriminated against by society. The main character in Things Fall Apart, is Okonkwo who, has trouble balancing the feminine and masculine side in his life. Okonkwo is a rich, well known, and respected warrior of the Umuofia clan, a lower Nigerian tribe that is a big part of nine connected villages. He believes that only masculinity can hold the tribe together. Okonkwo then rejects everything that reminds him of being coward-like or feminine. Okonkwo's dislike to everything feminine came from his father which is why he has a very bad relationship with Unoka(his father). Throughout the whole novel, Okonkwo refers to his father, Unoka, as "agbala.” Agbala means woman in the language of the Igbo society. Okonkwo disliked Unoka because he was extremely artistic musically gifted, coward-like, and he was in debt to a lot of people in the town. Okonkwo believed that these were all characteristics that show the feminine side in a person. The hate for his father's weaknesses which is what led him to be cruel and abusive to the females he loves.
"The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart."
In the book “Things Fall Apart”, evidence of a social structure was apparent within the Igbo community. This rigid social structure served as a purpose to balance the life of the people within the society, as well as promoting the downfall of the clan. The social structure was important in keeping a centralized society and preventing any sign of corruption within their clan. The social structure had advantages in keeping a balanced and equal society, supporting a division of labor, providing a surplus of food, individual huts, a communal society, and the development of some kind of government. In contrast, this social structure led others to reject to cooperate with the new religion and aided the lack of unity among the people. It also promoted a more patriarchal society, the inferior rank of women, and the lack of strong bonds between family members.
They must be seen strong and completely opposite of his father, Unoka. Ezinma is the only daughter of Ekwefi and “Okonkwo was [e]specially fond of [her]” (Achebe 44). Okonkwo admires Ezinma because she completely understands him and he likes whatever she does. The choice made by Achebe to make Okonkwo’s favorite child a girl reveals that Okonkwo’s life was destined to fall apart. Thus by analyzing the relationship between Okonkwo and Ezinma the reader can further understand the downfall of Okonkwo and the text as a whole. On the other end of the spectrum, there is Nwoye. At the end of the book, he abandons his father and changes his religion to follow Mr. Brown and the Christians. When Okonkwo thinks of his other children following him “[he] felt a cold shudder run down though him at the terrible prospect, like the prospect of annihilation” (Achebe 153). Nwoye is following a similar track to Unoka who Okonkwo is trying to place as far as possible away from him. This foil of close male relatives created by Achebe implies the inevitability of the collapse of Okonkwo’s life. Therefore, by analyzing Okonkwo’s relationship with his children the reader can further understand the text as a whole because the reader can see what Okonkwo’s family life is like and how that influences his
The character of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was driven by fear, a fear of change and losing his self-worth. He needed the village of Umuofia, his home, to remain untouched by time and progress because its system and structure were the measures by which he assigned worth and meaning in his own life. Okonkwo required this external order because of his childhood and a strained relationship with his father, which was also the root of his fears and subsequent drive for success. When the structure of Umuofia changed, as happens in society, Okonkwo was unable to adapt his methods of self-evaluation and ways of functioning in the world; the life he was determined to live could not survive a new environment and collapsed around him.
Things Fall Apart was published in 1958. Its fundamental theme, in Achebe's words, is "that African people did not hear of culture for the first time from Europeans." It is a celebration of the depth, value, and beauty of tribal society. Also of the "dignity that African people all but lost during the colonial period. This novel has been translated into over forty languages and has sold well over three million copies.
Starting off very early, Okonkwo’s idea of what it is to be a man and his self-worth strongly connected. Unlike his lazy father Unoka, Okonkwo was a heroic and stoic wrestler, funder and defender of his household, possessor of lands, and the companion to more than one woman, going as far as taking another man’s wife. Though he sometimes showed affection for his loved ones, he did not show mild emotion after a machismo slashing of his adopted son’s Ikemefuna’s head. If it was not a display of great violence like beating women and children, or fighting against other cultures, then it was too feminine for Okonkwo to classify with. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper… (Chapter 2, pg. 12) Through his examples of what a man should do, have, and be like he considered his biological son, Nwoye as having the weakness of a