Family Values In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

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In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Achebe attempts to restore the dignity and self-respect of the African people. The novel is primarily set in the pre-colonial Igboland society which is a deeply organised society with a deeply entrenched belief system and social hierarchy. According to Achebe, this novel is a response to the portrayals of Africans in colonial novels as unsophisticated, uncultured and undeveloped. Therefore, this essay will show that Achebe attempts to undo those perceptions and restore the dignity and self-respect of the Africans by showcasing the beliefs, traditions and daily lives of the Igbo people as being meaningful and deeply considered. This can be seen in the episodes where Okoye visits Unoka to discuss …show more content…

Okoye sees himself as being successful because he has many yams which show his wealth and he has three wives that show his family values. (Achebe, 1958: 6) This shows that, like many other cultures the world over, the Igbo value wealth and family values and see their achievement. Moreover, as the subject of finances is a very delicate matter, it is approached with care and respect by Okoye. When Unoka insists he cannot pay Okoye back immediately, he relies on an Igbo proverb to show why he cannot pay him back. (Achebe, 1958: 6) The use of the proverb used by elders indicated how central the teachings of the elders are and how deeply ingrained culture and tradition is on the social interaction of the …show more content…

This can be seen in the second episode – when Uzowulu’s family bring their dispute to the tribunal to be resolved by the egwugwu. The egwugwu are the “…dead fathers of the clan” (Achebe, 1958: 72) or the founding ancestors. This highlights the fact that the Igbo are a society that deeply values their ancestors’ contribution to society. This is indicative of the Igbo being a highly sophisticated society with parallels to the Western justice system of court tribunals. Furthermore, the head egwugwu addresses the applicant by saying, “Uzowulu’s body. I salute you.” (Achebe, 1958: 72) This is significant because this salute impresses the importance of the proceedings by affording them the appropriate dignity and respect that they

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