Foil Characters In Things Fall Apart

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Recommended: Examine how religion is depicted in things fall apart

Each author understands the importance that characters play in the stories themselves. Chinua Achebe uses his many characters to achieve in getting his point across, two of those characters being Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith. Chinua Achebe sets Mr. Brown and Mr. Smith in direct foil of each other for the purpose of showing the two very different ideals of “christianity” the Igbo people encountered. He achieves this end by contrasting their character, their relationship with the clan, and their relationship with the people.
Mr. Brown is the first missionary to arrive in Umuofia and the first introduction the villagers have to christianity. He is the example of a New Testament christian. He preached about salvation and taught his followers not to show excessive zeal. He also taught them to treat their fellow clan members with respect even when they believed differently. Chinua introduces a Mr. Brown who does not seem very untrustworthy to the tribe and though they are cautious, his character shows them eventually to learn to accept him. Mr. Smith however arrives and is perturbed at lack of doctrine in his very old testament ways. His character is full of excess zeal and doesn’t discourage it in others. …show more content…

Brown overcomes the clans suspicions of the clan by helping the village itself. He builds a school and provides education to them, he builds a hospital to take care of the people’s physical needs, and welcomes people to church hoping he can tend to their spiritual needs. Mr. Smith is not very concerned with his relations to the village and is openly showing his disapprovement towards their customs and traditions. He sees their customs as evil misleadings from the devil. Achebe builds this idea of a missionary through Mr. Brown that goes about kingdom work first meeting physical needs so they will want to listen about spiritual needs. Mr. Smith however is portrayed by Chinua Achebe as the direct foil to Mr. Brown seeking no such relationship with the village

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