Things Fall Apart Government Essay

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Umuofia’s New and “Improved” Government: A More Unfair and Brutal System Westerners tend to believe that colonial forms of government and the punishments they dish out are superior and civilized. We also tend to believe that the governments of “primitive” people are cruel, barbaric, and behind the times. However, in Chinua Achebe’s book, Things Fall Apart, the new system of government that is imposed on Okonkwo, the main character’s, village demanded much harsher and more brutal punishments in an unfair manner. This system led to an overall negative effect on the village and its people because of the lack of understanding the lawmakers had about the people and their culture. The brutal punishments are mostly caused by the lack of coherence between the judicatories and the law enforcement in the area. An example of the brutal treatment can be found in chapter 23, where the leaders of the clan were held captive and starved until their fine was paid(Achebe, 192-196). Even though the commissioner had better intentions for …show more content…

He was exposed to a very different culture and had to deal with the ignorance of the people that brought it with them. Second, the changes caused Okonkwo to be enraged and so, “Okonkwo’s machete descended twice and the man’s head lay beside his uniformed body” which caused a great tumult and made Okonkwo even more angry and upset(Achebe 204). Third, this in turn caused Okonkwo to mentally break and commit suicide, which also led to his clan losing face with the commissioner. Finally, the actions all made the colonists think of African people as primitive and barbaric. Mr. Smith even goes on to write a book titled, “The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger,” which shows how he had learned nothing about the people of these tribes in a considerate way. The ultimate cause of the domino effect is the misunderstanding people and their

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