Things Fall Apart Nwoye Character Analysis

In the novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, Nwoye is Okonkwo’s eldest son who is a feminine in the eyes of his father while being a lackadaisical boy just like Unoka was during his lifetime. As a child, Nwoye was often criticized by his father for not being a manly person. Eventually, Ikemefuna comes to fill the void of a manly person and afterwards, Nwoye decided to emulate Ikemefuna as a way to show to his father that he is not a feminine but instead he is transitioning into a manly person. On the other hand after the murder of Ikemefuna, Nwoye decides to distance himself from his father and seems to lose the respect he once had towards his father. Without Ikemefuna’s influence, Nwoye decides to convert back to his gentle nature which basically leads to Okonkwo to view his son as a disappointment and feminine person. Later on in the novel, Nwoye decides to not forgive his father for his betrayal in killing Ikemefuna which ultimately leads to Nwoye to convert into Christianity as a way to show his father that he did a scandalous thing that would never be forgiven.

Nwoye was obviously the only character who had a strong positive response towards the cultural collision that happened during chapter sixteen of the novel Things Fall Apart. From the beginning, Nwoye seemed

to have an interest in the new religion that was brought in Umuofia which leads him to respond positively about the Westerners. On the other hand, Nwoye seems to have a disinterest towards the Ibo tribe culture which causes negative responses towards the Ibo tribe culture and his relationship with his father Okonkwo. The cultural collision seemed to have a great impact in Nwoye’s life. For the first time, Nwoye’s eagerness has led to him to do something that he loves and shows that he has other better things to do than please his stubborn father Okonkwo. Nwoye begins to realize that he is an independent person who doesn’t need the help of others, guidance, control etc, which leads Nwoye to also realize that the Christian church is a place where he knows that he is safe and it is basically used as a way to escape his father’s commands. After the arrival of the western idea’s, Nwoye’s personality showed through as a way to show the audience that he really enjoys the new religion and he would do anything to have as time as possible inside the Christian church.
In chapter Seventeen of the book Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe describes how Nwoye has been captivated by the new religion called Christianity from the beginning.

“On the following Sunday, Nwoye passed and repassed the little red-earth and thatch building without summoning enough courage to enter” (pg.150). Obierika saw Nwoye with the missionaries and asks Nwoye what he was doing with the missionaries, but Nwoye replied back to Obierika by saying “I am one of them” which basically shows that nwoye see’s the world at a different point of perspective. Actually, all the things that Okonkwo believed were right were wrong in the eyes of Nwoye after opening up to a different point of

perspective.