Culture, Change, and Tragedy in African Imperialism

The realistic fiction novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, depicts the life of Okonkwo, a descendant of Igbo heritage, during the imperialistic times in Africa. The story follows through the village of Umuofia, present-day Nigeria, and places significant ties between the historical background in this time period. During the story, the tribe is bombarded by the white man’s religion, and while Okonkwo is away in exile, their culture begin to fall apart. Torn by the woman-like behavior of his clan upon his return, Okonkwo can’t bear the idea of living with such change, and hangs himself. Like Okonkwo, John in Brave New World also takes his own life because of the changed society. Many of the same factors in Brave New World and Things Fall

Unoka, his father, was a man of many debts and was far too lazy to have ambition to one day pay them back. As soon as Okonkwo was of age, he moved away and created a title for himself. He became a great warrior of Umuofia, and gained a seat with the elders. “Okonkwo’s prosperity was visible in his household. He had a large compound… Each of his three wives had her own hut… and long stacks of yam stood out prosperously in it” (Achebe 14). Okonkwo was a man of great fortune, and he stood very proud of this. After returning from his banishment of several years, Okonkwo believed his people would have been thrilled and had a large feast prepared, but they took little notice, as their tribe had been burdened with the white men. Many converted over to Christianity, and one day a convert killed an egwugwu of Umuofia. An egwugwu was seen as an ancestral spirit represented through a man’s

Due to his mother being abandoned and pregnant in the Savage Reservation, John has the look of someone civilized, but the knowledge of a savage. He assimilates the morals, and values of religion. After his introduction to the new world. John can’t take the ignorance of the people and forces himself in seclusion. A news reporter comes across the weird behavior of John, and draws even more attention to the savage. “Orgy-porgy… It was after midnight when the last of the helicopters took its flight. Stupefied by soma, and exhausted by a long-drawn frenzy of sensuality, the Savage lay sleeping in the heather” (Huxley 258). A crowd of people led their way to John, and after a night of soma and orgies, he couldn’t believe himself. Later, news reporters came across John’s swaying, lifeless