Umuofia In Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart portrays the fall of a traditional Igbo society after colonization by the Europeans. With the arrival of the white men came the arrival of their traditions, which soon overshadowed ancient indigenous culture. Instead of respecting and embracing the Igbo traditions, the white men were intolerant of their customs, and they pressured the natives to adapt to Western Ways. Though this novel only illustrates one author’s portrayal of the outcome of the relationship between the native indigenous people and the white Europeans, I do not think it is reasonable to think things could have turned out differently. Because of Okonkwo’s tendency to overcompensate for his father, the divided nature of he people within their society, and the

After feeling ashamed of his weak father for all of his life, Okonkwo swore he would make something of himself. As a result of his insecurity, he became a fierce warrior and a successful yam farmer, proving himself to be a strong and powerful leader in the Igbo community. Okonkwo overcompensates for his father’s disgraceful tendencies causing division within the community after he offends the Igbo people and the gods of their clan by murdering Ikefemuna. Okonkwo’s insecurities got the best of him as he was advised not to kill Ikefemuna, however, he felt the need to do it to prove that he was not weak like his father. This decision caused some slight division between the clansmen, as most did not approve of Okonkwo’s decision to take an innocent boys life. Even Okonkwo’s son distanced himself from his father and the other clansmen in protest of Okonkwo’s action. Because Okonkwo collapsed under his insecurities, he failed to keep the interests of his clan at heart, and a slight divide was created among the people. Later on, Okonkwo’s gun accidentally went off and killed Ogbuefi, Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son, a major crime against the earth goddess. Okonkwo and his family were then exiled from the village as punishment for his crime, and he had no choice but to leave the fait of Umuofia in the hands of the other clansmen. When he returned after exile, Okonkwo discovered that Umuofia

Okonkwo’s flawed personality sparked a divide within his people when he overcompensated for his weak father’s actions and failed to keep their interests at heart. Once he was exiled, the community underwent a drastic change when the Europeans arrived and the Igbo people lacked Okonkwo’s perspective. Even if Okonkwo was present during those seven years, the fall of Umuofia would have still been unavoidable due to the people’s disproval of Okonkwo’s actions. Because of this, they might not have taken his opinion as seriously as they once had. The colonists’ failure to immerse themselves in the native culture was another big aspect that lead to the downfall of the Igbo community. Because they didn’t understand the native language, they were unable to establish a successful and diverse society that put both cultures on a pedestal instead of just Western culture. If the colonists took initiative to learn the language of the people, the fall of Umuofia might have been avoided, however, this is highly unlikely because most colonists had no interest in understanding the people they were trying to control. Finally, religion played a pivetol role in the downfall of Umuofian culture and society as clan members converted to Christianity, creating a solid divide within the people. This divide made it impossible for the people to successfully rebel against the Europeans, however, even if the divide did not exist,