Analysis Of Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

Post colonialism deals with cultural identity in colonized societies and the ways in which writers articulate that identity. Things Fall Apart is a good novel that serves as a reminder of what Nigeria once was. It shows how a society can deal with change, how change affects the individuals of that society, and how delicate a change can be; so much so that the people themselves are surprised at the change.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a story about personal beliefs and customs, and also a story about conflict. There is struggle between family, culture, and the religion of the Ibo, which is all brought on by a difference in personal beliefs and customs of the Igbo and the British. There are also strong opinions of the main character, Okonkwo. We are then introduced to the views of his village, Umuofia. We see how things fall apart when these beliefs and customs are confronted by those of the white missionaries.

The excerpt taken from Chinua Achebe’s Things fall apart comes from the end of the book, where the commissioner finds Okonkwo’s body dangling from a tree. This passage serves as closure for the novel, as the traditions of the past die along with Okonkwo. Achebe uses this specific scene in the novel to express both his views on the inevitable death of Igbo culture in the lower Niger (specifically Umuofia), as well as his perception of the portrayal of its people in western literature. In addition, Achebe continues to use this scene to drive the idea of cultural difference between both the inhabitants of Umuofia, and the missionaries that inhabited the land.

Chinua Achebe wrote the book Things Fall Apart in the year 1958, a time when Africa was undergoing drastic changes, and experiencing new things. Achebe wrote his first book, Things Fall Apart in a way that reflected what he had experienced and what he believed in. This is evident in the many parts of the book, Including Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity, Igbo storytelling and folklore, and with the tribal leaders of Umofia and their thoughts on the missionaries.

Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian novelist who wrote "Things Fall Apart". In this novel, he explores Nigerian's belief in their cultural identity, traditions, customs, death, life and also superstitions. Furthermore, Achebe uses different characters to elucidate how Nigerian's responded when their beliefs were disrupted by British foreigners. The protagonist, Okonkwo, provides clear evidence when he encounters conflict both internally and externally with nature and with society. Okonkwo outwardly is a fearless, outspoken man however, he deals with a lot of internal fears.

Umuofia is a village in Africa, and the inhabitants there are usually united. However, when the Christians arrive and permeate the village, the clan changes but also falls apart. The novel in which this story takes place is called Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The story is about a well-respected man named Okonkwo who has three wives and many children, the oldest being Nwoye. Okonkwo is banished for seven years from Umuofia, and during those seven years, Umuofia is changed fundamentally by the Christian faith. Many people are converted, but the whole clan is in conflict. This novel demonstrates that Christianity destroys but also guides the Ibo culture in Umuofia.

In the novel ‘Thing Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe Okonkwo is a protagonist. Critics also refer to him as a tragic hero. A tragic hero can be defined as a person who holds a position of power and he chooses his own way of doing things, has a tragic flaw and knows the reasons as to why they go through what they are going through. Okonkwo as depicted in this novel made a lot of decisions, very full aware of the consequences of his actions. Okonkwo was a well-respected man of the Umuofia clan (Bloom 4). He is afraid that he will end up becoming like lazy father Unoka and therefore ends up making a lot of decisions that later lead to his tragic suicide.

At first, they were not taken seriously by the Igbo tribes but as time grew, the oppressed of the tribes quickly turned to the seemingly warm beliefs of Christianity. “He [osu] was in fact an outcast…wherever he went he carried with him the mark of his forbidden caste-long, tangled, and dirty hair…How could such a man be a follower of Christ”(Achebe- 156)? An osu was a person considered a pariah who had to wear long tangled hair as a mark of their lowly rank and ostracized from their communities. With Christianity’s “All men are created equal” religious motto, many of the Igbo people found comfort as compared to their traditional customs that had strict social stratifications, such as Okonkwo’s first born son Nwoye who believed Christianity was the answer to the moral questions his African god could not answer. Rather than portraying African customs as “good” and Christian influences as “bad”, Achebe builds unbiased credibility by not stereotyping the European perspective in terms of colonization. Achebe does not “sugar-coat” the seemingly inhuman values of the Igbo to be superior to Christian beliefs-he mentions the baseless

Achebe introduces the reader to the intricate culture of the Igbo people from the earliest chapters in the book. He describes rituals, laws, and religion of these people with great attention to detail allowing the reader to further understand and identify with the Igbo people on a personal level. An example of this is the tradition of kola nut and how it is shared when welcoming someone into a home. Achebe writes,

Change impacts everyday life, to the big picture in people's lives. People have dealt with change for ages. It is a challenge that people must face at some time in our lives. In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, he shows the effects of change on a civilization of people and their ways of dealing with it. It shows the story of the Igbo people and their story of change from colonization. From the arrival of Christian missionaries, things began to change for these people, they had to learn to deal with a new culture, turbulent results followed. Achebe portrays a positive change through constructive institutions and a peaceful religion, however with negative tradeoffs such as racist hierarchical problems.

“As human beings we do change, grow, adapt, perhaps even learn and become wiser” (Wendy Carlos). Although true, this statement isn’t ubiquitous. Some cannot change and unfortunately there are repercussions. In “Things Fall Apart,” by Chinua Achebe, this is the case. The story discusses the lgbo community of Umuofia in Nigeria. The story concentrates on a respected member, Okonkwo, as he deals with making a name for himself in his community and ultimately dealing with the perceived threat of white men looking to spread their religion. The focus is on Okonkwo’s internal struggle with how he perceives the environment around him and whether he can change as a result. Through close examination of Okonkwo, particularly his internal fears, actions, and mindset, one can see that he has not made any progress in coming to terms with himself and his surroundings until it is too late.

Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria into a Christian household. He decided to write this book to expand the single story of Nigerians. This book was published a little prior to the Nigerian Independence which took place in 1958. Using setting, extensive details and devastating secondary characters’ influences Chinua Achebe’s book “Things Fall Apart” expresses to us that the colonization of Nigeria by European colonists was not a pretty thing that led to lots of heartbreak and the ruining of their culture.

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre. The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,”. Things Fall Apart, a story written by Chinua Achebe, depicts the African experience of European colonization in lower Niger during the 19th century through the eyes of Okonkwo, a leader of the Igbo community. Achebe centers the story around the compliance of fate and change and the role of free will in determining one's future.

The novel, Things Fall Apart, is written by the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe and published by William Heinemann in 1958. The author, Chinua Achebe, is a Nigerian writer born on November 16th, 1930 in Igbo village in Ogidi, opened to a mix of traditionalism as well as Christian influence. He was accepted into the most reputable Government College in Umuahia in 1944, later on he married Christie Okoli in 1961 and had four children. Achebe was presented the Man Booker International Prize in 2007 for his literary profession and was called the ‘father of modern African literature,’ he then died after a brief illness in 2013. One of the main themes of the novel are respect and reputation which is based on men acquiring reputation through daring battles, ability at wrestling, and rigid work. Fear is another theme where many of the

“Tragedy arouses not only pity but also fear…” Things Fall Apart doesn’t tell you what “has” happened it shows you what is going to happen. In Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe is dramatizing what may happen and what was happening. The District commissioner suggested a book title at the end of the book. I think the book title’s main purpose was to suggest what may happen.”…The Pacification of the Lower Niger Tribes.”