Analysis of the ending of Things fall apart, by Chinua Achebe

In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe employs imagery, symbolism, and themes to reveal the story of Okonkwo. Throughout the novel he weaves in these things to really tell us the tale.

22. Part I presents Igbo life and culture before the coming of the white man and colonialism. In what way(s) can Things Fall Apart be considered a "response" to depictions of Africans in Western literature--or other images of Africa as portrayed in the Western media, film, books, etc., that you are familiar with? How does Achebe’s novel "correct" such European depictions of Africa and Africans, and offer you an Afrocentric (Africa-centered), rather than a Eurocentric (or Western-centered), perspective?

Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a strong man whose existence is dominated by fear and anger, and the Ibo tribe, a people deeply rooted in cultural belief and tradition. As events unfold, Okonkwo’s carefully constructed world and the Ibo way of life collapses. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected and feared leader of the Ibo tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace dramatizes his inability to evolve beyond his personal beliefs, affecting the entire Ibo tribe beyond measure. The “things” that fall apart in Achebe’s novel are Okonkwo’s life – his ambition, dreams, family unity and material wealth – and the Ibo way of life – their beliefs, culture and values.

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.

Chinua Achebe shows the reader the change of Africa as seen by the main character of the novel, Okonkwo. Okonkwo has the hardship of living in an ever-changing society. It is thru Okonkwo that the reader is able to visualize a society of immense cultural standing, and not as European colonizers would say, a society of savages. The main theme of culture is present in all areas of the novel, which helps to show to the reader all of its underlying themes, themes of tradition and themes of religion. Achebe sees the themes of culture, tradition, and religion in one bright light and European colonizers see those same themes in a totally different, somewhat snobbish dim light. However these themes are viewed, one thing is certain, change is on the horizon.

This passage, found as a conclusion to a chapter in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, takes place after Okonkwo's return to Umuofia. A new English missionary has been set up in the village and has caused a great divide between the villagers. The main purpose of the section is to describe some of these events and changes that have taken place in Umuofia since Okonkwo's return. The passage is structured in three parts, each detailing about a different aspect. The first section focuses on Okonkwo's son Nwoye's conversion to Christianity and subsequent successes. The second part goes into detail about Okonkwo's arrival home to his clan and the change in the village. Finally, the last section includes Okonkwo's inner feelings and opinions

In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart Okonkwo is the tragic hero due to his tragic

In his mind, the English are peaceful, and the Igbo are violent. The Commissioner expresses this in his description of the British justice system as “a peaceful administration”, and in the last paragraph of the book, in which he describes the novel he is going to write. He intends to title it The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger. It is interesting that he equates colonization with pacification. This supports that the District Commissioner’s belief was that British law is justice, and justice is

Achebe’s image of the African people is depicted extensively in his novel. Achebe gives us a look at life in an African village and what it was like during African colonialism. Tribal life in Nigeria is told from an inside perspective through the life story of a man, Okonkwo.

Throughout the course of the book Achebe frequently uses African worlds and phrases to describe and show the different aspect of Igbo culture. The familiarity in, which the narrative focuses on the African language creates a sense of authenticity to the writing. What is unique about the narrative tone found within the book is that not only does the author frequently insert the african language within the diction, but the way he translates or explains the words in plain english so the readers who are unfamiliar with the language can still follow, for example: “ ‘Agbala do-o-o-o! Umuachi! Agbala ekene unuo-o-ol’ It was just as Ekwefi had thought. The

Everyone in the Igbo tribe before the Christians came had depended on his or her own personal chi or God, if you had done something spiritually wrong your chi would call you out on it and in some way settle the score. In some ways Okonkwo had set his destiny in the beginning of the book by showing rash attitudes and the implication to self-destruct at any given time because of his unhappiness with himself. This may be because of how opposite Umuofia seems to be. One of Okonkwos friends says “Who knows what may happen tomorrow” and kind of sets the standard that we see in Umuofia too. There is a lack of central government and decision making which also seems to be why the Christians were allowed to settle in a tribe and win converts for quite a while before the town decided to make any harsh actions towards the

In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Achebe develops the course of the struggle between Tradition vs. Change and whether or not Change is a good thing. Because the abstract of Things Fall Apart shows how Africans had a complex system of justice, government, economy and religions before the Europeans arrived, the novel states that, “Okonkwo was deeply grieved…He mourned for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so unaccountably become soft like women.” (P.183) This shows a great example of tradition when, he mourned for the Warlike men of Umuofia. Throughout the whole novel, Okonkwo symbolizes tradition because, he holds conventional ideas of rank, reputation, and masculinity.

Achebe’s novel ends on a western narration of colonialism that describes Africa as a place that drives civilized men to madness, which is ironically reversed when the white men drive Okonkwo to suicide. After Okonkwo’s entire life story, The Commissioner and the white men have colonized and taken over the country. The Commissioner’s narration at the end is him reflecting on the book he would write, “The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger,” which summarizes Okonkow’s novel length story into “a whole chapter…perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph,” since “there was so much else to include” (146). The Commissioner claims that including how they (Europeans) brought “civilization to different parts of

This deepens/extends the meaning of Achebe’s title and novel because the main center of the Igbo tribe was losing its strength and conflicts were bound to happen because of this.

An interesting character in Achebe’s Novel is Mr. Brown who symbolizes the productivity and prosperity of the colonial works. However Rev. Smith (Mr. Brown’s successor) is jealous, small minded and manipulative. He stands a contrast to Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown listens to the people in the