Compare And Contrast East Of Eden And Things Fall Apart

As Nwoye has been gone, only one could imagine how he is a changed man after he left. In chapter 21 on page 182, he eventually returns again and was sent to Okonkwo by the missionaries. “He had just sent Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, who was now called Isaac, to the new training college for teachers in Umuru,” it is

Nwoye was very open and accosted to the coetaneous Western culture. From the beginning, Nwoye was infatuated with the beliefs and concepts of the ‘white men’. However, he still was slightly doubting himself if he should fully engage in the admittance of Christianity. “...Nwoye passed and repassed the little red-earth and thatch building without summoning enough courage to enter.” (112) In the second part of the novel, Nwoye finally sees that he can be his own individual. He discovers that he does not have to live in the world where he was dissatisfied with who he was, and not falter with the idea of being a failure from his father. “He lelt a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul.” (110) Nwoye felt the hymn in his soul, which gave him courage to finally have his own eccentricity. During part two of Things Fall Apart, Nwoye finally admits that he is now fully in conjunction with the Western religion and accepts it. When Nwoye subsequently decided to entirely dedicate himself to the ‘white men’s’ religion, it did not come without a price. Okonkwo repudiated his son. He no longer considered Nwoye as his son. “...Nwoye was not worth fighting for. Why, he cried in his heart, should he, Okonkwo, of all people, be cursed with such a son?” (114) Okonkwo was cynical of Nwoye from the inception of the novel, but since Nwoye catenated with the Western religion, it triggered Okonkwo’s lost in all

Okonkwo used brutality and force throughout Nwoye’s childhood, causing him to drift away from his family. As a small child Nwoye was the constant object of Okonkwo’s criticism. When Ikemefuna, Nwoye’s adopted brother, moved into his home, Ikemefuna filled the role of the father, the brother, and the best friend. They were inseparable from the beginning and their relationship grew stronger as time passed. When Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna it destroys Nwoye. “...Nwoye knew that Ikemefuna had been killed, and something seemed to give way inside him, like the snapping of a tightened bow. He did not cry. He just hung limp.” (44). Nwoye found comfort in the arms of the Christian religion. He saw the Christian religion as a more forgiving and loving community, compared to Igbo

Nwoye had heard twins were put in earthenware pots and thrown away in the forest, but he had never yet come across them. A vague chill had descended on him and his head had seemed to swell, like the solitary walker who passes an evil spirit on the way. Then something had given inside of him. (61)” His feeling of something giving inside of him shows he questions the ways of the tribe and feels helpless in changing the ways. Again Nwoye feels like this when Okonkwo comes back from killing Ikemefuna “[knowing] Ikemefuna had been killed and something seemed to give way inside of him, like the snapping of a tightened bow (61).” Actions such as these left Nwoye to be “attracted to the new faith (149)” of Christianity when it came to Mbanta. When it is first discovered that Nwoye has been near the church Okonkwo was “suddenly overcome with fury, sprang to his feet [and gripped] him by the neck.(151)” upon Nwoye’s return to their compound after a day of worship. The beating following Okonkwo’s initial attack was the last straw for Nwoye who “walked away and never returned. (152)” Nwoye leaving his family was the best thing he could have done for himself as Okonkwo soon realised after he had left that, “Nwoye was not worth fighting for.

Once nwoye abandoned his previous life, okonkwo who was once the feared and well respected warrior of Umuofia who expressed no emotion other than anger was gradually deteriorating,” Why, he cried in his heart, should he, Okonkwo, of all people, be cursed with such a son? He saw clearly in it the finger of his personal god or chi.”( page 153, paragraph 7) As shown by the quote Okonkwo had finally reached his breaking point, Nwoye managed to destroy Okonkwo's will. This affects the story as okonkwo's feelings are spontaneous at this point and now one but himself knows what he feels and what he is thinking of. Okonkwo's hatred toward the missionaries and their religion all because of Nwoye finally abandoning him,” A sudden fury rose within him and he felt a strong desire to take up his machete, go to the church and wipe out the entire vile and miscreant gang.”(page 152, paragraph 7) This event was a turning point for the novel as the following events that continued was the result of a mixture of Nwoye's abandonment and the hatred okonkwo already had within him. Nwoye may have indirectly influenced Okonkwo to behead the district commissioner and hang himself as Nwoye made him to be contrary of what he once was. The conversion and departure of nwoye had more effect to the story as Okonkwo finally reached his breaking point making him emotionally and mentally unstable. The events that proceed were a prime example of how Nwoye's reaction to the missionaries influenced the characters to take an unexpected

He is exiled to his mothers homeland, Mbanta, for seven years. He gains knowledge about white missionaries coming to spread Christianity. To Okonkwo this symbolizes a possible end to his tribe. More and more Igbo people convert to Christianity and the religion gains recognition. Okonkwo returns back to the Igbo to find out that his son converted to Christianity. Outraged he disowns his son. The Igbo try to diplomatically solve the intrusion of the white Christians but are stopped and the Igbo leaders are jailed until the villagers pay a ransom. The Igbo 's hold a war meeting, in which the reader finds Okonkwo supporting aggressive action. A white missionary arrives to try to break up the council but is killed by a furious Okonkwo. He continues to spiral downward as his tribe will not support his violent antics. Ashamed of himself and his tribe, Okonkwo 's hubris got the better of him and he then soon later hung himself.

Even his son Nwoye as the book stats “Nwoye among the Christians”(page 151) they were turning all the low-class clan's, and before they knew it some did start to rebel an ask question ultimately, he took charge and ended up killing one of the missionaries. He notices he was the only one standing up for the clan, so he saw no purpose, so he ended his life. He is a tragic hero since even his blood had converted and he was willing to take his experience of sorrow to help the clan notice what was wrong. He was born in a life that was filled with hatred and debt which he overcame. After he was kicked out of his clan for stepping out of line which he accepted. Once he came, he was the only willing to fight back for his beliefs and was not willing to live under other condition that was not his religion which he had work very hard for. This way he is considered hero but this is still a tragedy because he was the only one willing to fight and life was falling apart since the beginning and again falling apart toward the end. The book things fall apart is the tragedy and its purpose to show tragic life a couple men or women that lived in Nigeria that had to live through. A specific about Okonkwo and how his life is the tragedy, but he chooses to be a tragic hero and stands up for he believes

In the novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the Igbo society is faced with many cultural changes. Okonkwo, the main character, is a person of strong, prideful nature. He has dedicated himself to being a powerful leader in his village and to never be a coward like his father. Along the way, Okonkwo is faced with challenges in proving his masculinity, and is given consequences for his actions. As the missionaries become more influential within Igbo society, the people change their view on their own belief system.

become. Okonkwo is very hidebound about the British missionaries coming to the tribe, while everyone else is oblivious to the impact they make. The missionaries are what cause the demise of Okonkwo’s family and the Igbo “family” tribe. The missionaries cause a schism within the tribe, by converting the indigenous people to Christianity, which leads to dwindle relationships. This illustrates that “colonialism in Africa disrupted many things” which is germane to Okonkwo’s family and the tribe (Achebe Article). Okonkwo and Nwoye, despite their shared blood, there is no affection or mutual respect in their relationship anymore, and thus they are noisome of one another and no longer consider each other to be family. Together, these scenes exemplify how important it is to have mutual respect for each other in an Igbo family. In the first scene, Ikemefuna feels as if he is actually apart of Okonkwo’s family through the bond and respect he shares with Okonkwo; in the second scene, Nwoye and Okonkwo have miniscule to no respect for each other which is just enough for them to not even acknowledge one another as family. Ultimately, Achebe suggests that mutual relationships are needed in an ideal family. A dearth of respect transpires into its downfall. When one’s father and son share no respect, they invariably will breakdown.

Things Fall Apart is much-admired as the finest novel written concerning life in Nigeria at the end of the nineteenth century. The novel tells overlapping and intertwining stories, both of which center on Okonkwo, a "strong man" of an Igbo village in Nigeria. The story traces Okonkwo’s fall from grace with the tribal world in which he lives and provides readers with a powerful tale about the immemorial conflict between the individual societies. It also concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo’s world through the arrival of European missionaries who are generally perceived as aggressive and proselytizing.

The relationship between the missionaries and the Africans begins as one of amusement on the part of the tribe.The missionaries claim the Africans worship false gods, and the Africans laugh off these notions. Most of the tribe brushes off the Missionaries as mad, and continue on with their lives. But, their words strike a chord in some of the younger tribe members, including Okonkwo 's son, Nwoye. In particular, the

During the time of exile, white missionaries appeared on their bicycles. The Oracle warns the clan about death and destruction in the future. They ask for land to build a church and they are given the Evil Forest, with hope the cursed land will lead to their demise; instead, their church flourishes and gains more and more converts each day. When Okonkwo finds out about Nwoye’s conversion, he beats him so severely. Upset by his father’s action Nwoye runs away and never comes back; he joins the missionaries as a teacher. He sees himself and his fathers’ crowding around their ancestral shrine waiting in vain for worship and sacrifice and finding nothing but ashes of bygone days, and his children the while praying to the white man 's god. After seven years he returns to his village, hoping to regain his position of importance, but much has changed with the invasion. Resistance to the white men was agreed upon because of fear of killing their own clansman. While the meeting was taking place, a group of messengers from the white men arrive and orders them to stop: “In a flash Okonkwo drew his machete. The messenger crouched to avoid the blow. It was useless. Okonkwo’s machete descended twice and the man’s head lay beside his uniformed body” (204). From this action, Okonkwo knows that his clan will not go to war. He has lost his respect and authority he once had from his family and his Umuofia clan. He then commits

An unwelcoming household makes you seek for a home in many different places where you can feel comfortable and like you belong there. Nwoye never felt like he was loved or cared for under the roof of Okonkwo and lead to the decisions he made later on. He grew tired of all the beating and punishments caused on him, and it made him build up all this hate, anger but boldness inside. All the fear came from being in that household, Nwoye wasn’t strong enough to leave until this new faith came in Umuofia and Nwoye knew it would be a way out. When the westerners introduced their ideas, Nwoye was intrigued by all the rules, grown tired of Okonkwo’s ways and took matters into his own hands even if it meant losing his father, it was better than being in a place where he couldn’t be free at all.

From there he was well received by his mother’s kinsmen in Mbanta. Note that Okonkwo mother is dead and Okonkwo has not been in Mbanta years ago. Uchendu which is the kinsmen has noticed Okonkwo and his family carrying their personal items. Uchendu has not spoken the reason why Okonkwo has come until the following day and from there Okonkwo has told him the whole story about what had happened and the reason why he came to Mbanta. In his second year of exile Okonkwo has gotten a visit from his friend Obierika to tell him some things that has been going on in Umuofia. Obierika has told them that a white man has appeared in their clan with an iron horse riding on it. The elders had spoken to the white man and the white man in response has told them that they would break their Oracle, break their clan, and also spread destruction. From that point on Obierika has left and paid another visit nearly two years later, but this time the circumstances were less happy. Obierika has told Okonkwo that the missionaries had come to Umuofia and built a church, won a handful of converts, and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding villages. Next after hearing everything that has been happening in Umuofia about the white man and missionaries taking over places and telling the villagers that there is only one God and trying to change their view on religion. Okonkwo exile of 7 years has come to an end he is

The introduction of a new culture to another culture can be quite a challenge, as well as life-changing for those individuals who decide to assimilate the new beliefs and customs. The arrival of the missionaries to Nigeria affected the the Ibo culture and introduced its people to a new set of religious beliefs and westernized customs. Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, portrays the contrasting reactions of people to the new culture brought to their clan by the missionaries. Achebe depicts the story of a prideful father put to shame when his own son decides to embrace the new unfamiliar culture, as an act of rebellion against his father. Nwoye, the son, and Okonkwo, the father, differed