Terms of two differences
In the novel things fall apart there will be a lot of things and people that will change the igbo culture forever. It will also change their thoughts on the western ideas or culture they are trying to bring.
Okonkwo and his cultural identity was challenged by the new culture the westerns that they are trying to bring unto the igbo people. At the beginning okonkwo was believed to be a war hero and a leader of all leaders with sense and strength. The honestful reason for okonkwo’s change in his sense of identity is because of his lose of power over people and being respected very highly, he wants to be highly thought of by everyone.
Theu first reason okonkwo’s sense of identity was challenged with the new introduction
Upon his return, Okonkwo wants people to see him as a leader again with many titles. However, that wasn’t the same as before. He was even shocked that none of his people wanted to go to war after the Europeans have taken over. Okonkwo realize that his old village and the people there have converted and changed, including his son, Nwoye. He even proposed to go to war with the European men and the missionaries. “‘The waiting backcloth jumped into tumultuous life and the meeting was stopped. Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man. He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had let the other messengers escape. They had broken into tumult instead of action. He discerned fright in that tumult. He heard voices asking: ‘Why did he do it?”’(205). This illustrates the enormous change in their society. At the start of the novel, everyone is willing to fight one another and to show that they are better and well respected than others. In this situation, we can see that everyone is following stringent rules set up by the Europeans. This change in religion will bring an end to the Igbo
All over the world, cultures possess traditions that are uniquely their own. When two diverse cultures collide, there is a cultural shock that is experienced by both sides. In the novel Things Fall Apart, the colonization of Umuofia by the British created a drastic cultural clash that suppressed the Igbo tribe’s unaltered culture. The colonization influenced many people’s lives in the Igbo tribe; some members converted to Christianity, others wanted to keep the Igbo’s traditions alive, such as Okonkwo. According to Okonkwo, war was the only viable option. The British colonization fostered Okonkwo’s change to go from being a momentous man in his clan to an outcast among his village.
In the book Things Fall Apart, Okonkwos response to his cultural collision is that he feels his culture is responsible for the problems he has in his life, but doesn’t want to show his feelings because his culture represents who he is. Even though Okonkwo feels that he is a leader, and leaders have to act strong for their people, Okonkwo realizes that he has become an outcast, and he is no longer able to live in his quickly evolving culture.
His sense of identity was challenged with the commencement of Western concepts being forced onto the Ibo people. The cultural collision of the European colonists and the Ibo people affected Okonkwo to the point of committing suicide and dying a execrable death like his father. The reasons for Okonkwo’s instantaneous change in their sense of identity involved pride, loss of honor, and lack of respect.
When two different cultures come together, the cause this clash. And one character in Things Fall Apart experienced this. That person was Nwoye. Now, his sense of identity was challenged because of Okonkwo. Ever since his birth, Okonkwo wanted Nwoye to be more like him.
In the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo has a hard time with the collision between his culture and the culture of the missionaries because it challenges his sense of identity. He hopes that the people will want to revolt against them but struggled with the fact that everyone that was starting to accept what they are teaching. Another factor that challenges Okonkwo’s sense of identity is that his son is converting to christianity and that makes Okonkwo think of his son as week. The final reason that Okonkwo struggles with his sense of identity is that after he killed Ikemefuna he goes into a deep depression which causes him to not eat or say anything to anyone for 3 days. Okonkwo struggles with his sense of identity after he tries to persuade people into fighting back against the missionaries and no one does.
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo never changes his culture, if anything the Western culture killed him. Before the Western ideas entered the Ibo culture, Okonkwo played a fair role in their society. He strongly believed in the culture around him. He began with a very high social status, but was then later exiled from the group. When he came back, Ibo culture has been replaced because of the Christians.
To answer the first question asked, Okonkwo in fact could be considered a tragic hero by Aristotle’s definition. He becomes a leader in his community at a very young age, whose tragic flaw of single-mindedness eventually destroys him. Okonkwo’s self-destruction, which in return leads to his suicide, classifies him as a hero. It is made apparent on the first page of the book that Okonkwo was honored and well known throughout his tribe. Achebe explains, “Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond.
The reason okonkwo's sense of identity was challenged with introduction of western idea was because of he was very aggressive “Ekwefi even gave her such delicacies as eggs, which children were rarely allowed to eat because such food tempted them to steal. One day as Ezinma was eating an egg Okonkwo had come in unexpectedly from his hut. Okonkwo was greatly shocked and swore to beat Ekwefi if she dared to give the child eggs again.” (57).He was aggressive and situation that he didn't get his
Throughout the book Things Fall Apart there are many examples of culture and how much it means to the igbo cultures people. When the Europeans invaded Africa they immediately made changes to the Igbo peoples culture and beliefs. Because of this the main character Okonkwo felt as if he had been stripped of his soul and everything that he believed in. “Worthy men are no more,” Okonkwo sighed… (Achebe 200). This quote proves that after the igbo people were invaded and had their culture taken away from them they all changed dramatically to the point where Okwonkwo no longer knew who they were. This proves even further that people are attached to their culture and what they believe in, so when that is taken away from them they change and
Okonkwo’s response to the cultural collision In the novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo’s response to the cultural collision was negative. The cultural collision caused Okonkwo a lot of stress and guilt. He felt stressed because he was the leader of his village, and being in charge of everything caused a lot of stress on him. Especially since the white people came and Okonkwo didn’t know what to do and he got frustrated.
Do you believe that two cultures can exist right next to each other? In The story, Things Fall Apart, it shows that this may not be possible. Okonkwo’s sense of identity was challenged with the introduction of Western ideas into the Ibo culture. Okonkwo started out in the novel as a rugged minded leader of his community, but the cultural collision of the British colonist and Ibo people affected Okonkwo to the point of where he got lost within himself. The reason for Okonkwo’s change in the sense of his identity was because of the new religion, the westerners judicial system, and just their presence itself. Overall Okonkwo’s response to the introduction of Western ideas shaped the meaning of the work as a whole by showing us
“There was a saying in Umuofia that as a man danced so the drums were beaten for him.” - Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart. What if those drums stopped beating with that man? What if that man beat to his own drum as those drums beat for another? Another that was foreign, invasive, and contradictory. How long would it be until that man beat his drums no more? Is this not the same thing that happened to Okonkwo when his sense of cultural identity was challenged by the introduction of Western ideas into the Ibo culture. Okonkwo was an embodiment of his culture, a man who cared for his tribe and his place in it. When Western ideas challenged his tribe, he hopeless in his culture as he realized their downfall. In the end, his response to the introduction
Okonkwo’s Response Okonkwo was known as the most powerful and the bravest man of the ibo tribe. Okonkwo also suffered from a bad temper and his fear of becoming his father and looking weak to others. Okonkwo had a challenge with western ideas. In the beginning of the novel “ Things Fall Apart” okonkwo was powerful and nothing could change his ways, the misunderstandings between the british colonists and ibo culture had an affect on okonkwo
Okonkwo is a strong and confident man who has vowed to never be like his father Unoka. His father was lazy, unsuccessful and carried no titles. The relationship between Okonkwo and his father motivated Okonkwo to gain titles and become successful inside the clan. In this sense, Okonkwo has gained many titles, has three wives, and respected by the clan. Okonkwo chose to feel that identity in the clan was most important, and through this he had become a presence in the clan, noticed by the elders. However after the arrival of missionaries, who had come to convert the clans to Christianity, Okonkwo’s view is completely contradicted by the missionaries. Okonkwo had grown accustomed to members of the clan being ranked by certain tiers, while the