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Examples Of Savagery In Things Fall Apart

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Humans are fundamentally savage which is caused by their principles which makes them violent and uncontrolled. Savagery occurs when there is no civilized system in place. This is shown in Chinua Achebe's book, Things Fall Apart, which is about Okonkwo who wants to change his future because he does not want to be a failure like his father. He tries so hard to become a strong and respected man throughout his life but ultimately becomes just like his father, a failure. Savagery is also revealed in story because within the story, the Ibo people demonstrate how they are fundamentally savage shown by their actions. Okonkwo was a man within the Ibo people who wanted to change his life and become better than his father ever was. Okonkwo's savagery is shown by his quest to become great and powerful which led him into committing violent actions such as killing the messenger from the church just because he wanted to do so. Okonkwo stops the messenger from getting around him and then proceeds to kill him, “In a …show more content…

Their savagery is revealed through their actions of exile and the destruction of Okonkwo's property. In the book, the clan members and Obierika head to Okonkwo’s home and burn it down, “They set fire to his houses, demolished his red walls, killed his animals and destroyed his barn”(63). Obierika and the clan proceed to destroy Okonkwo’s property because Okonkwo accidentally murdered someone. The actions of burning down property and murdering help reveal how the Ibo people are savage because they are fierce and violent shown by the destruction they have caused throughout the book. The people of Ibo have no civilized system in place which results in them having no way to deal with crimes such as murders, so they resort to exile and the destruction of their homes to “cleanse” the property they polluted with the

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