How Did British Colonialism Affect The Igbo Society

Upon an initial reading of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, it is easy to blame the demise of Okonkwo’s life and of the Umofia community on the imperialistic invasions of the white men. After all, Okonkwo seemed to be enjoying relative peace and happiness before then. He did have a few mishaps; one of them resulted in him being exiled for eight years. Nonetheless, he returned to his home town with high spirits and with prospects of increased success. However, everything has changed. The white men have brought with them a new religion and a new government. Okonkwo’s family falls apart. The men in his village lose their courage and valor; they do not offer any resistance to the white men. Consequently, Okonkwo kills

Okonkwo, the lead character in Things Fall Apart, commits suicide after he has lost political independence to colonialism. This is occasioned by the fact that his clansmen do not follow him into battle against the colonialists. Throughout the story, Okonkwo desires to be seen as the symbol, the perfect example, the individual who represents the archetype of Umuofian culture and values. His strong individualism is questioned when the white colonialists arrive. Okonkwo’s epiphany at realizing that his community does not share in his desire to get rid of them only becomes clear in the face of looming colonial domination. He says:

Okonkwo thinks that his mother’s clan is too womanly compare to his father’s clan of Umuofia, however even when he returns to his father’s clan after the completion of his exile he is also very much out of place there also. This is due to his obsessive masculinity and also because he just cannot adapt to the changing of times. Okonkwo “had lost his place among the masked spirits in the village” in addition to that “he had lost the chance to lead his warlike clan against the new religion” consequently he lost any voice he ever had and was a “stranger” in his land seeming as nobody appeared to have taken any special notice of the “warriors” return. He speaks with his friend Obierika about the strangeness of his home land saying,

Okonkwo is angry after being made a fool of by colonization, and takes his anger out on the white man’s messenger by murdering him. Okonkwo has accidently murdered someone before, but this time, he does not stay to face the consequences. He commits suicide. This uncharacteristic act is brought about by colonization. Okonkwo realizes that colonization has won, and does not intend to face the consequences that the new government forces upon him for murder. With this last scene, Achebe illustrates how the white man took away freedom. Thus, the question of colonization’s morality in this book boils down to whether the reader values the freedom to practice ones own culture over the need to distinguish questionable practices in this culture. Achebe leaves the decision to the reader. The tribe has a patriarchal society with certain questionable customs, but also a close-knit community and a rich culture. On the other hand, the introduction of colonization totally destroys the tribal way of life, disproving some of the tribal beliefs and vandalizing certain traditions, but also brings an escape to those who disagree with tribal

In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, we see the effect the white missionaries had on an African tribe and the antihero Okonkwo. The main character Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Achebe depicts Okonkwo as a Shakespearean hero with a tragic flaw, that tragic flaw is the fact that he will do anything in his power not to be a weak man like his father Unoka. Okonkwo did what he did because he hated his father and would do anything in his power to be the exact opposite of his father.

Perhaps it becomes clearer how much of an accomplishment it is to stay oneself in unforgiving circumstances when it is shown how it can feel like it is best to just give up. At the beginning of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is a stern man who had to support himself from a very young age, and through his tireless work, rises up the ranks to become one of the greatest man in the Igbo village of Umuofia. Okonkwo, because of the lazy and carefree nature of his father, Unoka, has very rigid, harsh beliefs about strength and responsibility. During and after his seven-year exile from Umuofia brought on by an accidental killing, he notices a slow change coming about with the arrival of Christian missionaries from Britain, looking for converts. Eventually, the church established there becomes large enough to threaten the Umuofian religion and disrupt the villagers’ lives. Okonkwo’s identity is closely tied to his life and status in Umuofia, and the ideals

In the book Things Fall Apart, there are many things that fall apart. The major aspect that fell apart is the clan. There are many major foreshadowing events that showed the decline of the clan, including the locusts, the accidental death of a boy by Okonkwo forcing the exile of his family, and the arrival of the white missionaries. When the missionaries arrive, they start to oppress their religion onto the people of the clan. They are seemed to be crazy, and almost disrespectful of the clan’s customs on religion. As this is happening, Okonkwo is caught in an exile for him and his three wives and children. The exile is caused by an accidental killing of a boy by Okonkwo. After they return to Umuofia after seven years, they are blindsided by

This is an example of cultural collision. When the introduction of Western ideas came into the Igbo culture, Okonkwo’s sense of identity was challenged. Okonkwo started out in the novel as strong, independent, and honorable, but the culture collision of the britain

Loss of control is also another important theme. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo shows to have complete control over his family. He consistently beats them and is hard on them and they are afraid and respect him. His eldest son Nwoye is abused most often since he reminds Okonkwo so much of his grandfather and is not the son he would wish him to be. Eventually Nwoye leaves and this shows that Okonkwo does not still have full control of his family. Also his is demonstrated in the village as a whole. When the Europeans came in, they did not look at the Ibo culture as ideal and pursued in converting it. At first there was not enough Christians to really impact their society, but as they built and expanded, they influenced others and soon they had many followers. The elders of the tribes were no longer in control and the Ibo culture was losing its significance.

Missionaries have had a profound and resounding effect on southeastern Nigeria that remains today, missionaries still playing a significant role in the culture of the Igbo. Although missionaries were initially synonymous with colonization, European coloniasts enforcing Christian ideals on the ‘save’ natives in an effort to civilize them, missionaries remained in Nigeria even after it gained its independence on October 1, 1960 through a series of constitutions legislated by the British government. Despite the abolition of British colonial forces, missionaries remained, exerting extensive influence on local culture. Missionaries promoted western education, which was widely popular among the Igbo and viewed as a method to move up the social ladder.

Ultimately religion is the number one change through out the novel. When the white man first arrives he has little luck gaining converts, but the more he preaches his religion and the differences in Christianity to the Igbo people the more people convert. Most of these people have felt pain from this religion; such as the women who only birthed twins that were thrown into the dark forest would be able to safely deliver twins. “There is only one true God and he has the earth, the sky, you and me and all of us” (126). Religion is also relates to the destruction of the culture because the people are lead to believe their gods are only myths and fairytales and not the true god. Conversion to Christianity is also the reason for many distractions

In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo portrays his fear of societal change through aggression towards Nwoye and himself, just as men in our contemporary society are pushed to hide their feelings in exchange for anger and violence. Throughout Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo begins to see his village and religion morph into a more Western society, as Christian missionaries began to spread their religion, while driving away the rich Igbo Culture. Okonkwo begins to notice this cultural change, and begins to fear that change and it’s effects on the community.

In the Encyclopedia of World Culture it says, “In the late nineteenth century, mission Christianity and colonialism interest worked together for the colonization of Igboland,” (Amadiume). When the missionaries arrive it has a long lasting effect on their culture. This is when their culture first began to change, when they started to convert and stray away from their traditional beliefs. In the novel Things Fall Apart, the book reads, “And so nobody gave serious thought to the stories about the white man’s government or the consequences of killing the Christians. If they became more troublesome than they already were they would simply be driven out of the clan,” (Achebe 94).

It was merely nothing but the tradition that they were cleaning the land polluted with the blood of clansman. The most impressive achievement of Things Fall Apart, writes, David Carroll, 'is the vivid picture it provides of Igbo culture and society at the end of the nineteenth century.' (Carroll 30). The characters of Things Fall Apart illustrate the conduct of war, religion, the social roles of men and women in a relatively fixed and secure system.

The Igbo people live a happy and peaceful life. WIth their own traditions and customs however odd to an outsider, sane in their minds. However as European countries begin to explore the inner depths of Africa, great culture clashes occur. European colonialism introduces Christianity to the Igbo people, the one true religion with the help of missionaries. While different and unusual to the indigenous people, Europeans set up order in the land, as similar in their mother country. They force said people to follow or else face severe punishments. Okonkwo ignorantly fights change, which leads to his ultimate downfall. He is unable to deal with the introduction of Christianity and all around colonization, as it changes those around him. Okonkwo strictly believes in the traditions and customs of the Igbo people. In Chinua Achebe’s fiction novel Things Fall Apart, he illustrates the effect on European colonialism, through indigenous societal views and traditions of the Igbo people as it clashes with the culture of European foreigners.