Loss In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

When Okonkwo was introduced to the cultural change by the British colonial missionaries, he was angry because he felt that the colonial missionaries were trying to decrease the existence of one's manliness. “The white man is clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion”. Now they’ve put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” (Things Fall Apart, Chapter 20, Page 152) With the arrival of the white missionaries, the Igbo religion came to a disagreement upon the religion that's being changed in the igbo culture. Missionaries changed umuofia's religious traditions and turned them against their gods. Okonkwo then starts acting out in random acts of violence, such as killing. To Okonkwo this was, manliness to do that sorrow act. To Okonkwo this was important because he did not want to be like his weak father, therefore, Okonkwo continues to behave this

In Things Fall Apart, when the missionaries first come to Umuofia, Okonkwo is very adamant in resisting their ways. He refuses to conform to them and holds fast to his traditional beliefs. He believes that Christianity is “womanly” and his own practices

The destruction of Okonkwo was revealed slowly throughout the books. He started to make some poor decisions, which became the beginning of his downfall. He killed Ikemefuna just because he didn’t want to be thought weak. He made unwise decisions to only appear to be strong and manly to others in the village. He did not realize how he lost so much from living that way. When, Okonkwo kills Ogbuefi Ezedu’s son, the real tragedy begins. Other tragic heroes usually have a steadier downfall, but Okonkwo had a direct fall in society due to this event. This puts his family into exile for seven years. After a short period of time, white missionaries arrive to Umuofia. When “The

In Things Fall Apart, Achebe indeed demonstrates that the lack of an open mind drives destruction and havoc through the character of Okonkwo. His stubbornness and intolerance for Christianity leads him to devastation and frustration, tearing himself apart. First and foremost, Christian missionaries come and influence the people surrounding Okonkwo. In one case, his son Nwoye ‘had been captivated’ (147) by this new religion in Nigeria and saw it as a relief in his life. To demonstrate, Nwoye consistently visits the church and observes the missionaries’ practices. Another example of Okonkwo’s negative opinions on Christianity is when he is talking to Obierika about how ‘their own men and their sons have joined the ranks of a stranger’ (176).

Chinua Achebe unfolds a variety of interesting connections between characters in the Novel Things Fall Apart. Relationships with parents, children and inner self are faced differently, however the attitude that Okonkwo gave them determined what kind of outcome he generated from these relations. Okonkwo looks at everything through his violent and manly perspective and is afraid to show his real feelings because he thinks that he may be thought out as weak and feminine this paranoid attitude lead him to self-destruction.

Okonkwo isolates many of his closest friends and family members from his life because of the christians. As Okonkwo returns from his exile it starts to become clear that the other clan members did not necessarily dislike the missionaries as much as Okonkwo: “There were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation” (Achebe 178). This quote highlights the separation between Okonkwo and the majority of the clan. Okonkwo’s refusal to tolerate the missionaries dissolved the unity between him and the other clan members. This lack of unity is exhibited when the christian missionaries approach the Ibo tribe.

Nwoye’s resentment of his father stems from multiple issues, but Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity was symbolically his separation from his father. Okonkwo was also the embodiment of their Ibo culture, which Nwoye found morally questionable after the deaths of the twins and Ikemefuna. Ezinma – “‘You have not eaten for two days,’ said his daughter Ezinma when she brought food to him. ‘So you must finish this’” (63). Ezinma and her father, Okonkwo, have a very close relationship.

In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe shows that your life will always change and things will get thrown in your way but the ability to grow and learn from your problems is optional is shown through Okonkwo's failure to accept a new religion and the choices made by his tribe and son, eventually leading to him deciding that he can not continue with his life. He persistently bottled up his anger and his stubbornness, eventually self-restrained his ability to grow with his clan. Any signs of weakness had always been something that made Okonkwo angry so when his clan decided not to fight against these white men, Okonkwo couldn't accept the new religious views that the foreigners brought. He wanted to fight against them, but they were converting

Okonkwo's behavior here shows that he is really frustrated with what is going on and what the missionaries are doing to his children, and it is causing he to act intensely towards his own

As Okonkwo saw the missionaries come into Umuofia and start changing things only because they believed it to be wrong, made Okonkwo very furious. Okonkwo saw the ways of the Westerns to be dumb in a way. “Mr.Brown went to that village he spent long hours… talking about interpreter about religion. ”page 179. Although Okonkwo does have a very strong connection with his religion, the missionaries also have a very strong connection with their religion as well, but it seemed as if Okonkwo did not want to accept the fact because he wanted his religion to seem better and more powerful than the missionaries religion.

Committing to a clan requires devotion, however to oppose a clan can validate one’s defiance which can lead to destruction. One can ponder the question if it is at times worth it to be mutinous even with the awareness of the possible detrimental consequences? In Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” the protagonist Okonkwo emphasizes on the eminence for his son Nwoye to not only honour their clan but to demonstrate manliness and command power. Nwoye’s conversion to Christianity brings shame to his father and the Umuofia clan, however his morals overshadow his desire to conform to the societal interdependent needs thus making him more open to new cultures. Nwoye has resentment towards his father for killing his brother Ikemefuna, Christianity

When the missionaries first arrived in Umuofia, the tribe believed they were harmless, and something not to worry about. Achebe writes, “At the end of it Okonkwo was fully convinced that the man was mad. He shrugged his shoulders and went away to tap his afternoon palm-wine” (Achebe 53). Okonkwo believed the missionaries were foolish and goes on with his life as usual. Consequently, the missionaries slowly enter into the tribe’s life, and the separation and problems that it creates become bigger over time. Okonkwo then realizes that his tribe needs to go to war; however, his village is beginning to fall apart. The author writes, “If Umuofia decided on war, all would be well. But If they chose to be cowards he would go out and avenge all himself” (70). In Umuofia the main things that holds the tribe tightly together is the fact that they are all in agreement with their beliefs and practices. Therefore, when the missionaries comes and shifts these beliefs, this weakened the tribe. Thus, what once held the tribe together is now fading away, and for Okonkwo he is unable to get anybody to support him on war. As a result, Okonkwo commits suicide out of desperation instead of being handed over to the missionaries. Ultimately, Okonkwo dies without honor, just as his father

When the new religion is brought over by the white men, Okonkwo strongly opposes to it because he felt that its qualities display weakness and would destroy the Ibo culture. He refused to change and stuck to his old ways, but as more and more of his clansmen convert, Okonkwo sees his world start to crumble. “Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer stand as one” (Achebe 176). His clan slowly divides into two clear-cut sides, but the Ibo people didn’t want to fight back the new religion. As a result, Christianity took over everything, from the government, to the judicial system. Feeling powerless, Okonkwo commits his final act of vengeance and kills a messenger, committing suicide soon after. If the Umoufia had tried to fight back Christianity, they wouldn’t have loss so much power this quickly. This reluctance was due to the absence of

For 7 years okonkwo and his family are sent to Mbanta, which begins his downfall. Upon Okonkwo’s return to Umuofia things have changed drastically. The church has grown in Umuofia and the white men had brought in a government. On top of those changes, Okonkwo has lost great power and reputation as part of his downfall. After the burning of the church it is stated that, “For the first time in many years Okonkwo had a feeling that was akin to happiness.” This hints at maybe the end of this downfall, but during a meeting with the District Commissioner, Okonkwo and his fellow Umuofia leaders are ambushed thrown in jail and abused. The reason this comes as an ambush is because they agreed to meet with the District Commissioner as friends. The men were released after paying a fine and return to their village. During yet another meeting, this one with men from all the clans nine villages, a messenger interrupts saying this message from the District Commissioner, "The white man whose power you know too well has ordered this meeting to stop." Without even flinching Okonkwo deepens his downfall by slaying the messenger with his machete. Knowing the umuofia wouldn’t go to war with him, he ran away. After news of this murder, the District Commissioner arrives at Okonkwo’s compound looking for

Nwoye: Okonkwo’s son, joins Christianity, Okonkwo believes he is weak and unworthy, feels outcasted from community