The, Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

The social,cultural,and religious fabric of traditional Igbo life in the 1850s-1900s fell apart as European colonization began to take place. Okonkwo the protagonist is in the center of it all.

Social rank and relative wealth play great roles in determining a person’s life in Umuofia society. Sometimes a man with sheer force of will cannot change his future through hard work. One of the main conflicts in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is the clash between Okonkwo’s determination to succeed, his free will, and fate – which seems to have less appealing things in mind. Okonkwo’s will plays a major factor in determining his future; he chooses to kill Ikemefuna with his own hands, he chooses to kill a government official, and in the end, he chooses to take his own life. However, the pre-destined conditions of his life, his father’s failures, and a series of unfortunate circumstances ultimately lead to Okonkwo’s downfall.

The Igbo people of Nigeria were in dismay when the British imperialism took over their tribe. Like many instances of a larger group overthrowing people there is bound to be backlash from those people. The British completely overturned their traditional way of life to the point that many of the people were leaving such as the sons of Umuofia who have “gone their several ways”. At the start the British provided a new language, allowed Nneka to keep her twins due to the new religion, and introduced trade into their non-existent economy, but as they began to use the tribe Okwonkwo turned on them. They ended up having a negative impact on the tribe rather than a positive one. Forcing them into their own government and violating their religion was

Due to European colonization, the Ibo society have lost their education system, religion, and the punitive system. Firstly, the Ibo society lost their education system. The novel, Things Fall Apart, states, “One of the great men in that village was called Akunna and he had given one of his sons to be taught the white man's knowledge in Mr. Brown's school” (Achebe 179). Before colonization, the parents taught education in Ibo society. Children learned how to cook, farm, and how they act from their parents. With colonization, children receive education in schools and not from their parents. Secondly, Christianity replaced the Ibo society. The novel, asserts, “One of the greatest crimes a man could commit was to unmask an egwugwu in public, or

The missionaries added a justice system and there the missionaries would try any Igbo people who broke the white man’s laws. As a result of the missionaries coming to Umuofia they changed the way the Igbo people behaved by eliminating their culture. The idea of a culture being

The arrival of Europeans into Africa greatly changed the lives of natives. Imperialism and colonialism into the villages of Africans altered their culture which had developed so many years being untouched by outside civilization. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe portrays the response of Igbo culture to the changes initiated by European colonization through the resistance of change of Okonkwo. Change is the main component that comes along with cultural collision. In Things Fall Apart, the motherland, Mbata, and the fatherland, Umuofia, goes through many transitions upon the arrival of Europeans.

In history many ancient and early cultures lived in a society where gender influenced their way of life. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the Igbo tribe in Africa bases their people’s social status and everyday life on gender. Women are expected to be submissive and thought to be weaker compared to their male counterparts. Men on the other hand are thought of as strong and must live up to the expectations of the clan. There are several instances in the book that strongly emphasize the masculine roles in the Ibo tribe’s society. Throughout the book, Okonkwo’s extreme views on masculinity gains him the respect of his community. In his community Okonkwo is greatly praised for his masculinity. It is Okonkwo’s desire to be accepted by his community and insecurities that leads to him becoming an outcast in his community which eventually led to him committing suicide. Okonkwo would rather die than to develop a feminine reputation like his father. As a clansman of the Igbo, being a well provider for your family, a strong protector, and an influential fatherly figure are things that define masculinity.

Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart describes the colonization of the Ibo tribe by a group of white missionaries. The text details the life of Okonkwo, a successful yam farmer with many wives and great power in his village, from his early adulthood to his untimely death. In the beginning, Achebe presents the readers with Ikemefuna, a young boy from the neighboring Mbaino tribe, sent to Okonkwo’s household as punishment for murdering an Umuofian woman. Ikemefuna integrates into the family rapidly, and is well-received by both Okonkwo and his biological son, Nwoye. He spends three years in Okonkwo’s family, which was much longer than what the clan elders had anticipated. During that time, Okonkwo treats Ikemefuna as his own son, and

The key to understanding our differences within cultures is to first, understand our similarities within cultures. If our daily activities were the base of cultures, this would mean that our differences only come from our similarities. For example, one can see the differences through the similarities in a simple aspect like our daily activities such as food and clothing. Everyday we all do the same action to put clothes on, but depending on where we are in the world (geographically), traditions, perceptions, and fashion, what we will wear will be different than someone else from the other side of the globe. With this paper, the similarities and differences of globalization and colonization will be explored.

Due to the christians’ arrival, igbo society is disunified and weakened. This weakness provides a ripe opportunity for the colonialits to rise to power sharply. An illustration of this scnario can be found in Nwoye, Okonkow’s son, who is greatly displeased by the culture surrounding him. Nwoye’s dissatisfaction motivates him to look towards the missionaries for an alternative route. Obierika is another example of an Igbo person who doubts his own culture.

The book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe takes place in Nigeria during the 19th century. This is during the pre European imperial era. In this era the Igbo culture has a very straight forward structure of society, man is afraid of failure, and shame brought to his family. Ever man is trying to take the top position in the clan, working day and night to feed and take care of their family. Our main character, Okonkwo, has been dominated by “the fear of failure and of weakness” throughout his entire life, predominantly to blame by his father, Unoka. Unoka, throughout his entire life was considered as a coward, spending most of his days in idleness, never proving his manhood. Unoka was looked down upon by his fellow tribes men. He always

In Things Fall Apart, author Chinua Achebe tells the story of Igbo tribesman, Okonkwo, and his village during the time preceding Nigerian colonization by Europeans. Igbo society is highly patriarchal and women are devalued and disrespected, regarded as possessions. The culture is built on extreme superstition that permeates every aspect of their lives and holds them back at times. Okonkwo has misplaced values that lead him to ruin. Although history has shown that there was nothing that the Igbo people could do to stop the eventual takeover by Europeans, it is possible that they could have saved themselves and, at least, delayed the inevitable. For both Okonkwo and Igbo society, things fell apart because they failed to value what was really important in favor of things that were not only meaningless, but, ultimately, detrimental.

Author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky wrote, “Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody” (Change). Change is inevitable to people at least once in their lives. While change can be intimidating, change can be both positive and negative in different aspects. The title of “Things Fall Apart” suggests the change that is to occur through the story and that most things cannot last forever. Titles of any work of literature hold valuable significance towards the meaning and the interpretation of the work towards the readers. In Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart,” the story’s title applies to the main character, Okonkwo, and his entire society.

Western and European powers came to dominate life in the late-19th and early-20th century. These imperialist powers hoped to gain economic, and political powers through the use of others. They exerted their power and dominance to do so. With this power they could subdue and take over other countries. Although the right to do this can be argued heavily, it does not stray from the fact that sometimes it is alright to do. Displayed in Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the introduction of the white missionaries brought new life into Africa. The white missionaries made changes and went against the religion of the Africans. They did it in their own view of righteousness: once abandoned babies were saved and rejected outsiders became accepted. However, their methods sometimes were underhanded and cynical. The extent of the force that they showed became unnecessary and when the white settlers began to infringe on the rights and cultures of the Africans, it’s clear that there is a certain extent of which they could oppress them. Europe had the right to take over Africa if they were making changes that would have benefitted both the Igbo and the Europeans, but should only make changes if it does not infringe on another’s culture or religion.

This paper reflects the novel “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe in 1958. Achebe gives an overview of pre-colonialism and post-colonialism on Igbo, detailing how local traditions and cultural practices can “fall apart” in some scenarios through some introduced, externally created hassles elevated because of colonization. The protagonist named Okonkwo mentioned in the story is a proof showing the lifestyle of the tribe. My main objective and focus is to lay emphasis on Africa specifically the Igbo society, before and after the arrival of the Europeans in Umuofia community; the results of their arrival concerning Igbo culture, thus leading to the clash of cultures between the two categories. I will also draw on post-colonialism with respect to globalization.