Theme Of Betrayal In Things Fall Apart

In different cultures people are commonly told to stick with whatever your people have said. Since, people like to stick with familiar surroundings to feel safe, but in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Nwoye ,one of his characters, changes the way things are viewed with leaving your culture. Nwoye is viewed as a girl throughout the novel, he is “emotional”. The Ibo culture tells him his ways are wrong and that he should act more like a man. The one person that tells him the most is Okonkwo, his father, which at the end kills himself in a “womanish” manner. Nwoye changes the plot in different ways. He changes himself by leaving his culture behind and following a new culture that accepts him.

In “Things Fall Apart”, the Author Chinua Achebe wrote the book to show the real perspectives of the Igbo people.The difference from “Things Fall Apart” to other books about the Igbo people is that they are told by outsiders. Achebe book is a fiction about a main character name Okonkwo, who is an influential clan leader in Umuofia who experienced from british influence.

Things Fall Apart is not the only “weapon” that Achebe created to challenge Western literature’s portrayal of Africa; he also wrote Image of Africa with the intention of abolishing the usual Western portrayal of Africa. “We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there we could look at thing monstrous and free” (Achebe, “Image of Africa” 251). Achebe’s reference here in Image of Africa brings light to how Conrad portrays Africa. Indeed, one can easily notice how each word brings up a negative connotation to the audience, which in this case, Conrad transforms the image of “the shackled from of a conquered monster” to “monstrous and free” in order to

Change is a reoccurring theme throughout history. It destroys and creates. It displaces and introduces. It can cause death and life. The movement of imperialism in Africa brought great change to the native tribal life. Forcing the indigenous people to turn away from their century-old traditions caused violent rifts between the European settlers and the tribes, as well as internal problems between once amiable members of the Ibo culture. With the introduction of the foreign Western Society in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the tribe’s life and ideals are drastically altered as the new ethics and principles collide with the old traditions and laws, causing the members of the society to either adapt or be crushed underneath the foot of colonialism. Achebe’s character, Okonkwo, was impacted immensely by the cultural collision, as his previous way of life was pulverized before his eyes, and he found no reason to live any longer.

Of the many themes that appear in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, individuality versus nationality becomes a central topic as the story progresses and develops. With the invasion and colonization of the European missionaries, Okonkwo’s nationality and contributions to society are called into question. Achebe explains the idea of nationality over individuality by showing that society is the precursor to individuality. Examining the life of the protagonist, Okonkwo, before and after his resistance exemplifies this key idea in Things Fall Apart.

Things Fall Apart is a literary novel written and published by Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, or Chinua Achebe, in the 1959. Chinua was born on November 16, 1930 into a Nigerian village named Ogidi. Things Fall Apart is based in Nigeria around the year 1890. The book addresses topics including, “Nigeria’s white colonial government and the traditional culture of the indigenous Igbo people” (SparkNotes Editors). The book also contains several controversial topics involving, Christian missionaries being labeled, “foolish”, the subject matter of death and suicide, and the physical and verbal abuse that the women received. Chinua well portrays the “macho” and chiefly attitude of the African men in the Ibo society. But the question is, how exactly are women treated within the society? The well respected Okonkwo is a prime example on exactly how men treated women during this time period.

Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart illustrate the different ways of presenting Africa in literature. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad shows Africa through the perspective of the colonizing Europeans, who tend to depict all the natives as savages. In response to Conrad 's stereotypical depiction of Africans, Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart through the point of view of the natives to show Africans, not as primitives, but as members of a thriving society. Things Fall Apart follows Okonkwo 's life as he strives for prestige in his community. When European missionaries come to Umuofia, Okonkwo 's clan, Okonkwo tries to protect the culture that the missionaries would destroy in the name of "civilizing" the natives. However his rigid mentality and violent behavior has the opposite of its intended effect, perpetuating the stereotype of the wild African in the eyes of the European readers.

In a society where everyone was first born into a culture of not their choosing, one feels that they must conform to it whether or not certain customs are questionable at times. Brought into the Ibo culture and raised by the ancient traditions since birth, Nwoye finds himself questioning the morals behind this culture and searching for an escape after an unfortunate incident occurs within his village. In Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart,” Achebe introduces themes such as justice, morals, and traditions in order to establish the idea of Nwoye being the most affected by the presence of the missionaries. In the beginning of “Things Fall Apart,” the audience is introduced to a sympathetic, naive, and rather soft Nwoye who lacks certain masculinity; a trait valued by Ibo people and especially his father, Okonkwo.

The colonization of the Igbo people in Chinua Achebe’s debut novel Things Fall Apart showed the cultural collision between the people of Umuofia and Christian missionaries. In this novel, the character Nwoye is the only apparent member of his family that is shown to convert to the new religion being presented by the white men. This collision does not change what Nwoye feels but rather allows him entrance to a world that he can finally understand. It gives him answers to questions not satisfied while simultaneously showing the real reason the Igbo’s way of life fell apart. Throughout the book, one can clearly understand the feelings of many of the characters, especially as the white men ingrain themselves more and more into the Igbo’s life and government.

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart depicts the Nigerian tribe Umuofia and their struggle to keep their identity and tradition from European missionaries. In particular, the novel follows the life of Okonkwo, a man who is revered in his village but is also known for his explosive anger and brutal judgment. Okonkwo strives very hard to provide for his three wives and eight children and to also become a successful title holder among his clansmen. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, was very lazy and did not hold a title.

Chinua Achebe wrote the book, Things Fall Apart, to fight against the stereotypical image of African people lacking in culture, which is what had been assumed by many people. He accomplished his goal in many different ways throughout the book, using a variety of linguistic devices. However, the device that stood out to throughout the storyline was the interesting and creative use of symbolism. There are many differences between the culture of the Nigerian people who are represented in the book and the culture of all the other people in the world. Sadly this unique culture had been portrayed badly by many other works, included the book, Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad. Achebe wanted to show the culture in the positive light it

Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a strong man whose existence is dominated by fear and anger, and the Ibo tribe, a people deeply rooted in cultural belief and tradition. As events unfold, Okonkwo’s carefully constructed world and the Ibo way of life collapses. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected and feared leader of the Ibo tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace dramatizes his inability to evolve beyond his personal beliefs, affecting the entire Ibo tribe beyond measure. The “things” that fall apart in Achebe’s novel are Okonkwo’s life – his ambition, dreams, family unity and material wealth – and the Ibo way of life – their beliefs, culture and values.

In response to Conrad’s depiction of Africans, Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart from the view point of an African to show, and create a identity through the use of cultural nationalism in a complex and dynamic society. Things Fall Apart follows Okonkwo’s life as he strives to protect the culture that the English missionaries would destroy in the name of “civilizing” the natives. However, Chinua Achebe’s goal in writing Things Fall Apart, was to illustrate Nigerian, and on a larger scale, African, culture for a Western audience. While Igbo culture reveres strength and masculinity, Okonkwo is hyper masculine, which almost always manifests itself through violence. Furthermore, Okonkwo is described as “a man of action, a man of war” (Achebe

The novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, deals with the confrontation of cultures and the violent alterations in life and values brought about by the commencement of British colonialism in Nigeria. Its spotlight is directed on the tragic fall of the protagonist, Okonkwo, and the Igbo culture. Okonkwo is also considered a tragic hero. A tragic hero holds a place of power and influence, chooses his course of action, holds a tragic flaw, and gains awareness of circumstance that led to his fall. Okonkwo shows several aspects of being a tragic hero.

The seventh chapter of Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” presents a father murdering his own son due to his fear of losing his masculine reputation. Although it was necessary for Ikemefuna, the son, to be killed, Okonkwo, the father, was strongly advised to abstain from being part of the murder for obvious reasons. The situation in chapter seven causes readers to feel abhorrent. At the same time, Achebe’s tactful use of literary devices creates an atmosphere of suspense in this scene that captivates readers.