Things Fall Apart

Many Catholic missionaries believed that God expected them to save the Indians’ souls by convincing them to abandon their old sinful beliefs and to embrace the one true Christian faith. After baptizing tens of thousands of Indians, the missionaries learned that many Indians continued to worship their own gods. Over time, encomenderos were far more interested in what the Indians could do for them than what they or missionaries could do for the Indians. Gold was not the most important treasure the Spanish got out of the New World, uncompensated Indian labor was.

In Document 2, Bartolomé de las Casa, a Dominican missionary, criticizes the Spanish’s policy in their colonies. He believes that the Spanish’s desire for gold blinded them from their purpose, to spread Christianity. This greed turned them into barbarians, making them treat the natives like dirt without even trying to introduce them to religion. Las Casas believed that even though the Indians weren’t Christians, they were still humans and deserved human rights. This lead to the creation of a new provision dictated in Document 3, “The New Laws of the Indies”. Charles V stated that slaves must not remain in slavery unjustly, and should be released at once. This was a big change in the society, because now Natives weren’t seen as property, but as people. This meant that they were slowly gaining more rights and respect in

Columbus did not respect the rights and liberty of the native people. The Arawak were uncivilized people, whom as innocent person gave everything they had generously. “They had no

Through his statement regarding the true intentions of the Christians, Las Casas invalidates the claim that the Spaniards’ actions were motivated by religion. Considering that greed is one of the seven deadly sins of Christianity, saying that the Spaniards’ “insatiable greed” is the “greatest ever seen in the world” suggests that the Spaniards’ motivations contradict their religion. The American Indians are being treated as inferior beings, due to the secular goals of the Spaniards. When Las Casas describes the individualistic goals of the Spaniards, a feeling of empathy arises for the American Indians because these people are being massacred due to greed. This contradiction generates a feeling of empathy for the American Indians as they are being treated as inferior beings, off of the secular motivation for wealth.

The Spanish’s ambitions of exploiting the natives and their land’s resources are further seen in Columbus’s letter to Ferdinand and Isabella in April 1493. He said that if he is further funded by the Spanish monarch, he will give them “as much gold as they have of need, and in addition spices, cotton, and mastic…, and as many heathen slaves as their majesties may choose to demand” (Columbus 1493) from the islands he encountered. In his letter, he repeatedly mentions the “fertile” lands and natural resources he found, rather than stating the huge amount of people that can be converted to

Nobody from Spain new that there were people in these lands but there were. While Columbus expected these Indians to bring harm, they did not do any of that. It was the opposite of rough and tough, they were kind, caring people who were very generous to the Europeans and wanted to make a friendship with them. In Columbus’s journal he said, “Anything they have, if it be asked for they never say no, rather invite the person to accept it, and show as much lovingness as though they would give their hearts. . . . Nor have I ever been able to learn whether they held personal property, for it seemed to me that what-everyone had, they all took shares of. . . .” (Meltzer 91) These Indians were very considerate to the new comers and would invite them over as if to show them that they were very peaceful people. However once Columbus landed in the Americas and met the Native Americans (Indians) the Indians would not have an easy life, there life would soon turn into a disaster and there would be no peacefulness ever again. Slaves and servants started forming and the life of a Native American got tough. “Indians were the first to explore North America.” Columbus thought he was the first and that he would go down in history being the first to explore it.However the Indians were the first, they lived there after all and knew how and what it was like to live in the Americas. "But Columbus and most of the white explorers and colonizers who would come after him were not able to see that. They saw the Natives through a European looking glass; the image was badly distorted. The whites would debate whether the Indians were human. Some would say the Indians were a sort of two-legged animal without soul or spirit. If the Indians were subhuman, then the white need have no qualms about his treatment of them." (Meltzer 88) Columbus did not like these Native Americans he thought of them as the wild and he thought that they were not

As a Spanish friar, I, Bartolome de las Casas, came to the New World to aid in converting the Indians into Christians. They have gone against our beloved king’s decision by pursuing war against the Indians. Every action Cortes has orchestrated has ultimately ended in death and hardship for the Indians. Cortes is guilty and consequences need to be served.

Columbus took out an entire race of people, yet no one questioned it. Whhy? Because he found a new continent, and with that continent came gold. Spain and other countries sought gold because it was more useful than land (2). Gold was the mark of wealth because it could buy anything (2). Gold was not the only valuable thing on this island, the natives were known for their hospitality and their belief in sharing (1). The Arawaks were taken advantage of again and again until there were none left.

The Christian faith brought acceptance to those who needed it but others felt as though they were being overtaken. The first reverend to interact with Umuofia was a peaceful and accepting man. His approach with the tribe was through mutual understanding. When he became ill a new, less accepting reverend took his place. “Mr. Brown’s successor was the Reverend James Smith, and he was a different kind of man. He condemned openly Mr. Brown’s policy of compromise and accommodation. He saw things as black and white. And black was evil” (Achebe 184). Reverend Smith had a predetermined outlook of the black natives that ruined the natives relationship with

The naïve villagers of Umuofia in Things Fall Apart discover their resilience when the white men infiltrate their territory like “locusts”, subtly presenting their culture to the Ibo people who eventually adopt it as their own. This causes religious conflicts and the natives begin questioning their own beliefs. “And at last the locusts did descend. They settled on every tree and on every blade of grass (…) and covered the bare ground. Mighty tree branches broke away under [the] (…) vast, hungry swarm.” (Achebe 56) The descension of the

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

In Things Fall Apart, there are conflicts between the white Christian missionaries and the African citizens of Umuofia, however I believe that the conflict is not a purely racial one, but one appertaining to the struggle between traditions and change.

“When things fall apart, consider the possibility that life knocked it down on purpose. Not to bully you, or punish you, but to prompt you to build something that better suits your personality and your purpose.” -Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe takes place in pre colonial South Africa where the importance of true Ibo history and culture is greatly stressed. This quote highlights a very prominent element of Things Fall Apart as it tells the reader that life may encounter some rough situations, but change and opportunity is an outcome of those situations. Chinua Achebe informs the western audience about the importance of Ibo culture and tradition using the simple concept of cause and effect.

Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, highlights the fight between colonialism and traditional societies. The protagonist Okonkwo is a man of high status throughout the nine villages and even beyond due to his many achievements, such as gaining fame as a young person when he defeated the undefeatable, a wrestler nicknamed “the cat”. He is strong and hard-working, unlike his father, Unoka, who has a tainted legacy of being effeminate and cowardly. Unoka died and left many unpaid debts, so Okonkwo works to build his wealth entirely on his own. As a result of being obsessed with his masculinity, he is brusque with his three wives, children, and neighbors, and is wealthy and powerful among the people of his village, which he is a leader

In this movie, that translates into, how the Portuguese only wanted to gain these lands for profit. Since natives lived there the Portuguese wanted to gain the land so they could trade slaves there. This was the whole reason Mendoza disregarded his vows and fought against the Portuguese. The other reason, imperialism, is the policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political domination over other nations. In this case, the Portuguese wanted to acquire the lands belonging to the natives because of economic reasons.