Things Fall Apart Individuality

Within Ibo culture, masculinity was highly praised whilst femininity was scorned, and being a feminine man was one of the worst things you could be, especially in the eyes of Okonkwo. He perceived his father to be weak and womanly so he modeled his life after being the opposite of his father. And he forced this mindset onto his son as well. These toxic ideas of masculinity ultimately backfired, forcing Nwoye away from his father's culture. Nwoye's response to the missionaries and decision to join their church is a direct result of his father's unhealthy attitudes about how Nwoye should be and how he should act.

Chinua Achebe’s, Things Fall Apart, is a story of a traditional village in Nigeria from inside Umuofia around the late 1800s. This novel depicts late African history and shows how the British administrative structure, in the form of the European Anglican Church, imposed its religion and trappings on the cultures of Africa, which they believed was uncivilized. This missionary zeal subjugated large native populations. Consequently, the native traditions gradually disappeared and in time the whole local social structure within which the indigenous people had lived successfully for centuries was destroyed. Achebe spends the first half of the novel depicting the Ibo culture, by

Nwoye first begins to undergo changes when the missionaries set up a church.Okonkwo is very against the churches due to his religious beliefs, and would be enraged

Because Okonkwo was never too fond of Nwoye, as he was towards his daughter Enzima or even Ikemefuna a non related child, Nwoye didn’t gain a father son relationship. Nwoye, as a child, knew his fathers tributes and character so tried to not to anger him. This included listening to explicit stories depicting death and violence even though he preferred his mothers stories about animals learning morals. As the time went by Nwoye started becoming more distant with his father. Finally, when the European starting practicing and trying to convert their religion to the Ibo, Nwoye felt something awaken and mesmerizing about them. It was depicted by stating, “He did not understand it. It was the poetry of the new religion, something felt in the marrow. The hymn about brothers

For Nwoye, after Ikemefuna's murder Nwoye seems to have finally given up on his father and loses reverence towards him. When Nwoye was at the stage of confusion he experiences an epiphany after being drawn to the new religion that made him “feel a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul” following his exposure to Christianity (147). This was an escape for Nwoye to finally find meaning in his life and ultimately make the decision to start a new life and leave the past behind. Compared to Nwoye, after Okonkwo’s time of crisis, he is faced with a transformed village and culture seeing that at the time of Okonkwo’s life many things were changing. This causes Okonkwo to experience denial and “mourn for the clan, which he saw breaking up and falling apart” (183). Drowned with memories of the past, Okonkwo misses the time at which he knew and was comfortable with. Ultimately, Okonkwo chooses to end his own life in fear that no longer exists in his clan and feels he is no match against the white men, as compared to Nwoye who chooses to live life

    The Ibo culture in Things Fall Apart began to experience colonization, all after Okonkwo was exiled. He was sent away for seven years for killing a clansman. As soon as Okonkwo had left, Umuofia was greeted by Christian missionaries. They were there to convert the villagers to Christianity, to build churches, schools, and hospitals for them. When Okonkwo was exiled, Nwoye snuck off to be among the Christians. He enjoyed being around them and examined their religious views. But, Okonkwo was not happy about Nwoye’s decisions. Okonkwo chokes him by the neck, and demands Nwoye to tell him where he has been. “I don’t know, he is not my father.” (Achebe 137) Being almost killed by his own father really encouraged Nwoye to disassociate himself from his father completely and to head back home to Umuofia. Nwoye was drawn to Christianity because it made him feel welcomed, rather than when he was apart of his native religion.

-After Nwoye is lured into the Christian religion and abandons his culture and family, Okonkwo is ashamed and states, "you have all see the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people" (172). Nwoye's father disowns him only because he chooses a path untraditional to his culture. The serious, frustrated, and unhappy mood that is created in Okonkwo's statement gives the reader an idea of how much the Ibo culture values tradition, choice, and family.

Once Nwoye took his place his place with the missionaries his whole life changes in huge ways. Nwoye has threw aside his old culture and religion to invite this new and prosperous culture into his life that will change it in a good way. When Okonkwo returned to Umuofia, Mr. Brown tells Okonkwo that “ He had just sent Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, who was now called Isaac, to a new training college for teachers in Umuru”(170).This shows change in Nwoye because he has now left his clan and his hometown to go to a training college in Umuru. As well as his name being changed from Nwoye to Isaac. Everything around Nwoye is changing as well. When Mr. Brown starts getting more people to join the missionaries before Nwoye left for college. The narrator says

Nwoye has an attraction to a new religion and culture. Okonkwo slowly and surely pushes Nwoye away. When the missionaries had arrived it rose curiosity in Nwoye. Nwoye reveals their ways and is attracted to their culture, their

“Nwoye the betrayer of the ibo culture” Nwoye sense of identity was challenged with the introduction of Western ideas into the Ibo culture. Nwoye started out in in the novel as a son of the mighty okonkwo, but the culture collision of the british colonists and ibo people affected nwoye to the point of that he betrayed his family. The reason for nwoye change in his sense of identity included his culture, religion and most important in all family. He did this for what he believed in not for what is right.

Furthermore, when values that seem more align with someone's are brought to their attention it causes them to leave behind the values they were born with. Throughout Nwoye’s life he is continually under his father's scrutiny. It is clear that Nwoye is his own person and not simply following in his father’s values. As he goes into adulthood and is brought forth with the values of Christianity it calls to him. When the missionaries came Nwoye:

Okonkwo has become determined to climb his way back up the social ranks after have been knocked to the bottom. “He was determined that his return should be marked by his people. He would return with a flourish, and regain the seven wasted years. Although this determination took his mind off of things, he still remembered the tragedy of Nwoye. “At first it appeared as if it might prove too great for his spirit. But it was a resilient spirit, and in the end Okonkwo overcame his sorrow. He had five other sons and he would bring them up in the way of the clan (172).” Okonkwo goes as far as to say “Now he is no longer my son or you brother (172).”

This happened to Nwoye and it resulted in changing his religion. He did not want to follow the Ibo culture anymore. The quote from the novel explains and shows the reader how Nwoye reacted to the new culture that was introduced. Instead of disliking it he became very fond of it. “He went back to the church and told Mr. Kiaga that he had decided to go to Umuofia where the white missionary had set up a school to teach young Christians to read and write.” (152/4) Nwoye was very influenced by the religion. He loved it so much that he now wants to teach other kids about it too. Nwoye wants to share his love for something with other people.

Okonkwo’s culture tells him to beat what he cannot fix, this idea evolved from his father, his mother culture and the lazy ways that came with it. The major factors that shape Nwoye’s view on a culture are his father, his mother culture and the white man. Along with Christianity he completely destroys the values of Okonkwo’s culture. “ Nwoye had been attracted to the new faith from the very first day, but he kept it a secret”(Achebe 149). Nwoye is too afraid of his father, as is, symbolically the clashing culture afraid of the mother culture and the outcome of the clash. The notion of the white man, along with Christianity assimilates Nwoye and his culture. And the factors above shape the view of what he wants a culture to be.

Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart tells the struggle between change, tradition, and human rights for a Nigerian Ibo society. New Ideas and beliefs are introduced by Christian Missionaries, and cause problem through the whole city of Omoufia. Throughout the novel, the main character Okonkwo, and his wives experience human right, cultural rights, and many things that can cause a human to commit suicide or harming themselves. The novel " Things fall apart" is not just a novel, it teaches students around the world about the history of Africa in a fictional setting. Chinua Achebe wrote this book to express his feelings about what really happened in African when the British came to control of them. His whole point of view was to write a fiction