Chinua Achebe’s Novel Things Fall Apart

December 12, 2020 by Essay Writer

“The white man is very clever…He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart. ” Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart is a prime example of African literature that demonstrates the clash between cultures and peoples that occurred across the African continent as a consequence of European colonialism. This arward winning novel illustrates the conflict occurring during the period of British colonization of Africa. The novel is told from the perspective of the native people of Ibo. The novel is set in Umuofia, in Nigeria, in an area where their culture is indigenous to the Ibo people. In “Things Fall Apart” it seems that the African Ibo culture was strong and functional, such as in its religious beliefs and customs, government, economic, and social coherence. The order of Ibo society became interrupted and began to unravel when the white missionaries entered Africa and introduced Christianity. Oknowko, the protagonist  in ”Things Fall Apart”, is the representation of the African Ibo society and throughout the novel he begins to unravel just as the society. In “Things Fall Apart” different aspects of the African Ibo society began to fall apart such as the religious beliefs, the government, and the economic system. Oknowko’s representation in the novel leads one to believe that the society was strong. His status was based on individual merit not on heritage. He was born from a poor family and his belief system was strong. He strived to represent the economic stability with The government was basically democratic. The white men took cruel measures in imposing their power. The Ibo society had no centralized government. It is capable to say that the struggles and conflicts throughout the novel are aligned with the society and Oknowno. The Ibo society had become a thriving economical society. There were changes due to the entrance of the white man, it was no longer the same society that had been know to the Ibo people. The structure of the societies governmentfell apart because of the white man’s court and could not recover from this drastic change. The elders were mainly in rule and other groups played their roles in the government process, such as the secret societies that were masked men who sat and listened to judicial issues and made verdicts when necessary. The period of colonization disrupted the order of societies roles in the economic development that had been indigenous to their culture. The white courts disregarded the Ibo’s customs about land. The arrival of the English laws alters the Ibo’s way of life with regard to the adhering to the rules of the society. These things became great valued and brought a lot of money into Umuofia. Kiaga approached two outcasts and told them they must shave their hair in order to let go of their heathen beliefs. In conclusion, as one can see, the religion, government, and the traditional economic development of the Ibo society fell apart. Ibo culture was strong and functional, such as in its religious beliefs and customs, government, economic, and social coherence. The order of Ibo society became interrupted and began to unravel when the white missionaries entered Africa and introduced Christianity. Oknowko, the main character in the novel, is the representation of the African Ibo society and throughout the novel he begins to unravel just as the society. In “Things Fall Apart” different aspects of the African Ibo society began tofall apart such as the religious beliefs, the government, and the economic system. Oknowko’s representation in the novel leads one to believe that the society was strong. His status was based on individual merit not on heritage. He was born from a poor family and his belief system was strong. He strived to represent the economic stability with fell apart.

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