Preview

Change In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
996 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Change In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Ordinarily, us as humans face many situations where we have to make a tough decision. As an example, politics and culture affect a lot of what we do, say, and feel. Sometimes, changes or continuities based on a decision, can change ourselves. How do we cope with these feelings though? Yes, there are many ways to deal with these emotions, some are bad and some are good. Even in books like “Siddhartha”, “How To Kill a Mockingbird”, and “Things Fall Apart” do characters need help in dealing with situations. The individuals distracted themselves by setting goals, actually looking for a change, trying to understand something new, making a change in themselves for the greater good, and the best thing, staying calm. In a way or manner, how you transact …show more content…
Okonkwo is in a clan called Umuofia. One night the town crier rung the gong to announce someone in the town of Mbaino murdered the wife of a Umuofia tribesman. Okonkwo travels to Mbaino to deliver the message that they must give Umuofia a woman and a young boy. In case they refuse to do so, Okonkwo is chosen to represent his clan, because he’s the fiercest warrior of them all. On this trip, you see a lot of the clan’s commitment to their culture which is known for its harmonious relations. For example, when Unoka’s neighbor went to collect debt, he before shared a cup of palm-wine and some kola nuts. This released any possible tension and put emphasis on the common interests and culture they split. This civilization would soon be divided by the white men that came to spread Christianity in the nigerian community. Okonkwo finds these men very shrewd and can’t believe his men did not drive them out yet. And many people like them, they’re setting up trading posts and money is flowing throughout their village. Okonkwo and his new friend Enoch, love their clan how it is now and want to respond to the Christians in a violent manner. Okonkwo sets out alone, to kill some of the Christians and didn’t get the response he was hoping for. The District Commissioner tries to find Okonkwo after that and he soon finds that he hung himself. The reason for Okonkwo killing himself is, he could not submit to a new life where he felt at odds. I assume he felt lonely and his suicide is how he is telling people they need to listen. This is the worst case scenario on how to deal with change, but it happens all around the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the novel, "All Things Fall Apart" Achebe used siginifcant sayings in chapters 1-3 that were called proverbs. The proverb that stood out most to me is located in chapter 3. The wise saying was used while Okonkwo was asking Nwakibie for help with yams. He contines with saying that he knew how it is to trust young men these days with yams especially when they are afraid of work. Then he says that he is not afraid and brings the proverb in to make a point; "The lizard that jumped from high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did ". Meaning that when a person encounter accomplishments and no one appreciates it thst person appreciates their accomplishments and praise himself or herslef.Okonkwo is praising himself…

    • 265 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When he came back from his exile, he noticed that his own brothers already had different thoughts about their customs and said they must fight for their land and for their religion. Okonkwo refuses any changes, and began to speak out to defend his motherland. He said, “Until the abominable gang was chased out of the village with whips there would be no peace (158),” the division was so marked that many others did not agree with his point of view, but he remarked, “ 'If a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I shut my eyes? No! (158).' ” Okonkwo was trying to convince the clans to fight, fight and fight for their customs. Obierika told him, “our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad, (176)” that white man was very intelligent, because he came peacefully and quietly, but then, “he has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” (176) White man had achieved his gold by dividing Igbo society. They knew that by doing so the Igbo could not stand together to fight and defend their way of…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Okonkwo Change Quotes

    • 1573 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The white men pulled in enough individuals from Umuofia, particularly the individuals who involved the most reduced positions and the individuals who scrutinized the past request, to debilitate the town's adequacy and conviction. Those esteemed by the new establishments were those like Unoka. The better approaches for Umuofia were too fundamentally not quite the same as what Oknonkwo had set up as his way in his childhood. Despite the fact that suicide conflicted with the Umuofian conventions, it hadn't generally been about those customs on the most fundamental level, and Okonkwo did one final thing that his dad could never have had the quality of conviction to do. As it were, Okonkwo's suicide conformed to the methods for Umuofia; the genuine Umuofia that Okonkwo had possessed the capacity to relate to and that he looked for approval from had murdered itself with its malleability towards the new ways.…

    • 1573 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    What characteristics describe heroes? How can one tell a hero apart from an ordinary person? My definition of a hero is a person who will achieve their goals, no matter how difficult their situations are. A hero also needs to be motivational, kind, courageous, and strong at heart. A hero will do everything possible to live up to their beliefs and do the moral thing. Now, a new question arises: Is Okonkwo, the main character in Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, a hero? Some might say that he’s a hero – after all, he is a powerful, prosperous, and well-respected man. Nevertheless, I believe that Okonkwo is not a hero; he doesn’t show the characteristics of being kind nor motivational. He doesn’t try his best to do the moral thing, and…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Things Fall Apart illustrates the beauty and fragile nature of the Igbo clan, and the tragic downfall of their entire culture. The title, Things Fall Apart, has a deep meaning that brings the unfortunate situation of Umuofia to light. The Second Coming, and Things Fall Apart, have striking similarities in their themes, and the ideas present in both of the pieces, making them seem as if they are written by the same person, or are somehow connected. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe chose the title of his book to illustrate the tragedy of losing a culture to the destruction of evil.…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To begin with, Okonkwo’s death marks the end of the Ibo culture in Umuofia. Anxious to return home, Okonkwo does not understand why everyone is allowing the missionaries to interfere with their lifestyle. Imposing a new religion and government, the white men do not understand or seem to care about how the clan operates, focusing solely on converting the clansmen to a supposedly superior ideology. As a result of his upbringing, Okonkwo is not afraid to fight for what he believes in, his tribe and culture, unlike most of the people in Umuofia. Originally convinced that Umuofia would fight against the new religion,…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo has a fear of weakness and failure. Although Okonkwo is the strongest man in Umuofia, Okonkwo’s fear of failure does not permit him to be a true genuine person. Okonkwo's life is driven by his fear of imperfection and becoming a failure. Therefore he avoids anything that will prevent him from failing.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In order for a piece of literature to thrive, characters throughout the writing need to be described with personal qualities to help the reader get a broader idea of them. Also, giving each character certain personal qualities encourages the reader to be interested in the story. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, a character that is given personal qualities throughout the novel is Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna is described as sensitive, smart and as a role model.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Okonkwo never understood the concept of going with the flow or adjusting to circumstances. It started in his childhood. His father, Unoka, “had taken no title at all and he was heavily in debt” (Achebe 8). He was a poor farmer and a coward in war. The people of Umuofia called him an agbala, which means woman. Okonkwo was immensely ashamed by him, and his life was definitely affected because of him. “Okonkwo did not have the start in life which many young men usually had. He did not inherit a barn from his father. There was no barn to inherit,” (Achebe 16). In a perfect world, his father would have been a bloodthirsty warrior, with many wives and children, and a number of cowries. Okonkwo was narrow-minded, and this quality backfired in the form of shame and discontent. “He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father,” (Achebe 2). Unoka never had the money to support his family, and this disgraced Okonkwo. Okonkwo was never able to understand his father and his different ways. Since Unoka was his father, he couldn’t say anything to him, but in his heart and mind, he meant nothing to Okonkwo.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Many people follow orders that they have given them for various of reasons, the main two reasons why they follow orders is because they want to fall in the crowd and not be left out. Second reason is followers do not want be viewed as weak. Achebe main some points in the book Things Fall Apart about the main character, Okonkwo, being viewed as weak, “Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak” (Achebe 61). Okonkwo killed his own son because he did not want others to think he was weak if he did not kill his own son. It makes sense of way people do dumb decisions at the moment because most of us do not analyzed the situation and what are the consequences we are too busy thinking about others…

    • 278 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jude Chudi Okpala analyzes Achebe's Things Fall Apart in her article for Callaloo. In the 2002 essay, she explains different hermeneutics – or study of the bible's methodology – that are featured in Achebe's story. She also discusses metaphysics and Igbo metaphysics. She looks at what these two have to do with the story. A theme that is common throughout the text is also analyzed as well.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe has a prominent theme of choices and consequences. Throughout the novel, characters make choices that have consequence. The consequences could be the littlest thing or could change their entire life. Lawson Purdy once said “Men must try and try again. They must suffer the consequences of their own mistakes and learn by their own failures and their own successes.”…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the book Things Fall Apart the way they live is not very civil. This is showed in the book plenty of times in part one. You may be asking well what if what they thought they were being civil. The real question you should be asking is what is civilization? I believe that this is a question that can be answered in many different ways. Civilization to me is a complicated and controversial concept, its about religion, its based on settled agriculture, and lastly its associated with states.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    He is a very powerful and respected man among his tribe, and everything is going well until Christian missionaries arrive and change everything. This infuriates him. He rejects the new religion, and tries to persuade the tribe leaders to drive them out. Okonkwo believes, “…that until the abominable gang was chased out of the village with whips there would be no peace” (158). The way in which he deals with the alterations the Christians bring is by trying to fight against it. In contrast, the tribe leaders have a different approach. “’We should do something. But let us ostracize these men. We would then not be held accountable for their abominations’” (159). The tribe leaders cope by doing nothing because their belief is that the gods will take care of it for them. Okonkwo’s eldest son, Nwoye, copes very differently. He is captivated by the new religion. “It was the poetry of the new religion, something felt in the marrow. The hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his young soul…” (147). So, after hearing the Christians preach the new gospel and being beat by his father, he joins the…

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Although a titled man, Okonkwo has no more control of his beloved village and culture. He knows that there was "fright in [the] tumult" (151) of the people, and knows that he would not be in control of his life much longer. Okonkwo senses the crumbling of the community’s rigid traditional structure and strict values, and thus attempts to escape the faithless world. Although Okonkwo's suicide may seem like a cowardly act of escaping failure, he dies preserving the traditions that he so vehemently honored and revered. With white missionaries changing the culture of his village, the only control that Okonkwo has over his life is through death. He chooses to end his life with his values intact rather than die seeing his beloved Umuofia fall to white men’s hands. Okonkwo’s faith in his culture is so ingrained that he sacrifices the chance for an honorable death to be instead “buried like a dog" (153). Okonkwo gives up everything he has built his life up to, only to die without honors just like his father, However, Okonkwo leaves the world an Umuofian…

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays