Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
In the novel, “Things Fall Apart” written by Chinua Achebe, traditions and customs are discussed throughout the entire novel. These customs include the villagers living their lives according to what the Oracle, the gods messenger, says. If one disobeys the what the gods have said then the one that disobeys will be punished along with his family. If the village does not go through with punishing the offender that they believe that the gods will punish not only the offender but the entire village as well. “And if the clan did not exact punishment for an offence against the great goddess, her wrath was loosed on all the land and not just on the offender,” (Achebe 53); Because of these customs and beliefs that they live by when something goes
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However, three years after he joined the village the Oracle of of the Hills and Caves pronounced that Ikemefuna was to be killed and Okonkwo was not to be involved in his death, since the boy calls him his father. However, because Okonkwo did not want to show any weakness, he ended up killing Ikemefuna, “Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak,” (Achebe 25). A few days later, his best friend, Obierika, comes by his home and talks to him about how being a part of Ikemefuna’s death will have drastic consequences. “What you have done will not please the Earth. It is the kind of action for which the goddess wipes out whole families,” (Achebe 27), which is later proven to be true, with the exception of anyone from Okonkwo’s family actually …show more content…
The missionaries had begun to settle and had taken over the weakest villages first until they reached Umuofia. Years later, while Okonkwo was still in exile, the missionaries had already settled and built their churches in Umuofia and even converted some villagers to Christianity. Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son, becomes intrigued with the new religion and eventually converts to Christianity too, leaving behind his Igbo traditions. Okonkwo later hated his son for betraying his tribal traditions and going with the white man’s god. “To abandon the gods of one's father...was the very depth of abomination...when he died all his male children decided to follow Nwoye's steps and abandon their ancestors,” (Achebe 63). Nwoye abandons his family and his culture and Okonkwo fears that the rest of his children will follow in his son’s footsteps “destroy” the family name, ending up like his father
However, three years after he joined the village the Oracle of of the Hills and Caves pronounced that Ikemefuna was to be killed and Okonkwo was not to be involved in his death, since the boy calls him his father. However, because Okonkwo did not want to show any weakness, he ended up killing Ikemefuna, “Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak,” (Achebe 25). A few days later, his best friend, Obierika, comes by his home and talks to him about how being a part of Ikemefuna’s death will have drastic consequences. “What you have done will not please the Earth. It is the kind of action for which the goddess wipes out whole families,” (Achebe 27), which is later proven to be true, with the exception of anyone from Okonkwo’s family actually …show more content…
The missionaries had begun to settle and had taken over the weakest villages first until they reached Umuofia. Years later, while Okonkwo was still in exile, the missionaries had already settled and built their churches in Umuofia and even converted some villagers to Christianity. Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son, becomes intrigued with the new religion and eventually converts to Christianity too, leaving behind his Igbo traditions. Okonkwo later hated his son for betraying his tribal traditions and going with the white man’s god. “To abandon the gods of one's father...was the very depth of abomination...when he died all his male children decided to follow Nwoye's steps and abandon their ancestors,” (Achebe 63). Nwoye abandons his family and his culture and Okonkwo fears that the rest of his children will follow in his son’s footsteps “destroy” the family name, ending up like his father