Differences In Things Fall Apart

It is not a mystery that humans have differences. Some humans have different mental and/or physical differences. History has shown that differences (physical or mental) have let to wars and disagreements. The novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, show that categories between race and ethnicities have been used to empower and oppress by murdering those who are “inferior” and treating differently those who are “inferior”.
The novel shows that European missionaries have murdered those who disagreed with them because they (the Europeans) were “superior” and the Africans were “inferior”. In the story, the main character, Okonkwo, killed one of his clansmen accidentally and was sentenced to live 7 years in exile. He was visited by his friend,
Obierika, who told Okonkwo that white men arrived to a different clan’s village. Obierika said, “’And they began to shoot. Everybody was killed’” (139). The white men killed all of the natives. The white man used their guns to oppress the Africans of said village, and therefore empowering themselves. The novel also shows that differences in the same ethnicity can still make the “superior” murder the “inferior”. Okonkwo was visited by one of the village elders to discuss the fate of a boy that was housed by Okonkwo, after his clan was destroyed by Okonkwo’s clan. Ezeudu said, “’Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill him. The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves has pronounced it. They will take him outside Umuofia as is the custom, and kill him there” (57). Okonkwo’s clan has decided to kill the boy because he is an outsider. By murdering everybody in anther clan, Okonkwo’s clan is eliminating the competition, therefor empowering themselves over the other African clans. Sometimes humans do to as far as murdering other people that are different, they just treat them differently.
Things Fall Apart portrays.
In the story, Okonkwo is getting ready to move back into his fatherland after spending 7 years in exile, and he call all of his children to talk to the about their brother, whom left his old customs and beliefs to follow the white man’s beliefs. Okonkwo says, “’You have all seen 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. If any one of you prefers to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye now while I am alive so that I can curse him. If you turn against me when I am dead I will visit you and break your neck’” (172). Okonkwo makes it clear to his children that he will not treat them as his child, if they chose to follow the same path Nwoye chose to follow, but he will treat them as his enemy. By Okonkwo stating that he wants his male children to be men and expressing himself so negatively of women, he is stating that women are “inferior” to men and he will oppress his children that would prefer to be a woman. After Okonkwo’s return to his fatherland, the Europeans have changed many things. A Christian follower destroyed one of Okonkwo’s spirits and as a result some of his clansmen destroyed the European church. The Europeans became angry and set up a trap for the most important people in Umuofia. The European District Commissioner said, “”We shall not do you any harm,’ said the District Commissioner to them later, ’if only you agree to cooperate with us. We have brought a peaceful administration to you and your people so that you may be happy’” (194). The District Commissioner explains that they will not do any harm to them if they cooperate. By saying the words “us”, “you”, and “your”, he is saying that he does not see the Africans as equals. He is using his power to oppress the Africans and force them to do what he wants. Categories in race and ethnicity have been used by humans empower and
oppress.
The novel Things Fall Apart shows that categories between race and ethnicities have been used to empower and oppress by murdering those who are “inferior” and treating differently those who are “inferior”. Okonkwo thinking of the Europeans as “inferior” and the Europeans thinking of the Africans as “inferior” is a great example that sometimes humans of different backgrounds have the same mindset, but the ethnicity with the higher technological advancements is seen as “superior” by future generations because history is written by the winners.