How Does Mr Brown Develop Their Sense Of Identity

Mr. Brown could attest to the authenticity of a quote by Margaret Mead, which encourages people, “Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have.” When a challenge arises the magnitude of impact it has can be surprising. Peoples’ perspectives change which in turn can change their sense of identity. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Mr. Brown was sent out to Africa with one mission, to convert and colonize Nigeria. However, unlike most others Mr. Brown is a missionary that is full of compassion and love for the Ibo people. While in Umuofia, Mr. Brown gains knowledge about the Ibo people’s culture and beliefs, tries to protect them, and is sad when he has to leave them, which is evidence
Brown began trying to gain knowledge of Ibo ways and customs. In Things Fall Apart Mr. Brown meets with Akunna, a clan leader, and other great men in order to acquire and dispense knowledge of each other’s way of life. Mr. Brown desired to acquire knowledge of the Ibo’s beliefs and way of life. “Whenever Mr. Brown went to that village he spent long hours with Akunna in his obi talking through an interpreter about religion. Neither of them succeeded in converting the other but they learned a more about their different beliefs” (Things Fall Apart pg. 179). The missionary gains enough knowledge that he is able to change his tactics to better reach the Ibo. “In this way Mr. Brown learned a good deal about ht religion of the clan and he came to the conclusion that a frontal attack on it would not succeed” (Things Fall Apart pg.
He condemned openly Mr.
Brown’s policy of compromise and accommodation” (Things Fall Apart pg. 184). As Mr. Brown had warned not all missionaries were lenient, as he was. It is evident in the respect Mr. Brown requires of his converts as well as in the warnings he gives the Ibo about other missionaries. As time goes on Mr. Brown continues to befriend the Ibo people and comes to love them as one would a child, driving home Achebe’s message that not all westerners had bad intentions.
The peaceful man tries to do what is best for the Ibo, as seen in the following passage from
Things Fall Apart. “Mr. Brown begged and argued and prophesied. He said that the leaders of the land in the future would be men and women who had learned to read and write. If Umuofia failed to send her children to the school, strangers would come from other places to rule them” (Things Fall Apart pg. 181). Mr. Brown has good intentions and wanted to prepare the Ibo for the change in culture, whether they converted to Christianity or not. When Mr. Brown can no longer physically bear to remain in Umuofia “he had to leave his flock, sad and broken”