Obierika Identity Quotes

In the novel Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe a new culture is introduced to the Ibo people and they are affected in many different ways depending on how they adapted or did not adapt to the new culture. One character in particular is affected by this invading culture, Obierika. As this new culture is introduced it caused Obierika’s cultural identity to change as he questions the Ibo culture.
Before the arrival of the new culture Obierika was a high figure in the Ibo tribe and was a strict follower of the Ibo culture rules and religion. Obierika had obtained two titles and was a ndichi or elder in the Umuofia tribe, this rank implies that he was a successful warrior and follows the religion of the Ibo tribe. These traits of being
The first time that Chinua Achebe really shows this in Things Fall Apart is when Okonkwo and Obierika are talking after Okonkwo had just got back from his exile and Okonkwo wants run the white men out of the tribe, but Obierika says, “How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us?” (Achebe p??????). This quote demonstrates how the new culture has shaped Obierika because is shows that Obierika does not desire to go to war to drive out the white men, using the excuse that he does not want to fight his brothers. This might seem like a reasonable excuse to not chase out the white men, but just seven years earlier Obierika’s best friend Okonkwo had accidentally killed a boy, which is a minor offence in comparison to disrespecting to Igbo gods, and Obierika had gone out with the other tribe elders to chase Okonkwo out and burn everything that he owned. Now in this circumstance with an even larger crime being committed Obierika says to Okonkwo that he will not fight his brothers. This demonstrates that Obierika has changed in the past seven years and the reason why he has changed is clear when you look back at a thought that Obierika