Okonkwo's Cultural Changes

All throughout history there have been events recorded of differentiating cultures colliding. There was the Western Settlers in America and the Native Americans, the British and the Indians, and the Western Missionaries in Africa. Each event of these cultures colliding changed the identity of the place and the people. The new culture would influence the people who follow the old culture and the new culture’s ways would slowly integrate into their everyday lives. For some people, the new culture influence completely changed who they are as a person. An example of this happening would be Chinua Achebe’s Character Nwoye, the main character Okonkwo’s son, in his novel Things Fall Apart. Before the western missionaries came with the new religion,
Nwoye was never able to become close to or relate to Okonkwo, his father, because he is a very forbidding and outwardly unemotional. Okonkwo had a fear of being weak if he showed any emotion so he resorted to showing the only reaction he deemed manly enough; violence. Okonkwo constantly beat Nwoye when he didn’t live up to his high expectations, which lead to Nwoye growing up isolated and alone. Atleast he was until Ikemefuna was introduced into his life. Ikemefuna was sacrificed to Okonkwo’s clan after Ikemefuna’s cla had killed the wife of a man in Okonkwo’s clan. Ikemefuna was placed under Okonkwo’s care until something could be decided on what to do with the boy, and that is where Nwoye came to know Ikemefuna. Achebe writes: “[Ikemefuna] was like an older brother to Nwoye, and from the very first seemed to have kindled a new fire in the younger boy” (57). Ikemefuna had been able to bring Nwoye happiness and provide company so that Nwoye was never alone. Nwoye was able to relate to someone and he had a role model whom he idolized. Ikemefuna brought out the best in Nwoye; he was Nwoye’s silver lining. This only lasted for three years when the Oracle had decided that Ikemefuna needs to be sacrificed. Ikemefuna had made his mark on Okonkwo’s compound; he was family, and losing Ikemefuna devastated Nwoye and left him worse off than
He was in need for a savior, and, little did he know at the time, that savior was the missionaries spreading Christianity. The book says there “was a young lad who had been captivated [by the missionary speaking about Christianity]. His name was Nwoye, Okonkwo’s first son… He [Nwoye] felt a relief within as the hymn poured into his parched soul. The words of the hymn were like the drops of frozen rain melting on the dry plate of the planting earth. Nwoye’s callow mind was greatly puzzled” (141). The new faith had both enticed and confused Nwoye. It had provided momentary comfort and peace, but this is all very new and strange than him. Christianity was not what he grew up with, but what he grew up with was abusive and demeaning. The current condition his life was in had driven him, even more than the already intriguing and inviting culture, to learn more about Christianity and why it made him feel safe, happy, and comforted, but he feared that his father would disapprove and hurt him again. “Although Nwoye had been attracted to the new faith from the first day, he kept it secret. He dared not to go near the missionaries for fear of his father. But whenever they came to preach in the open marketplace or the village playground, Nwoye was there. And he was already beginning to know some of the simple stories they told” (143). Even with the constant fear of his father, he