The Igbo Culture In Things Fall Apart

Ethnography Project Culture unites people through their ideas and behavior, one culture in particular is the Igbo culture. The Igbo have complex rituals and customs which emphasize community and unity. Although these customs emphasize cooperation, they also cause breaks in the clan due to some oppositions clan members may have with the practices. It then becomes easy for outsiders to come into this society, drive a wedge in the cracks and cause it to fall apart. This is shown in the novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, when missionaries arrive and drive the Igbo culture apart. The community then falls and breaks beyond repair, and the protagonist Okonkwo and the tribe itself are both unable to fix it. The Igbo culture practices many
The osu seek out the church for a different way of life, and the missionary Mr. Kiaga accepts them. They then shave off their hair, which symbolizes them shaving off the remains of their old culture, which was a blow to the clan because they were people dedicated to the gods, and without fear for them, the osu shaved their heads. As the novel progresses, the converts are outlawed from the clan, but the women were outlawed as well, which usually does not happen. This shows the community breaking down in face of a threat. The village feels threatened by the converts and show this by preventing even the women from entering the village and using the resources. A member of Okonkwo’s family warns him of the dangers of being split because of this new religion, and advises him to stick close with his community. When Okonkwo returns to Umuofia after his exile, we see Mbanta is falling apart, and other villages are being affected as well. The missionaries brought with them a new belief, advanced medicinal practices, and schools. The Umuofians took a liking to these new systems and are sending their children to the schools and using the other facilities. The culture continues to crack as highly ranked members also begin to approve of the new systems and use them. Okonkwo begins to mourn as he realizes that there is no solution to the situation and the once close knit community has
The missionaries who spotted this weakness took advantage of it, and divided the clan. The customs which seemed simple and barbaric were actually intricate and served a purpose, keeping the community together. Okonkwo and his village attempted to turn the situation around, and save their community, but try as they may the missionaries had already infiltrated the village and charmed them. The Igbo had practices that showed complexity, but were also their demise. Missionaries easily converted many members, separating the clan and eventually provoking the collapse of