The Role Of Igbo Cultural Collision With Christian Religion In Things Fall Apart

Igbo Cultural Collision with Christian Religion How can a fictional character like Okonkwo make a statement about culture? The novel “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe answers this question and more by telling of the experience of an Igbo man named Okonkwo during the Christians colonization of Africa.
In the story, The Christians arrive in Africa one day. Okonkwo wants his village, Umuofia, to run the Christians out of his land for their mistreatment and disrespect of Igbo religion and culture, but his villagers want the Christians to stay, so Okonkwo bands together with other Igbos that want the Christians out and finally make their stand against them and their ways. Okonkwo shows that encountering a new culture can be confusing with introducing
“Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements.” pg 1. But, some say that he was actually very stubborn and cruel man that abused his wives and children. “Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children.” pg 13. However, he’s still a very respectable and religious man of Umuofia and accomplished much in his life. “Near the barn was a small house, the ‘medicine house’ or shrine where Okonkwo kept his wooden symbols of his personal god and of his ancestral spirits. He worshipped them with many sacrifices of kola nut, food, and palm wine, and offered prayers to them on behalf of himself, his three wives and eight children” pg
The first attack between the Christians and Igbo was when Enoch, a christian priest, unmasked an egwugwu in public. “One of the greatest crimes a man could commit was to unmask a egwugwu in public. And this was what Enoch did.”. Okonkwo suggested they seek revenge, so the Igbo retaliated when a group of vengeful egwugwu went and burned down a church.“The band of egwugwu moved like a furious whirlwind too Enoch’s compound and with machete and fire reduced it to a desolate heap.” pg 188. However, all this ended up doing was causing the Christians to arrest Okonkwo and the Umuofia leaders, making them pay two hundred bags of cowries for damages. “The six men were handcuffed and lead too the guard room. ‘I have decided that you will pay a fine of two hundred bags of cowries.’ ” pg. 194. This caused Okonkwo to fall into a deep depression and eventually hang himself shamefully. “Then they came to the tree from which Okonkwo’s body was dangling, they stopped dead.” pg