Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart was written by Chinua Achebe. In the passage above, one understands Okonkwo and some of his men were arrested and have been set free after a hefty fine was paid on their behalf. Even though they are out of jail, the atmosphere around Umuofia is everything but elated. Things have fallen apart. Achebe represents this amount of change when he shows Okonkwo’s manly reputation being stripped, the gleeful social behavior of the tribe fades behind the strict rules and actions of the missionaries, and the cultural customs being wiped away into the past.
Firstly, the missionaries find a way to diminish the happy social life of the tribe. This can be seen when some women walking to the stream neglect the typical greeting. As Achebe writes, “As they made their way to the village the six men met women and children going to the stream with their waterpots. But the men wore such heavy and fearsome looks that the women and children did not say "nno" or "welcome" to them, but edged out of the way to let them pass.”(pg.) This quote shows the deterioration of the friendly Ibo greetings. Achebe also writes “They neither spoke to anyone nor among themselves.” This shows how faded the fellowship and socializing has become. Along with the friendliness, many cultural …show more content…
This is also shown in the book when Achebe explains, “The village was astir in a silent, suppressed way.” This shows that the people who are usually dancing, cooking, and participating in rituals were quiet. The book also accounts, “The bitterness in his heart was now mixed with a kind of childlike excitement, before he had gone to bed he had brought down his war dress, which he had not touched since his return from exile.” This shows the fading of the culture because Okonkwo had not worn his tribal war dress. By not having worn his war dress, it can be seen that rituals which were once popular are now very
Firstly, the missionaries find a way to diminish the happy social life of the tribe. This can be seen when some women walking to the stream neglect the typical greeting. As Achebe writes, “As they made their way to the village the six men met women and children going to the stream with their waterpots. But the men wore such heavy and fearsome looks that the women and children did not say "nno" or "welcome" to them, but edged out of the way to let them pass.”(pg.) This quote shows the deterioration of the friendly Ibo greetings. Achebe also writes “They neither spoke to anyone nor among themselves.” This shows how faded the fellowship and socializing has become. Along with the friendliness, many cultural …show more content…
This is also shown in the book when Achebe explains, “The village was astir in a silent, suppressed way.” This shows that the people who are usually dancing, cooking, and participating in rituals were quiet. The book also accounts, “The bitterness in his heart was now mixed with a kind of childlike excitement, before he had gone to bed he had brought down his war dress, which he had not touched since his return from exile.” This shows the fading of the culture because Okonkwo had not worn his tribal war dress. By not having worn his war dress, it can be seen that rituals which were once popular are now very