Things Fall Apart Essay
Change, no matter the time or event, is inevitable. As the Earth rotates and time roles forward, people change, different customs are adopted, and civilizations evolve. This type of transformation is demonstrated in the world renowned fictional book Things Fall Apart, written by the Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe. The story illustrates a culture on the verge of change when the European’s are introduced into their society. By showing how the Ibo society reacts to the Christian’s new cultural ideas, how the change impacts the lives of the characters, and how the change affects the overall society, Things Fall Apart is able to depict the consequences of an evolving civilization. “The arrival of the missionaries had caused a considerable stir
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in the village of Mbanta” (Achebe 144). As shown in the quote, with the introduction of the white Christians, there was much change throughout the nine villages. Because of this, the characters experienced a mixed amount of reactions. As found in part one of the book, the Igbo people are strong in their beliefs and culture. The author stresses the people’s traditions; examples being the breaking of the kola nut and sacrificial offerings. Thus, when the strangers came into the land of the Igbo, they men were thought of as crazy because of their different and strange beliefs. “These men must be mad, they said to themselves… and some of them began to go away” (Achebe 146). As the quote shows, the people not only believed that the men were crazy, but the Igbo people were indifferent towards the missionaries. Because of these mixed emotions and feelings of doubt, they allowed the Europeans to stay, believing that their faith would not last. Not only did the arrival of the Christians create a variety of reactions from the Igbo people, but it drastically impacted the lives of a variety of characters.
One of the book’s main themes is the struggle between change and tradition. This struggle can be found in the villagers of the nine clans. The Igbo people are caught between embracing the change or rejecting it. For example, characters such as Nwoye and Okonkwo are forced to confront the radical cultural shift. To start, with the introduction of the Christian missionaries, Nwoye’s life was forever changed. Growing up in a household where he was scrutinized for his unmasculine ways, hearing the words of salvation gave him a new understanding of his troubles. The hymn the missionaries’ sang about men living in “darkness and fear, ignorant of the love of God” (Achebe 146) had a lasting effect on Nwoye because he was able to connect with the feelings of fear and insecurity, feeling he experienced with his father. Ergo, with the new change came understanding and fulfillment. Okonkwo’s life, on the other hand, was negatively impacted by the drastic change. His life was turned upside down, for Okonkwo relied on the tribe’s morals and beliefs. Thus, he found himself unable to adapt to cultural changes, dieing with his old traditions. Therefore the change so negatively affected Okonkwo’s life that he fall
apart. Things Fall Apart is also able to depict the consequences of an evolving civilization by showing the effects of a cultural change on the overall society. With the incursion of the Christians, the people of Umbanda were forced to alter practically every aspect of their society, examples being family structure and roles, religion, and laws, morals, and social structure. When new ideas were introduced, such as the acceptance of outcasts, a new set of laws European laws, and the ability to receive education, it tore apart the Igbo people from one another. As Okonkwo once said, the white man has “put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” (Achebe 124-125). After the new changes were induced by the Europeans, the people no longer understood their place in the new social structure. The Igbo were once all connected by their similar beliefs and traditions, but as those similarities began to disappear, so too did their society. With the evolution the civilization, the changes that took place destroyed the total unity that once existed among the people, making things “fall apart.” All in all, Things Fall Apart was able to depict the consequences of an evolving civilization by illustrating the Ibo society’s reaction towards the new cultural ideas, how the changes impacted the lives of the characters, and how the change affected the overall society. As shown, cultural changes can lead to devastation. But as the Earth rotates and time roles forward, people change, different customs are adopted, and civilizations evolve, making it just another part of life, uncontrollable.
in the village of Mbanta” (Achebe 144). As shown in the quote, with the introduction of the white Christians, there was much change throughout the nine villages. Because of this, the characters experienced a mixed amount of reactions. As found in part one of the book, the Igbo people are strong in their beliefs and culture. The author stresses the people’s traditions; examples being the breaking of the kola nut and sacrificial offerings. Thus, when the strangers came into the land of the Igbo, they men were thought of as crazy because of their different and strange beliefs. “These men must be mad, they said to themselves… and some of them began to go away” (Achebe 146). As the quote shows, the people not only believed that the men were crazy, but the Igbo people were indifferent towards the missionaries. Because of these mixed emotions and feelings of doubt, they allowed the Europeans to stay, believing that their faith would not last. Not only did the arrival of the Christians create a variety of reactions from the Igbo people, but it drastically impacted the lives of a variety of characters.
One of the book’s main themes is the struggle between change and tradition. This struggle can be found in the villagers of the nine clans. The Igbo people are caught between embracing the change or rejecting it. For example, characters such as Nwoye and Okonkwo are forced to confront the radical cultural shift. To start, with the introduction of the Christian missionaries, Nwoye’s life was forever changed. Growing up in a household where he was scrutinized for his unmasculine ways, hearing the words of salvation gave him a new understanding of his troubles. The hymn the missionaries’ sang about men living in “darkness and fear, ignorant of the love of God” (Achebe 146) had a lasting effect on Nwoye because he was able to connect with the feelings of fear and insecurity, feeling he experienced with his father. Ergo, with the new change came understanding and fulfillment. Okonkwo’s life, on the other hand, was negatively impacted by the drastic change. His life was turned upside down, for Okonkwo relied on the tribe’s morals and beliefs. Thus, he found himself unable to adapt to cultural changes, dieing with his old traditions. Therefore the change so negatively affected Okonkwo’s life that he fall
apart. Things Fall Apart is also able to depict the consequences of an evolving civilization by showing the effects of a cultural change on the overall society. With the incursion of the Christians, the people of Umbanda were forced to alter practically every aspect of their society, examples being family structure and roles, religion, and laws, morals, and social structure. When new ideas were introduced, such as the acceptance of outcasts, a new set of laws European laws, and the ability to receive education, it tore apart the Igbo people from one another. As Okonkwo once said, the white man has “put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” (Achebe 124-125). After the new changes were induced by the Europeans, the people no longer understood their place in the new social structure. The Igbo were once all connected by their similar beliefs and traditions, but as those similarities began to disappear, so too did their society. With the evolution the civilization, the changes that took place destroyed the total unity that once existed among the people, making things “fall apart.” All in all, Things Fall Apart was able to depict the consequences of an evolving civilization by illustrating the Ibo society’s reaction towards the new cultural ideas, how the changes impacted the lives of the characters, and how the change affected the overall society. As shown, cultural changes can lead to devastation. But as the Earth rotates and time roles forward, people change, different customs are adopted, and civilizations evolve, making it just another part of life, uncontrollable.