Things Fall Apart Essay

The continent of Africa is considered to be the cradle of civilization. Yet today, Africa is less developed than most of the other continents. Many of its countries struggle with famine, civil war, corruption, poverty, debt, disease, and to a certain degree, ignorance. Nigerian born writer, Chinua Achebe, discusses the demise of the true Ibo culture in his novel Things Fall Apart. Achebe discusses the stringent beliefs and edicts of the Ibo culture and the consequences one must face when these rules are opposed.
Achebe highlights the internal struggle of individual characters as each realizes the flaws within their community and how it leads them to a self-discovery. Okonkwo constantly struggles to drift away from his fathers shadow, and in the process becomes more and more paranoid of his true identity. Okonkwo is extremely hubris, which eventually leads to his downfall. Okonkwo believes his society is heavily flawed and he thinks that all members of Umofia should generally be violent. Though he does not voice this opinion, it is evident because he sees reflections of his father in everything and he wants to make his family and society the opposite of his father. Okonkwo is
represented by fire. In the novel fire represents Okonkwo’s frequent rage. He is simply overwhelmed by a society that he cannot change with his firey personality and kills himself. The most obvious instance when Okonkwo senses contradiction, is in his son Nwoye.

Nwoye is Okonkwo’s oldest son, who Okonkwo believes is weak and lazy. Okonkwo continually beats Nwoye, hoping to correct the faults that he perceives in him. This is not a valid way of changing Nwoye. If Okonkwo was not so blinded by hubris he could realize that he could influence Nwoye in the way that he wants by simply speaking to him. When influenced by Ikemefuna the “ill-fated”(pg. 96) youth, Nwoye begins to exhibit more masculine behavior, which pleases Okonkwo. However, he maintains doubts about some of the laws and rules of his tribe and eventually converts to Christianity, an act that Okonkwo criticizes as “effeminate.” (pg.188) Okonkwo always believes that Nwoye is afflicted with the same weaknesses that his father, Unoka, possessed in abundance. Nwoye finds peace in listening to his mother’s parables and in poetry. Nwoye is a strong willed child who leaves the path set by his father before him, which is in no way easy. Oberika is the voice of reason in the novel.
He is very realistic about the flaws and loopholes in Umofia. People tend to follow tradition without thinking if what they are doing makes sense. Nwoye and Oberika are exceptions to this habit. Oberika often offers reasonable counterpoints to Okonkwo’s desire for rash action, although Okonkwo rarely takes Oberika’s advice. More than any other character, Oberika is a thinker, one who works things out in his head. He is one of the few characters who is truly concerned with moral ambiguities and he encourages Okonkwo to view the world in a more balanced and less hasty manner. He offers Okonkwo important adages, telling him “If one finger brings oil it soils all the others.” (pg.44) Oberika is the harbinger of a new way of thinking for
Umofia.

Each character brings with them a different way of seeing life in Umofia. Okonkwo prefers violence, while Oberika and Nwoye tend to look on situations from every angle. The contradictions in Things Fall Apart allow for a different type of book. Not just one that is read and understood. But one that is read over and over just to unlock new ways of perceiving or thinking about the many situations that are up for interpretation.