Things Fall Apart Nwoye Identity Essay

A multifaceted English writer named Lewis Carroll once said, “Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.” Finding oneself is an arduous task, and a character named Nwoye in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is able to do so through a cultural collision. Through his experiences, Nwoye determines his potential and decides to take advantage of his opportunities in order to live a prosperous life. The story of Nwoye demonstrates how an ethnic collision leads to religious, political, and social changes, which results in one discovering his true identity.
While Nwoye’s interactions with the westerners were positive, it had negative effects on his culture and his relationship with his father. His true personality shows through because it had been hidden for fear of his father. One day, Okonkwo hears about how Nwoye visits the church and gets angry at him when he returns. “Nwoye turned round to walk into the inner compound when his father, suddenly overcome with fury, sprang to his feet and gripped him by the neck” (Achebe, 132). The author uses imagery in this sentence to show how abusive
and unappreciative Okonkwo is. Okonkwo always criticizes Nwoye, and Nwoye remains emotionally unfulfilled. Eventually, Ikemefuna comes to fill that void and Nwoye begins to emulate him, in his adoration for him. In a strange way, Ikemefuna fills the role of both father and brother for Nwoye, providing him with a peer to share his thoughts and a role model. After Ikemefuna’s unfair murder, Nwoye starts to pull away from his father and stops interacting as much.
The more equitable and less gruesome western culture also attracts Nwoye. The Igbo culture believes in sacrifices, murders, and death was common. In chapter 17, the author introduces a pregnant woman by the name of Nneka who also feels the same as Nwoye about the western culture. She tries to bear children multiple times but ends up with twins each time. And according to the Umuofia rules, one needs to throw her children in the Evil Forest if they are twins, or had a certain disease. So in order to keep her children, she decides to join the missionaries. One of Nwoye’s step-sisters also faces a similar fate. “He brought out a sharp razor from the goatskin bag slung from his left shoulder and began to mutilate the child. Then he took it away to bury in the Evil Forest, holding it by the ankle and dragging it on the ground behind him” (69). The imagery and cruel diction in this sentence specify the actions and show how truly gruesome the Igbo culture is. After Nwoye witnesses all this, when he finds a new culture which acts fairly and justly, he feels a natural attraction to it.
Nwoye’s thrive for knowledge also goes against the Igbo culture and its traditions.
Nwoye did not appreciate some Igbo traditions like farming at a young age. “During the planting season Okonkwo worked daily on his farms from cock-crow until the chickens went to roost” (11). The diction in the quote shows how important Okonkwo finds his work and how manly he considers himself. Okonkwo expects Nwoye to be a great farmer, but Nwoye is not interested. The fact that the western children got the opportunity to go to school at an early age instead of working fascinates and excites Nwoye. In this unjust society, Nwoye stays unfulfilled, with no hope or joy. When he saw the western culture, and their just society with peace and opportunities, he became keen to convert; not just because he wants to leave the impartial Igbo society, but because he wants to determine his true
identity.
One needs to have exposure to different cultures, ideas, and beliefs in order to discover his true identity. In Nwoye’s situation, the missionaries and the western culture impacts him. The fair, civilized, and impartial society fascinates him. And therefore, he seizes this opportunity to convert and conform himself to the western culture. This ethnic clash not only impacted him religiously, politically and socially, but altered his identity as well. Like Nwoye, people need to realize the importance of finding their true identity and take advantage of their opportunities so they can live a jubilant life.