Paper on Achebe's Things Fall Apart - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... Achebe’s novel seems to digress to understand the Okonkwo’s with the arrival of western missionaries’ gravity therefore; the viewer should see Okonkwo within his world’s context. Set in both the colonial and pre-colonial era, Things Fall Apart highlights differences between traditional African and Christian belief system. It depicts the lifestyle of the past traditional culture among the Nigerians and its clashes with the introduction of colonialism. It stars Okonkwo, a resilient who strived to renounce his unsuccessful father in character and way of living. Unoka who is the father of Okonkwo offered no attention to his family and he finally died poor leaving many debts to be paid while Okonkwo toiled to become a wealthy and powerful man among the people of his village as a leader, warrior and a wealthy and courageous traditionalist with three wives and had many children1. Due to these, qualities Okonkwo was elected to become the guardian of Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna is a boy given to Okonkwo by a neighbouring village, he lives in the hut of Okonkwo’s first wife, and he developed a close relationship with Okonkwo’s oldest son. ...
When Okonkwo came back to Umofia, he revolted against destroying a local church. They were held prisoner by the white administration for a while and released after payment of a ransom. The native leaders felt humiliated and greatly insulted and brought up a great uprising. Well known as an adamant warrior, Okonkwo advocated for war against the whites killing a native messenger from the colonial administration2. Realising with despair that his community will not fight to protect themselves, he ultimately committed suicide rather than be tried in a foreign colonial court. It is against the traditions for an individual to commit suicide, thus in death, he ruined his reputation and legacy. This clearly shows how the political structure of the white men and the Africans vary as the white men had court system through which they ensured justice was done by having the grieved compensated by the trouble maker and did not allow the tit for tat approach used by the Africans. Mr Brown and Reverend Smith are white missionaries who greatly affected Christianity to the people of Umuofia. Mr Brown was a western missionary who was succeeded by Reverend Smith in Umuofia. This happened as Okonkwo was away on exile, an exile that was brought unto his due to misfiring of his gun killing the son of the elder Ezendu during the Ezendu’s funeral. The exile was meted upon the Okonkwo family to appease the gods that were irritated by the death. Brown and Smith were marvelled at the acceptance of Christianity in the village. This was due to the equality gospel they preached. Among the traditions he was against were blatant killing of some of the villagers regarded them as outcasts. Smith was a critic of ...Download file to see next pagesRead More