Things Fall Apart - Essay Example

Additionally, he highlights the absurdity of belittling foreign customs. Obierika is not blaming the white man’s sect entirely. He also feels that the Umofians people had a role to play in disregard of their culture as they have converted into Christianity (152). He feels that those who have converted have abandoned deliberately and wrongly their own brothers. However, Achebe complicates the assessment as he vaguely presents the perspective of moral blacks against the evil whites. However, he endeavours to demonstrate the validity of some issues elsewhere, concerning the Igbo culture and convention.

It becomes hard to establish, who is at blunder for the consequential destruction, when religion and tradition are the strings that hold the clan together, and when the religion is flawed, and that the tradition vulnerable. Achebe is not blaming the villagers, but he shows some criticism of some clan members’ response to colonial presence, and as well is quotation condemns the colonialists for their disrespect of the Igbo culture. The quote is reflective of the final collapse of Umuofia, an Igbo nation in the contemporary Nigeria, because of the imminent of the white man in the late 19th century.

The quote signifies how the colonizers’ arrival employed Christian missionaries to introduce fresh ideas that undermined the local traditions and beliefs. The colonizers did not know that the Umuofia citizens had a government and a religion that they were comfortably embracing (87). The missionaries spent no time in learning any of the Igbo’s intricate society processes of justice, matrimony rites or spiritual beliefs. The white men lured many clan members into the church and government through power and money.

They do not wish to return to their old traditions and customs. It is evident that even if the clan manages to drive out the white man successfully, their own clan members will use the soldiers to destroy the clan. The white man’s influence has already divided the people by destroying their customs thus they have different perspectives of the culture. Some such as Okonkwo and Obierika are rooted in the traditions while others have already embraced Christianity and dealt away with traditions.

They are divided, and their culture is falling apart. When the missionaries formerly arrived, with their religion, people of Igbo society consider the religion as foolish, and the followers are seen as harmless, useless people who are not given any significance. The local priests’ fiercely warn against the new religion, relating it to anew dog that had come to eat the clan up, however, people did not attach much significance. They saw the missionaries as worthless people with weird ideas. However, gradually they start to strike the weakness of the Igbo society.

The missionaries preach to the Igbo people that their traditions gods are not alive and, therefore, cannot harm them. The locals are amused and broke into laughter as per their tradition ancestors were feared, and no one dared to provoke their rage. However, with time the missionaries managed to convert many people to Christianity. The missionaries, managed to divide peoples beliefs, by constantly and publicly criticizing the beliefs claiming that, their gods were dead, and that there was no need to fear a dead person.

These resulted in