Foreshadowing In Things Fall Apart

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As much as it is common to stick with tradition, change is inevitable. Whether it is a change in society, time or even a change in someone's life, change cannot be avoided nor planned for. In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, Achebe’s use of foreshadowing develops the theme of change and the effect it has on a nation and the people. Change caused the nation to abandon its customs and deteriorate the people. The coming in of Mr. Brown and the Christian missionaries reveals the first change in Umuofia. Achebe foreshadows that the Christian missionaries and their new faith is going to change Umuofia as a whole. "The missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built a church there, won a handful of converts..." (Achebe 143). …show more content…

Okonkwo realized that everything had changed after returning to Umuofia. The change in Umuofia had a negative impact on Okonkwo. "Okonkwo was deeply grieved....." (Achebe 183). Achebe foreshadows that with everything going on and the clan slowly falling apart, so will Okonkwo. Okonkwo's inability to accept the new changes in Umuofia eventually lead to his fall. Achebe continues to foreshadow Okonkwo's later events with catastrophes that occur within Umuofia. "Okonkwo stood looking at the dead man. He knew Umuofia would not go to war. He wiped his machete on the sand and went away." (Achebe 205). Okonkwo killing the messenger and getting the wrong reaction showed him who the people of Umuofia were for and against. Achebe foreshadows Okonkwo’s suicide by having him walk away from the people. At this point Okonkwo felt he was fighting a battle on his own. Okonkwo's decision to commit suicide is not primarily based off of him killing the messenger, but because of the change that occurred in Umuofia during his exile and the effect it had on him once he returned. Achebe foreshadows Okonkwo's downfall from the start of his return and shows that his inability to accept the changes caused him to slowly fall

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