Analytical Essay On Things Fall Apart

Everyone sees the world just a little differently, and perspective can often stand as something which sets people apart. Controversy abounds in the world, and many people do not see eye to eye, especially when cultures clash, as they do in Things Fall Apart, a novel about the African Igbo culture. This novel by Chinua Achebe tells the story of the village Umuofia, a place which stands untouched and unmarred by the hands of Europeans. In the end, the Christian Europeans and the African natives clash, resulting in a changed world for the people of Umuofia. In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, the Igbo people are portrayed as civilized in that their way of life seems just to them, but to an outsider, their decisions seem peculiar which is due to the fact that a foreigner does not know the culture as intimately as those who are a part of it, which establishes the importance of perspective and an open mind in viewing other cultures. Generally, most people their decisions through before they act. For the Igbo people, their gods serve as the people’s conscience;

Achebe explained this idea very simply by explaining, “what is good among one people is an abomination with others” (Achebe 141). In answering whether or not Umuofia can be classified as a civilized group, everything revolves around perspective. Readers may interpret a text, but they should not blatantly call a group of people uncivilized. Umuofia’s ideas may differ from what an average American may have experienced, but referencing Achebe’s own words, people do not always agree on ideas and practices. The entire point of Things Fall Apart is for Achebe to prove Africa did not need the Europeans to civilize them; this quote clearly outlines his idea on the subject. No one should look down upon a culture that does not belong to him or her. By calling a people uncivilized, they themselves are the uncivilized