Okonkwo is banished for seven years from Umuofia, and during those seven years, Umuofia is changed fundamentally by the Christian faith. Many people are converted, but the whole clan is in conflict. This novel demonstrates that Christianity destroys but also guides the Ibo culture in Umuofia. Initially, the Christians help guide the Ibo culture by giving some of the people confidence to be successful, but, by doing so, break up family units. When Nwoye is first brought into the church, he is confused about the Trinity, as many people in Umuofia are.
He used the church to get away from his father's massive expectations while also pursuing something that he is interested in. The story of the conversion process that took place in Umuofia was the same throughout africa as a whole. The christian missionaries came and began preaching christianity and peacefully began to create relations with the native population. As soon as the missionaries had enough followers they used that to their advantage and started to brutally enforce the conversion of the rest of the native population to christianity. This isn’t the story that is strictly restricted to the conversion of Umuofia, but the african continent as whole during the imperialistic land grab of major European powers.
The traders were also accompanied by Christian missionaries who were allowed to conduct their religious preaching by the local barons. A large number of Japanese were converted by these missionaries. The formal conversion to Christianity began when Francis Xavier, the Sp... ... middle of paper ... ...n the Kanto area and 23.8 percent in the Kansai region. At the very least, the fact that scores of younger Japanese are choosing Christian weddings indicates that the present environment is much more open to Christianity and that the stigma once attached to the Christian faith has declined during the past several decades”. Mullins further states that this observance of Christian rituals may not be considered as an indication of solid faith in the religion instead it could be associated with “popular movie stars and all of that”.
In James Baldwin's essay "Notes of a Native Son" he tries to show how his father has affected his life. Baldwin does not think that his father will or has any effect on his life. It is not until after his father dies that Baldwin realizes what his father had continually told him is actually be true. Baldwin's relationship with his father is very similar to most child parent relationship. Children often think that their parents know nothing and it is not until something actually happens that proves the parents are right that the children realize how erroneous they had been.
His gun exploded and killed Ezeudu’s son. Okonkwo was then banished for seven years, and from there everything started to fall apart. Things Fall Apart and Okonkwo both evoke many emotions; fear, pity, anguish, compassion, and hope. There is a great deal of compassion when his own son went against, him and there is hope that the Ibo culture will stay in tact even though you know the outcome of the white man coming in contact with the Ibo culture. According to Aristotle, tragedies use many metaphors.
Both negative and positive effects of colonialism is an overarching theme throughout the novel. Throughout the novel of “Things Fall Apart” Okonkwo’s luck has not been the best. He killed a boy and accidentally shot another boy resulting in his banishment out of the tribe for seven years. While that event was unfolding, Okonkwo’s tribe was being colonized by British soldiers. The over-arching theme of the novel is what happens to the values that define Okonkwo's cultural community, when the traditions he fought so hard to sustain collapse in the ...
The main character is Okonkwo a man that has worked hard for all the things he owns, dedicated to his tradition but has a very short-temper. In fact, demonstrates his loyalty to his religion by caring for” Ikemefuna an adoptive son he community gave to him to care for the time being, but then was sent to murder with his own machete.”(Achebe 42) Afterwards Okonkwo and his family are forced to leave the Umuofia village for committing an unintentional crime and may only return within seven years. However, as time passes white men begin to settle in Umuofia and teach the village people about Christianity. The village people we kind enough to allow the white men to settle in the” Evil Forest where the clan would bury those who died because of evil diseases such as smallpox.”(Achebe 105) The white man began to preach in the village, soon built their own church where some began to attend and by the time of Okonkwo and his family return the village was torn apart. The remaining members of the tribe held a meeting in which Okonkwo stated “I shall fight alone if I choose” (Acheba 140) his use of figurative language sadly didn’t go as far as he had hoped since they were interrupted by a messenger of the white men.
This episode can be seen as an event where Okonkwo looses some faith from his family. This corresponds to Okonkwo loosing faith in his father. Another important occurrence where one can see that Okonkwo's life falls apart was when he was thrown out of the clan for a few years. From this episode one can see that Okonkwo's hopes dreams have begun to fall apart. His hopes of being a rich and popular individual had drifted away with this upsetting incident.
You never know how much you care about your culture until people try to take it away from you. Okonkwo was a prideful jerk as moste would describe him, who was once exiled for seven years for his unlawful actions. When he finally returned to Umuofia, white men come trying to change things and take land. Okonkwo stepped up to help lead his clan but ended up with the same mistakes he used to make, which connects to violence. He then gives in to his biggest fear, weakness.
He commits a crime by killing a boy who was under his care during the non – violence week of peace. As a result, he is banished from the community. During the period of exile, white missionaries come to his village and spread the Christian gospel. Okonkwo is shocked by this conversion upon his return because his son is amongst those that were converted (Achebe, 179). Okonkwo constantly battles with the missionaries to the point where he murders one of them.