The Ibo Culture In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe suggests that if a culture refuses to change, it is doomed to be consumed, as supported by both the novel and The Aztec Civilization, and contradicted by modern day Nigeria. In Achebe 's text, the Ibo people are overrun by the missionaries. Traditionally, Ibo culture is very one sided, as demonstrated by the villagers of Umuofia. Physical strength and power is valued above all else, and it is not uncommon for men to beat or abuse their wives and children. Okonkwo, a highly regarded Umuofian man, is especially guilty. Driven by traditional honor codes, Okonkwo feels he needs to make up for his “lazy, improvident, and drunk” father’s legacy, and goes so far as to almost kill one of his wives in front of the entire family over a banana tree to achieve his …show more content…

Practioners of the faith are converting in droves to Christianity, and the only way for the Ibo to compete is to change. The Ibo refuse to do so and stick to their guns, standing tall against a towering foe, and continuing to believe that their religion is right regardless of recent events. This proves to be a poor decision, however, as the Ibo are promptly overrun and destroyed. All that chose to convert or acknowledge European rule were spared. But, the few who would not budge from their positions were cut down with great brutality and efficiency, marking the burial of a once proud culture. Based on the end of Achebe’s novel, this cultural shift is a bad thing, for hostilities and prejudices still maintain a prescence in Umuofia, further proving that when a culture resists change, they are doomed to be overtaken. Similarly to the Ibo in Things Fall Apart, the 14 &15th century Aztecs were consumed by the Spanish conquistadors. According to Dan Hofstadter in The Aztecs: Blood And Glory, The Aztec civilization was one of intense tradition and customs. With their