The Ibo Culture In Things Fall Apart, By Chinua Achebe

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Nigeria is in a constant state of war and bloodshed as various forms of government attempt to become the dominant power and take over the country. This unending conflict makes it difficult for Nigerians to feel secure and adapt to change, ultimately leading to the collapse of their society. Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, portrays the struggles of his Ibo culture and their constant battle to protect their society and traditions from European domination. The Ibo have a strong foundation based on their religious beliefs, which the villagers follow like a religion, making it challenging for Europeans to break their cultural foundation.
Despite their claims of helping Nigeria, Europeans are only interested in exploiting the country's natural resources. Nigerians recognize this and have consistently rejected European governance. The conflict between the Ibo and their converted peers is a significant problem within the culture. The Ibo have allowed part of their tribe to convert, making it difficult to fight against their own family in battle. The natives understand their land better than others and know what type of governance will work. Okonkwo, a character from Things Fall Apart, is initially respected for his masculinity and reputation. However, he loses his respect and influence when he suggests killing the missionaries before they destroy the Ibo. The government has many different ways of bringing a society together or possibly tearing it apart. The Ibo and the Nigerians had a difficult situation because this form of imperialist government came from a land totally foreign and new to these natives.
Slowly making more progress at destroying the natives of Africa, the imperialists are trying as hard as they can to bury the Ibo culture for good. This paragraph talks about how different the westerners’ policies and judgmental bases are. Nigeria judges based on how well an individual represents their community, which shows how closely knit they are. The imperialists eventually persuade the indigenous by fooling them. "The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together, and we have fallen apart" (Achebe). It is evident that the Nigerian natives of the Ibo culture have allowed the infiltration of foreign life. This invasion of religion and lifestyle will change the course of African culture forever. Westerners judge based on political skill and wealth. The westerners' political systems believed more in individual independence, but the Ibo are used to being seen as one big group.

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