The manner in which we speak may vanish tomorrow but our writing may live on for many, many years. Literature is set out to educate many and has become a helpful tool for mankind without it we wouldn’t know most of the worlds history. Chinua Achebe has provided such in a novel called “Things Fall Apart” in which a series of different opinions are presented to a community that is suddenly challenged to give up their tradition. In light of the situations stated in the book, the reader can profoundly understand its true meaning and its historical significance. George Orwell brings forth a novel including the power of guidance, void, and speech called “Animal Farm.” Orwell uses anthropomorphism to depict communication skills and educating …show more content…
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. Thus, the reader begins to comprehend the true meaning behind the title as …show more content…
The story begins with a powerful speech made by Old Major an old pig who speaks of rebellion to a farm of animals living in Manor Farm but sadly dies days after. In addition, Old Major’s greatest inspiration was set upon a hyperbole in the song ”Beast of England” which illustrates a world run by animals and no longer in the hands of mankind as states in the eight line “Shall be trod by beast alone.”(Orwell 32-33) Within the following days the animals in the farm unknowingly strike back at their owner’s negligence and cause a rebellion. Napoleon and Snowball were two young pigs that set out to build a new farm for the benefit of all the animals in the farm, renamed the farm as Animal Farm, and set forth seven commandments. As time went by the farm prospered, disagreements rose within the two, leading to Snowballs exile, and Napoleon’s title as the Leader. The seven commandments began to change for instance the sixth now stated “No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.”(Orwell 98) The naïve farm animals would believe that commandments had stated so before but they had simply forgotten. Soon enough the pigs began to wear clothes and by the time the “farm animals looked upon the pigs and men they saw no difference.”(Orwell 139) Therefore, the reader yet again realizes things don’t always go the way we had wished
Set in Africa in the 1890s, Chinua Achebe's ‘Things Fall Apart’ is about the tragedy of Okonkwo during the time Christian missionaries arrived and polluted the culture and traditions of many African tribes. Okonkwo is a self-made man who values culture, tradition, and, above all else, masculinity. Okonkwo’s attachment to the Igbo culture and tradition, and his own extreme emphasis on manliness, is the cause of his fall from grace and eventual death.
In the book “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe certain themes are present in the the
Fear is a feeling no one wants to admit they have. A young child, though, will say what they are afraid of, but as one gets older the more they want to be looked as a tough person. Zack Wamp puts it perfectly, no one should be scared or afraid to go into the future, but yet be intrigued into stepping into a new light of knowledge and learning. In Chinua Achebe's book Things Fall Apart he shows the Ibo people and their fear, superstition, response to fear and the British.
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is set towards the offset of the 1800s. The protagonist goes by the name Okonkwo. He has lived all his life resenting the poverty that his father represented and the man he was. In his adult life, Okonkwo becomes, extremely wealthy, but is strict and withdrawn from his wives and children. 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. His struggle with all the mixed emotions he goes through causes him to take his own life.
It was the glorious speech from Old Major that made the animals want to rebel so badly. Animal Farm, written by George Orwell is an excellent novel that portrays the need for power. It shows how power can be used for either good or evil. The story begins on Manor Farm, owned by a farmer named Mr. Jones. One of the pigs, named Old Major, gives a speech that motivates the animals to rebel. After a while, the animals ended up rebelling, and managed to kick out Mr. Jones. During the beginning of “Animal Farm’s” reign under Snowball and Napoleon’s (main characters) lead, it brought the animals on Manor Farm together into a peaceful world. However, after this initial stance of power, Snowball and Napoleon began to fight for it. In the end, Napoleon ends up with control of the farm and Snowball is never seen again. Power is a corrupting influence in Animal Farm and both Snowball and Napoleon’s way of leading are very different.
Crime is another main theme in the novel. In the Igbo tribe, crime is an offense towards the gods of the land which can also bring bad luck to the land. When a member of the clan commits a crime, the member can be exiled, or can serve some form of punishment or make sacrifices to avoid bad luck. In chapter thirteen, Okonkwo accidentally kills Ezeudu’s child during Ogbuefi Ezeudu’s funeral. This crime gets him exile from his clan for seven years. After his return to Umoufia, Okonkwo kills a white man and commits suicide because he lost faith in his clan to fight back and take back their land from the missionaries. Okonkwo breaks the greatest abomination of their tribe, which is to kill oneself. His body is deemed evil and bad for the land. Since Okonkwo commits a crime of killing himself, his clan decides not to bury him.
Planet Earth harbors seven billion independent human minds, living seven billion independent, equally complex lives. Even more impressive, each mind contains unique perspectives and opinions. With so many different minds interacting, conflict between individuals’ perspectives and opinions becomes inevitable. Unfortunately, no single perspective, held by a single mind or a group of minds, dominates as the correct perspective. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the meeting of different cultures creates conflict between perspectives, in which both parties assume righteousness but neither is entirely correct. Though Okonkwo may draw a readers’ sympathy for his role as the tragic hero, the author’s sympathy sits with Obierika, who is positioned between the missionaries and Okonkwo as the most humane balance of the two cultures.
Power has motivated human beings since the beginning of time. In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart a respected citizen of the Umuofia Clan, Okonkwo, is driven to be as masculine as possible and wants his sons to follow in his footsteps. At the age of just eighteen, Okonkwo gains power by conquering the undefeated Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling match. It is through these actions that he thirsts for more power. Okonkwo gains many wives, has many children and provides plenty of goods to his family; making his life magnificent. However with his greed, Okonkwo executes many more violent actions that will make it difficult for him to gain back his power and ultimately lose his family. Every aspect of his life demonstrates that one must not take what one has for granted.
Parents are a primary example for their children as they grow up. Kids often become very comparable to their parents as they grow up. Okonkwo, from the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, disapproves of his father, however, has trouble parting from his influence. Okonkwo refuses to look up to his dad because he is a failure and a bad representation of a man. His father was a coward and remains dishonored by the village. Okonkwo understands that children often become similar to their parents, and he has trouble coping with that. In the book Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, the main character, suffers from internal conflict due to his fear of becoming similar to his cowardly father.
Our qualities and virtues contributes to the way we are, and the way we act. Certain personalities can lead to great success and power, other qualities lead to a life of sorrow and misery. Even our virtues can lead us to downfalls. The award winning book, Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe introduces us to the story of Okonkwo, a man with many virtues which leads to downfalls. He is a victim of his masculinity, his success, and his passion.
As the book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, story continue, it reveals the signs about the coming of the European colonist’s powers in the Igbo society. The European invaders have arrived and are finally beginning to penetrate into Nigeria. During Okonkwo's second year in exile, his friend Obierika and Uchendu pay him a visit. Obierika tell the tragic news about the village of Abame, a neighboring village cluster like Umuofia has been destroyed.
In the book “Things Fall Apart”, evidence of a social structure was apparent within the Igbo community. This rigid social structure served as a purpose to balance the life of the people within the society, as well as promoting the downfall of the clan. The social structure was important in keeping a centralized society and preventing any sign of corruption within their clan. The social structure had advantages in keeping a balanced and equal society, supporting a division of labor, providing a surplus of food, individual huts, a communal society, and the development of some kind of government. In contrast, this social structure led others to reject to cooperate with the new religion and aided the lack of unity among the people. It also promoted a more patriarchal society, the inferior rank of women, and the lack of strong bonds between family members.
Throughout history, there have been many instances of people struggling to identify and cope with change and tradition, and this is no different in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
All throughout history, we see this dichotomy between tradition and modernity. On one hand, we have tradition, the force living perpetually in the past and refusing to change. On the other hand, modernity leaves tradition behind in favor of progress. These two concepts, much like oil and water, dare to divide but coexist as a debatable founding solution. Not only are the themes Western ideas, but they have been present and are found in literature all around the world, from China to Africa.
David Carroll writes, of the novel Things Fall Apart, "This incident is not only a comment on Okonkwo's heartlessness. It criticizes implicitly the laws he is too literally implementing..." (Carroll) The incident that David Carroll refers to is the death of Ikemefuna. Ikemefuna was a young boy who was handed over to the village of Umuofia as compensation for the murder of one of that village's citizens. He is handed over to Okonkwo, a great man in the village, to whom he gives every affection. The brief life with Okonkwo and death of this innocent young man, and the life of Okonkwo himself, is a microcosm of life in Umuofia. Inconsistencies, brutalities, and conflict abound in even the highest of Umuofian life. And as Ikemefuna is led off to be murdered by the man he calls father, "the whole tribe and its values is being judged and found wanting" (Carroll).