Things Fall Apart Essay

592 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Cultural Significance in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

the novel things fall apart by Chinua Achebe he has a main character okonkwo which is a leader of the village umuofia and he has a son nwoye, and ikemefuna (a child given to him from another village) and and two daughters Ezinma and Obiageli while also having three wives. The theme of this novel is change/religion,because of this there are many differences that appear and killings.

The village of umuofia was in Nigeria and in that land there was only igbo religion. In umuofia there was a strict way of doing things, everybody had their roles to play in everyday living and special occasions. Okonkwo son nwoye was tired of having to follow his father so when he found these missionaries having a church meeting outside. Nwoye sat in on a couple of their meetings and decided that he wanted to turn to Christianity. What nwoye didn't know was that obierika had saw him the missionaries and that he was going to tell his father. The missionaries asked the tribe for a spot of land to build a church, the elders gave them a spot in the evil forest that they think has spells and maybe something would happen to them. …show more content…

Nwoye started to figure out why Nneka pregnancies never worked and why it seems the child she’s baring now seems to be ok.When okonkwo found out about nwoye he had nothing to say he just looked at him and walked away, Nwoye went into town to go to school to learn to read and write since converting to christianity. “You have all seen the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people. If any one of you prefers to be a woman, let him follow Nwoye now while I am alive so that I can curse

Show More
Related

  • Things Fall Apart Dialectical Journal Essay

    1577 Words  | 4 Pages

    Things Fall Apart, a story by Chinua Achebe, is about a man named Okonkwo who has many achievements and lives in an Ibo village in Umuofia, Nigeria. The beginning of the book introduces the main characters, including Okonkwo and his household. He has three wives and children with each of them. Okonkwo gained fame in his village from a wrestling match, respect from his titles in war, and money from farming; he is a leader in his Ibo clan. His success is driven out of his hatred toward his father who was not a strong man or a good farmer. This causes him great anger and makes him despise all things that his father stood for. The beginning of the novel is rather slow due to much detail written about day-to-day life in the clan,

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Diction Essay

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Chapter 24” of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe adopts a spiteful and grevious tone, and utilizes diction, symbolism, and figurative language to capture the pinnacle of the extirpation of the Igbo tribe. Achebe uses intense diction throughout the chapter when construing Okonkwo’s feelings about his fellow clansmen and the Europeans. Since his tone is meant to provoke emotion, he laces his sentences with temerit words like “vengeance,” (Achebe 199) and “tumult,” (Achebe 203). The use of his diction emphasizes the agonizing feelings of the clan, especially those of Okonkwo. Alternatively, Achebe utilizes a surfeit of Igbo words such as “nno,” (Achebe 199) meaning “welcome,”and “Umuofia Kwenu,” (Achebe 202) a phrase used to show the tribe members were paying attention during

    Read More

  • Notion of Balance in Things Fall Apart by Achebe

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    Unfortunately, everything is not perfect. His son, Nwoye, seems not to be showing the characteristics of a real man. He prefers to stay with his mother, listening to women's stories, than to listen to his father's tales of battle and victory. Later, when missionaries come to the tribe, Nwoye is attracted to their Christian religion because of its unqualified acceptance of everyone, much like a mother's unqualified love. Of this, Okonkwo r...

    Read More

  • Analytical Essay On Things Fall Apart

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On Okonkwo's Pride In Things Fall Apart

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nwoye converting was the first cause of Okonkwo’s decline of pride in Umuofia. After the death of his foster brother Ikemefuna caused by Okonkwo, Nwoye started to resent his father. He starts to converse with the Christian missionaries and in anger Okonkwo beats him and threatens to kill him. Nwoye runs to the church for refuge and begins to study the Christian ways and follow their traditions (151-153). Okonkwo is very disappointed and sees his father Unoka coming out in Nwoye. Okonkwo has a deep hatred for his father and anyone or anything that is anything like him. So when Nwoye starts to act against how Okonkwo believes a man should act he does not take kindly to it. Later Mr.Brown goes to Okonkwo to inform him of his son’s accomplishments among the christian faith and how his son will soon become a teacher at a school (182-183). Okonkwo responds to this with violence and warns Mr.Brown that if he comes back he won’t be leaving on his feet . He is ultimately very disappointed in his son and starts to lose faith in both his son and his

    Read More

  • The Stubborness of Okonkwo

    389 Words  | 1 Pages

    …the missionary had immediately paid him a visit. He had just sent Okonkwo's son, Nwoye, who was now called Isaac, to the new training college for teachers in Umuru. And he had hoped that Okonkwo would be happy to hear of it. But Okonkwo had driven him away with the threat that if he came into his compound again he would be carried out of it. (157)

    Read More

  • The Collapse In Fatherhood In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    Analyzing this story, it can be perceived that Nwoye was estranged from the folklore and creed of the

    Read More

  • Okonkwo Masculinity

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    Without regard to his son’s feelings, and his son’s morals Okonkwo continues to constrain Nwoye from anything he likes to do. Okonkwo only visualizes a man as masculine, and no sense of weakness. Nwoye however has much kinder characteristics, and disproves his father’s masculinity and ultimately makes up his mind to leave his family and

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Essay

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wealth and Standing in Ibo Clan. If a man owns over four-hundred pounds of gold, but his farm is very small and his only title is Walmart Manager. He is still considered to be very rich. Even though he is a poor farmer he does have a lot of gold.

    Read More

  • Essay on Okonkwo and Nwoye in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    1451 Words  | 3 Pages

    Two passages from the story Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, provide the reader with a more profound understanding of Okonkwo, and his son Nwoye.  The two do not have a good relationship and it becomes worse as the story progresses.   Throughout the book the two become increasingly distant and it is apparent that Okonkwo is very disappointed in his son.  After the death of Ikemefuna, Nwoye begins to question many aspects of his life, especially religion.  As the Christian missionaries spend more time with the members of the village, Nwoye becomes interested in this new religion.  The first passage I have chosen discusses Nwoye’s feelings about Christianity.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Research Paper

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    Achebe’s Things Fall Apart provides for an account of the colonization of the Niger region of Africa from the perspective of the colonized instead of the European colonizers. Things Fall Apart described the traditions and daily life of the Igbo people and the effects of Christian colonization on their society. The African-told narrative provides important insight into pre-colonial traditions and practices, many of which have been lost today. Understanding the traditions that the Igbo people followed in a religious-like manner is important in discerning how it was possible for the African continent, specifically Umuofia, to be overrun by European colonizers. Achebe presents the Igbo people as strictly adhering to their religious beliefs and

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Theme Essay

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    For an abundance of authors, the driving force that aids them in creation of a novel is the theme or number of themes implemented throughout the novel. Often times the author doesn’t consciously identify the theme they’re trying to present. Usually a theme is a concept, principle or belief that is significant to an author. Not only does the theme create the backbone of the story, but it also guides the author by controlling the events that happen in a story, what emotions are dispersed, what are the actions of characters, and what emotions are presented within each environment to engage the readers in many

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Conflict

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness.” (Pg. 13) If Okonkwo hates his father so much then a boy who is very lazy is disapproved as well under Okonkwo’s household. Nwoye is very close to his grandpa in personality and so this Okonkwo and Nwoye contrast each other in the book. This makes their relationship not close in the slightest. Also Okonkwo was a man of tradition and when Nwoye was suspected of going to one these Christian meetings he choked Nwoye to try and prove his point but it just furthered their relationship even further. Towards the end of the book Okonkwo is told that the missionary “had just sent Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye, who was now called Isaac, to the new training college for teachers in Umuru. And he had hoped that Okonkwo would be happy to hear about

    Read More

  • Nigerian Culture In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

    1540 Words  | 4 Pages

    This crime from Okonkwo left him away from his homeland for seven years, and during his escape, his old culture would soon be evolved. This unintentional action also played a domino effect, first moving his family away and having his home destroyed, then having his son, Nwoye turn back on him and become a missionary in Umuofia joining the white culture. Achebe describes how Nwoye declines Okonkwo being his father towards Obierika who is doing favors for the family (144). Hearing this, his father seems to not be harmed and is disappointed in his son. These missionaries began assembling into Umuofia, convincing the clansmen that there is only one God, and He is the creator of everything unlike what the clansmen had believed. They had a god for everything, but they now were being persuaded. Hearing this, Okonkwo is in shock and believes that the only way to solve the issue is to chase the men out of the village some way (Achebe 146). Nwoye is attracted to the new religion but has yet to reveal it to his father for fear of him. When Okonkwo heard the news, he is infuriated with anger. “… sprang to his feet and gripped him by the neck”

    Read More

  • Change And Tradition In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nwoye grows tired of his father and is called by the Christian faith and converts. Nwoye’s internal struggle with himself between change and tradition ultimately led him to convert against his father’s wishes. Okonkwo is extremely resistant to change, so he does everything in his power to prevent his family from converting; “‘If you turn against me when I am dead I will visit you and break your neck’” (Achebe 105). Okonkwo uses fear to keep his other children from the Igbo culture.

    Read More

More about Things Fall Apart Essay

Open Document