Things Fall Apart- j.d

In his 1958 novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe depicts a village being taken over by white colonizers. Achebe’s protagonist, Okonkwo, belongs to the Igbo tribe Umuofia. The Umuofia clan is very traditional and values success and wealth. Okonkwo felt shame growing up because his father was not hardworking or wealthy, so he worked his way from poverty to being one of the most respected men of the clan. One traditional tribe practice is present in chapter fourteen. During a ceremony, Okonkwo accidentally shot and killed a young clansman. Because it was an accident, the act was deemed “effeminate”. A common theme of the novel is the difference of feminine and masculine actions, femininity is shameful, especially if a man does something considered effeminate, like not enjoying war, something that Okonkwo hated his father for. The punishment of an effeminate death is for the man who did the killing and his family must flee the village and not return for seven years. Okonkwo seeks ref...

Although it seems to have been written for people familiar with Igbo culture, Things Fall Apart is a book filled with common issues that many cultures must deal with. A major theme of this book, as mentioned in my previous post, is the effect that change can have on a society with deep-rooted traditions and customs. Okonkwo is embarrassed by his father’s lack of work ethic and prosperities. When he realizes that his son Nyowe is following in his father's footsteps, Okonkwo is dissatisfied and deems his son’s behavior to be effeminate. After white colonizers settle in Umuofia, Nyowe converts to Christianity and takes the name, Issac. Okonkwo resents his son and the practices of the white men. Although he is not the only one angered by the change, Okonkwo is the most violent person in his village. After the leader of the settlers becomes ill, he is replaced by Reverend Smith, who is very intolerant of the converted clans' people. During a sacred ceremony, an egwugwu (a masked eld...