Misconceptions In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

The Igbo society has laws in place that govern the people’s actions. Murder and acts of violence do not go unpunished. When a woman from Umuofia is killed in the market at Mbaino, the people of Mbaino must make retribution. When Okonkwo beats his wife during the Week of Peace, he must make sacrifices to the gods to atone for his wrongdoing. The Umuofia community also rituals, similar to today’s Supreme Court, to settle legal and personal disputes. Hospitality is also highly valued by the Igbo people. In the novel, we learn

Change is a reoccurring theme throughout history. It destroys and creates. It displaces and introduces. It can cause death and life. The movement of imperialism in Africa brought great change to the native tribal life. Forcing the indigenous people to turn away from their century-old traditions caused violent rifts between the European settlers and the tribes, as well as internal problems between once amiable members of the Ibo culture. With the introduction of the foreign Western Society in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, the tribe’s life and ideals are drastically altered as the new ethics and principles collide with the old traditions and laws, causing the members of the society to either adapt or be crushed underneath the foot of colonialism. Achebe’s character, Okonkwo, was impacted immensely by the cultural collision, as his previous way of life was pulverized before his eyes, and he found no reason to live any longer.

Achebe also uses diction to display that the District Commissioner thinks the way of life for the Igbo people is very dense and also views the Igbo people as savages. “T̈he Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger” The words

Achebe also illustrates the Ibo judiciary and political system throughout the entire story. Similar to those in other cultures, the Ibo people had a very structured social order. In the beginning of the story on page 18, Achebe describes Nwakibie’s status in the Ibo village by stating he, “…had taken the highest but

Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a strong man whose existence is dominated by fear and anger, and the Ibo tribe, a people deeply rooted in cultural belief and tradition. As events unfold, Okonkwo’s carefully constructed world and the Ibo way of life collapses. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected and feared leader of the Ibo tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace dramatizes his inability to evolve beyond his personal beliefs, affecting the entire Ibo tribe beyond measure. The “things” that fall apart in Achebe’s novel are Okonkwo’s life – his ambition, dreams, family unity and material wealth – and the Ibo way of life – their beliefs, culture and values.

Achebe reacts to the negative perception of African societies lacking a legal system by showing in detail that African nations had a legal system, which was used to solve conflicts and disputes. In Umuofia, the legal system, known as the egwugwu, was composed of men who wore masks to hide their identity.

Many situations given do not directly affect the story itself, but serve a purpose in providing examples to enlighten the reader on the background of the heritage. An example pertaining to the development of Ibo culture comes from its system of laws and justice. Achebe dedicates a chapter of this novel to describing the rituals of the egwugwu (important clansmen who dress as village ancestors), as they determine the verdict in a wife-beating case during Peace Week (87). The villagers of Umuofia do not believe the costumed clansmen are the village ancestors, although, “Okonkwo’s wives...might have noticed that the second egwugwu had the springy walk of Okonkwo. They noticed that Okonkwo was not among the titled men and elders who sat behind the row of egwugwu."

Niane, D T. Sundiata an Epic of Old Mali (2nd Edition). New York: Longman, 2006.

The novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe discusses the rise of an Igbo chieftain who came from great poverty to power and the eventual loss of Igbo traditions, rites, and the influence of his clan through his eyes due to western imperialism and colonialism. The intended audience for this novel is very broad, but if we tried to define it would primarily be people who have not experienced the Igbo culture and westerners or people who speak English. In this essay I will be focusing on the last six chapters: chapters 20 to 25. These chapters highlight the loss of power and customs of the Igbo people who have succumb to colonial rule. I fell Achebe is rhetorically effective and

At the beginning of every gathering the host or guests present a ceremonial kola nut and offer the other involved in the meeting to break it demonstrating their respect for each other. When Okonkwo was asking a wealthy tribesman for a loan he opens the conversation with “I have brought you this little kola. As our people say, a man who pays respect paves way for his own greatness” (Achebe, 19). By showing this much respect for one another, they are showing how they were humble and not always thinking they were not the greatest or most powerful in the clan. Achebe also shows his readers that proverbs were important to the Ibo and that they were highly skilled in the art of conversation as well. The narrator states “Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm oil in which words are eaten” (Achebe, 7). Palm oil is a common staple among the Ibo, being used every day and a necessity in society. This also shows that proverbs were used almost every day, showing the Ibo were in fact sophisticated and not the primitive people they always were thought to be. In imperialistic Europe those skilled in the art of language and writing were highly revered, and were most likely given the best jobs in the country. However, the Ibo’s competence in the art of language would, if they were European, give them successful lives, and is

It aims to portray a traditional village life, and custom before British colonization, which is presented obviously from the first chapters of the novel. These are some clear evidences that confirm the existence of traditions and customs in the Igbo society “the drums beat and the flute sang and the spectators held their breath.” (TFA, p.3). “Okonkwo on his bamboo bed” (TFA, p.10). “Ogbuefi Ezeugo stood up in the midst of them and bellowed four times Umuofia Kwenu and on each occasion he faced a different direction and seemed to push the air with a clench fist.” (TFA, p.10). “Before I put any crop in the earth, I sacrifice a cock to Ani, the owner of the land.”(TFA, p.17). “ you know as well as I do that our fathers ordained that before we plant any crops in the earth, we should observe a week in which a man doesn’t say a harsh word to his neighbor.”(TFA’ p.30). These details and more affirm that the Igbo life style is highly stylized, from its ritual speech to the actions performed for certain ceremonies. Achebe through this description shows the truth of their culture and origin, proving that they exist and are humans, however this ordered culture is destroyed by the coming of British

With a deeper, hidden meaning, proverbs are often an ancient way to gain knowledge. As an expression skill spread in the long tribal history, proverbs emphasize a certain meaning with semiotics or metaphor. When Okonkwo and his friend Obierika is talking about the death of Ikemefuna, the boy who was taken, brought up and killed by Okonkwo, Okonkwo says that “A child’s fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm” to justify why he killed this child (Achebe, 32%). Also, when Okoye duns Okonkwo’s father Unoka for his 200 cowries, Unoka says that “the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them” to escape from repayment (Achebe, 5%). Even when Okonkwo is exiled because he killed a villager by mistake, people use proverbs to explain the cause of exile that “if one finger brought oil it soiled the others” (Achebe, 59%). The serious consequence of individual’s offence divinity is presented visually by a proverb, which also shows that proverb is indispensable part of traditional

Achebe also expands on the reflection of the Ibo peoples of being civil, depicting the civilised aspects of the Ibo religion. Another example similar to the peaceful reparation, previously

To start off, Achebe uses proverbs throughout the novel. A proverb is a short saying or story that tells the truth or a piece of advice. In Achebe's case, proverbs are used to tell the traditions and explain the culture of the Igbo tribe. These proverbs tell of traditions, culture and history. For example, a passage in chapter one tells us a story about Unoka and his neighbor Okoye, in which Achebe describes a custom of the Igbo tribe. In the proverb, Okoye brought Unoka a kola nut which is supposed to "bring life" (Achebe, 3). The proverb then goes on to say that "Unoka prayed to their ancestors for life and health, and for protection against their enemies" (Achebe, 3). This

Along with their new form of religion, the white man “…had also brought government. They had built a court where the district commissioner judged cases in ignorance.”(Achebe 174) The Ibo are completely unfamiliar with government such as this and it seems as if they are being forced to abide by the white mans rules. The grasp the Ibo have upon the government of their own land is beginning to loosen. Few of the prisoners the white man obtained in the name of this government had committed acts that are rather justifiable to the Ibo people. “Some of these prisoners had thrown away their twins and some had molested the Christians. They were beaten in the prison by the kotma and made to work…”(Achebe 175) The white man is now dominating the actions in which the Ibo are accustomed to. Piece by piece the Ibo’s culture is being sumbmerged within the shadow of Western