Introduction
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart takes us through the life of a typical Nigerian life and family. This is all about inclination to traditional believes, family values, relationships and the daily struggles to make a living. Western civilization and religion has also been addressed with the villagers and missionaries facing the challenge of abandoning their beliefs to embrace Christianity. Tradition has always been part of many African nations that consider it a unifying factor. Despite some of the beliefs and practices that are considered inhuman and selfish, some aspects of the tradition play an important role in unifying the factor. Most missionaries who visited the continent in the early years sort to collaborate with the leaders that would ultimately aid in influencing the community.
Character roles
Different characters in the novel have been used to demonstrate different aspects of the community in terms of change, beliefs, religion and the repercussions of disobedience. Okonkwo, who is the main character in the novel, remains to be an overall symbol of change. He grows from fame to shame and ultimately dies a cowardly death. Ikemefuna, Okonkwo’s adopted son is a victim of society’s selfish traditional beliefs. Just when Ikemefuna thought he found a place to call home, and people to call family, he faces a ruthless death supported by his own father. Mr. Brown and reverend James smith have been used as objects of change from traditional worship of gods to Christianity. Despite the challenges they are encountered with, they manage to win one devoted soul Enoch, who not only changes to Christianity but also adopts a new name.
Gender roles
The position of women in the society as revealed in the novel is very conservative. There is little mention of women in the novel and mainly as objects of abuse and violence. Okwonko’s young wife is only mentioned when she was beaten by the husband during the week of peace. This hence implies that beating up women and laying accusations was normal in the society and could only be avoided when the family was observing a week of peace. Women have also been presented to be a source of refuge and solace especially when everything else fails to work (Achebe 88). For instance, when Okwonko is forced into exile after killing a kinsman, he found refuge in her motherland where he is well received and accommodated.
Religion
The missionaries who supposedly visited the village with the message of good news become a source of conflict and division. Even though the village has been having a number of conflicts, the introduction of Christianity causes more confusion and division in the village. This was especially experienced after the conversion of Enoch who dared to expose the villages’ traditional beliefs. This ultimately led to the burning of his home and the church. The event also led to the arrest of the village leaders, a failed war and Okokwo’s loneliness that led him to commit suicide (Achebe 67). As the events unfolded, it appears as if the very missionaries that had come with a message of goodwill turn against the people Achebe They do not intervene in the ailing situation but rather look at the misfortunes as an opportunity to write and report about Africa. (Achebe 67).
Opposing forces
Despite the rich cultural tradition that Africa has, it has always faced various oppositions and pressure from the western nations. African cultural believes and practices have always been scorned and ridiculed being termed as evil. This has to some extend gotten into the minds of the Africans who do not realise the danger they are exposing themselves to. Divide and rule has been the tactic used by the western world to take hold of Africa. As factions arise among those who have accepted western civilization and those who have resisted, the missionaries remain neutral and appear to enjoy the fights that ultimately weaken the culture. Even after the release of the elders from prison, they do not agree to a war that would ultimately deliver the village from white rule. The elders instead frustrate their own to suicide and the story interests’ one white missionary who is happy to have some content in his book.
Conclusion
Things fall apart is a novel that talks of the disarray that the village found itself in after the invasion of white missionaries. The once happy and united village has now turned against each other. The festivals they once had and the honour they gave to their elders was diluted by a foreign culture that could not come to their rescue. The fact is that the missionaries wanted to create a crisis in the village and later on report that the village has always been in a crisis. It is unfortunate that the Africans could not quickly notice the tactic that was being used to divide them and blindly bought the ideas of the western missionaries. The elders could not fight after they were released from prison because of the abuse they had received and harsh treatment, which made them weak. They lost focus of the beliefs simply because some of their clansmen betrayed them.
Works cited
Achebe, Chinua. "Things Fall Apart. 1958." Portsmouth, NH, and Oxford, gland: Heine¬ mann (1986).
