Immigration and Ethnicity in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” is Achebe's response to the limitations and inaccuracy of the Nigerian customs and way of life that comes in many literacy pieces of the colonial era. Achebe does not present a pleasant analysis of the pre-colonial Africa, but in its place, he presents the Igbo society as one that has flaws and virtues. The tile of the novel comes from “The Second Coming” by W. B. Yeats. The issue of immigration and ethnicity comes amidst the arrival of the European colonizers to the country; and shows the impact that the factors have on the Nigerian society. Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” in its broadest sense, gives a striking recount of timeless struggles and human experiences within the Nigerian culture.
Whittaker postulates that Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” offers a clear “picture of a traditional culture,” (Whittaker, par. 1). In fact he adds that the novel is “a moving story of the coming of colonialism and a powerful and complex political statement on the nature of cross-cultural encounter,” (Whittaker, par. 1). The readers see that the novel re-evaluates the postcolonial tensions that exist in traditional cultures. Achebe looks at the way of life of the people of Igbo before and after their early encounter with the European colonists as they attempted to Christianize the country. Achebe focuses on Okonkwo, the ruthless and rather unbendable clan member as he tries to conquer the heritage of his pathetic father. Okonkwo attempts to maintain the customs and traditions of the Nigerian people even as the Europeans enforced their beliefs on the people.
Arguably, the readers go on a literary journey through the village of Igbo and experience the intimate and intricate experiences the struggles and challenges of warrior, Okonkwo. At the onset of the story, one may misinterpret the novel as one that draws readers who have the privilege of knowing about the culture, tradition, and history of the Nigerian people. Nevertheless, the story evolves into a compelling tale that shows the skilful use of diction, syntax, imagery, language, symbols, repetition, and figurative language to create a moving experience for readers of every cultural background. Much of the appeal of the novel comes through the forceful themes that continue over time and across the linguistic barriers. The collision of the European and West African cultures, the fatal flaws in the major character, and the resistance to immigration while maintain ethnicity enrich Achebe’s novel. Many critics acknowledge that the clash of the two cultures is probably the most important theme in the novel.
Similar to the Europeans assimilating and imposing Christianity in the Western world, the native Umofians and the European missionaries fight to coexist in a peaceful manner in the novel. Nonetheless, the difference between the two groups is a singular issue where the Europeans came to Umuofia with their Christianity. Initially, the Umofians had the choice of joining the Christian church, but later they become far more aggressive in their attempts to the Umuofian culture and beliefs. Gradually, the Europeans wore down the beliefs and culture of the natives as they eventually controlled the indigenous society.
Chen writes that Achebe “journeyed fluidly across boundaries of language, nation, ethnicity and culture, he inscribed revolution into the consciousness of generations of young people across Africa as they wrestled with the legacy of colonialism, war, and oppression,” (Chen, par. 1). In fact Achebe’s works serve as “an emancipatory organ for his countrymen and his diaspora, and his literary perspective sweeping enough to capture a beautiful spectrum of human experience,” (Chen, par. 1). The events unfold “on a continent that had historically been demonized, stereotyped and written off as hopeless by its colonial masters,” (Chen, par. 1). Achebe makes use of the irony of the immigration of the Europeans appeal to the readers as they see the clan welcoming the missionaries into their villages as they trust their gods to protect them from the European God. As the Europeans infused their culture into the Nigerian culture, the readers see that Achebe becomes determined to remind his readers of his African culture. Although Achebe presents the Igbo society as one that is pre-literate and rich in its cultural and traditional values, the Europeans managed to enforce their beliefs on the people.
Through the novel, Achebe expresses the impact of the immigration of the European missionaries on the lives of the natives. In addition, the repeated use of the tribal drums signified the power of the West Africans long before the Europeans arrived in the country. The importance of the beating of the drums to signify death comes early in the novel as Ofoedu says: “But you ought to ask why the drum has not been beaten to tell Umuofia of” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 45) the death of Ogbuefi Ndulue. However, this power of the West African use of the drums to communicate dies with the arrival of the Europeans. Arguably, the Europeans changed much of the culture of the people.
When Achebe speaks to the sounds of the drums, it signifies that the Umuofian society is whole and as such it functions as the culture dictates. Clearly, the members of the clan knew their place and purpose in the society. Arguably, the drums solidify the society of Umuofia as: “Old men nodded to the beat of the drums and remembered . . . its intoxicating rhythm” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 47). The impact of the European culture brings many changes to the Umuofian society. The repetition of the use of the drum prior to the arrival of the European missionaries serves as a severe distinction to the absence of the drums in the latter pages of the novel.
The Christian missionaries change the Umuofian society as they migrate to Western Africa. The reader sees that as soon as the Christian missionaries enter Umuofia, they begin to try to change the ethnicity of the locals. The Europeans believed that they brought positive changes to the Umuofian society as they dominated the European culture with the hymns that they sing “gay and rollicking tunes of evangelism which had the power of plucking at silent and dusty chords in the heart of an Ibo man” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 146). Achebe skillfully shows the gradual changes to the ethnic composition of the Umuofian’s as the missionaries sway the hearts of the silent native’s heart. Okonkwo returns from exile to see that the Europeans controlled the Umuofian culture and government. Okonkwo sees that the European missionaries influenced the disenfranchised individuals far more than the loyal members of the society. in fact, the new religion holds much appeal to parts of the tribe. The efulefu and the osu find a home in the Europeans as they preach their Christianity. Upon Okonkwo’s return from exile, his son goes away to join the missionary school. Nonetheless, Okonkwo finally holds his grounds against the missionaries as he attempts to protect and maintain his culture.
Achebe suggests that the ethnic composition of the tribe disintegrates and becomes meaningless. Arguably, it is the conflict of change and tradition that destroy the culture of the people of Umuofia. The Europeans quickly undermined the structure of the indigenous religious beliefs that holds much of the culture of the people of Igbo. As a result, the clan faces the death of their ethnic composition: “Umoufia wa like a startled animal with ears erect, sniffing the silent, ominous air and not knowing which way to run,” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 133). Critics note that religion is not the only way in which the Europeans influenced the culture of the people of Igbo. Education, commerce, and administration forms the final aspects of the apocalypse of the people of Igbo. In fact, Mr. Brown gives the readers an accurate summary of the way the European immigrants secured their values into the society. He notes: “the leaders of the land would be men and women who learnt to read and write,” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 123). Additionally, Achebe shows that “from the very beginning religion and education went hand in hand,” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 123) and cemented the lasting foundations of the Europeans.
Achebe makes use of figurative language to show the strong qualities of the West African man as he offers the comparison of Okonkwo to a fire. Achebe notes “Okonkwo's fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan,” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 1). The European influences on the ethnic and the political structure of the country diminishes Okonkwo’s influence and power on his people. After the Europeans gained total control of the political system in Umuofia, Okonkwo’s dies as he becomes a victim of his actions.
Eventually, the readers see that Achebe’s look at the themes of change, self-exploration, tradition, and cultural clashes impacts readers of every cultural and political background. Ironically, the epigram and title of the story comes from a famous poem by W.B. Yeats. In his poem, Yeats looks at the chaos that comes with the end of an era of civilization while being uncertain of the arrival of a new civilization. This catastrophe signifies the loss of the integration of the elements that keeps a society together. Njeng argues that “Achebe’s tendency to de-centre Okonkwo mirrored his psychic state and his desire to supplant African values with Occidental values,” (Njeng, p. 5) and shows Achebe’s ideal purpose of integrating Yeats epigram to his tale of his ancestors. Additionally, Achebe shows the ultimate collapse of the Igbo tribe and the expansion of colonialism into the heart of Africa – a fate that he too suffered as an individual.
Kenalemang writes “although the arrival of the missionaries had some benefits to Igbo, there were also a number of challenges that faced the future of Igbo,” (Kenalemang, p. 5). However, Obrieka notes: “We have heard stories about the white men who made powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true,” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 94). Clearly, there was fear at the stories that the natives had heard, but still they embraced the Europeans and their “lunatic religion” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 121) when they first arrive in the village. Soon, the Europeans annihilate Abame when one of their own dies. The harsh punishment for the death should have sparked some retaliation from the clan, but the cultural and ethnic practices the natives relax as they rely on their gods to protect the people. The Europeans took advantage of this relaxed stance and increased their drive to evangelize and convert the people, build a school, a church and a hospital.
Similarly, commerce via the establishment of trading posts, helped to nurture the materialistic dimensions of life in Igbo: “for the first time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Unuofia,” (Things Fall Apart,” p. 121). The system of law changed too as the court messengers quickly learn to add extra penalties to the fines they impose on Okwonko and the other natives. Achebe shows that the culture’s materialistic and spiritual values diminish and there is no spiritual element to keep the culture alive. The harsh reality is that the culture that promises peace, progress, and prosperity destroys rich culture of the West African tribe.Enoch’s unmasking of the egwgwu is not surprising as it announces the death of the culture of Igbo. One could say that Enoch brings about the death of the culture after which: “the Mother of the Spirits walked the length and breadth of the clan, weeping for her murdered son,” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 126). In fact, “it seemed as if the very soul of the tribe wept for a great evil that was coming – its own death,” (“Things Fall Apart,” p. 126).
Achebe focuses on the clash between the colonizers and the traditional Igbo society. Although Achebe wrote the novel in English, he includes the traditional art of African storytelling, African proverbs, and rich imagery such as the “harmattan and palm oil to show the major differences between the two cultures. The reader sees that Achebe uses the conventional symbols of Christianity and then shows the different reactions of the people of Igbo to the Christian symbols and the way they impact their lives. The clash in the culture comes in the form of the locusts. To the Christian, locust symbolizes ruin and destruction, yet the people of Umuofia are happy at the arrival of the locust as it provides food for the natives. Still, the readers realize that Achebe’s reference to the arrival of the locusts ideally represents the Christian belief that locusts are destructive elements of the society.
The main idea in “Things Fall Apart” is that the Africans inevitably surrender to the process of colonization because of their shortcomings as a group, (Njeng, p. 7). Njeng adds that “Achebe agrees with the colonialist that Africa was poorly organized and [the] substandard measured with Occidental values and its ideology,” (Njeng, p. 7). As a result, the Africans had no way to rise above the oppression of the colonial powers in their country. Conversely, neither the Europeans nor the Africans understood the opposite cultures and neither was prepared to relent to the other cultural beliefs. As such, there was much tension between the groups, but eventually, the Europeans, with their skilful manipulations changed the ethnic composition of the people of the Igbo society.
In concluding, Achebe’s novel strikes balance between the virtue and vices in the Igbo society. He looks at the ways in which the Europeans colonized the African continent, and in particular, the Igbo tribe. Arguably, Achebe believes that the white missionaries invaded and oppressed the culture of the Igbo tribe through the social coherence that existed between the society and the individuals in the society. The novel shows that the immigration of the Europeans to the African continent resulted in the inevitable changes to nearly every part of the culture of the Igbo society. The changes impacted the religious, educational and social aspects of the society. Okonkwo rises to defend his culture, but like every colonized rebel, he fails miserably and dies in the end. Achebe attempts to educate the readers and does this remarkably well as his use of a number of figurative devices add details to the novel. The details serve to engage readers of every ethnic background as they learn of the struggles that immigration create for the ethnic and cultural development of every colonized society.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinue, “Things Fall Apart” (1958) Pearson Education Limited, England. Print. ISBN:
978-0-4350-4966-9
Chen, Michelle, “Achebe on Migration and the Reclaiming of Language” Published By
Culture strike, March 23, 2013. Web, Retrieved December 12, 2014Kenalemang, Lame Maatla, “Things Fall Apart: An Analysis of Pre and Post Colonial Igbo
Society,” Web. Retrieved December 12, 2014
Njeng, Eric Sipyingu “Achebe, Conrad, and the Post Colonial Strain,” CLC Web: Comparative
Literature and Culture 101 (2008) Web. Retrieved December 12, 2014
Whittaker, David, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958 – 2008). Brill & Rodopi. Web.
Retrieved December 12, 2014
