“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, is a novel about the tragic fall of Okonkwo, the protagonist, and the Igbo culture. The novel takes place in Umuofia, a village in the eastern part of Nigeria where the Igbo culture is seen. Religion and faith play a substantial role in the novel and are possibly the main reasons the novel plays out the way it does. If the religious and faith aspects of this novel were not as strong, then the novel may have turned out differently. Achebe shows how the prominence of religion and faith in the novel causes conflict and challenges with the white man when they come to Umuofia to the gradual downfall of the Igbo religion. In the novel, “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, religion and faith play a large
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In the chapters prior the Christian missionaries tried to come into Mbata, the village where Okonkwo is staying in until his seven-year exile is up. He didn’t allow them to come in and bring their faith with them. In chapter 16, Okonkwo’s friend Obierika from Umuofia paid him a visit in bad circumstances. The Christian missionaries came to Umuofia and started to build and grow on the land. “They had built their churches, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages”(Achebe 81). The Christian religion seemed to be prospering through the villages in eastern Nigeria and that caused discomfort to those who were against it. Okonkwo’s own son left the village to be part of the Christian movement and that angered Okonkwo to the point where he wouldn’t speak of his son.. Okonkwo’s wife however gave the reason to her son’s leaving to Obierika. The white men came and talked about their religious faith compared to the religious faith of Umuofia. An interpreter of the white man explained that, “All the gods that you have named are not gods at all. They are gods of deceit who tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent children. There is only one true God and He has earth, the sky, you and me and all of us”(Achebe 84). Some villagers were scared of what their gods would do to them …show more content…
When Obierika replied he wasn’t there, the District Commissioner threatened that they would be locked up if he were not brought to Okonkwo. Obierika responded with, “We can take you where he is, and perhaps your men will help us”(Achebe 116). Obierika and five or six others led the way and the commissioner and his men followed. They were led to a tree where Okonkwo’s lifeless body hung from. The men of Umuofia couldn’t take Okonkwo down because it was against their religion to do so. Angered Obierika ends the talking of the Umuofian men by saying, “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog…”(Achebe
In the chapters prior the Christian missionaries tried to come into Mbata, the village where Okonkwo is staying in until his seven-year exile is up. He didn’t allow them to come in and bring their faith with them. In chapter 16, Okonkwo’s friend Obierika from Umuofia paid him a visit in bad circumstances. The Christian missionaries came to Umuofia and started to build and grow on the land. “They had built their churches, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages”(Achebe 81). The Christian religion seemed to be prospering through the villages in eastern Nigeria and that caused discomfort to those who were against it. Okonkwo’s own son left the village to be part of the Christian movement and that angered Okonkwo to the point where he wouldn’t speak of his son.. Okonkwo’s wife however gave the reason to her son’s leaving to Obierika. The white men came and talked about their religious faith compared to the religious faith of Umuofia. An interpreter of the white man explained that, “All the gods that you have named are not gods at all. They are gods of deceit who tell you to kill your fellows and destroy innocent children. There is only one true God and He has earth, the sky, you and me and all of us”(Achebe 84). Some villagers were scared of what their gods would do to them …show more content…
When Obierika replied he wasn’t there, the District Commissioner threatened that they would be locked up if he were not brought to Okonkwo. Obierika responded with, “We can take you where he is, and perhaps your men will help us”(Achebe 116). Obierika and five or six others led the way and the commissioner and his men followed. They were led to a tree where Okonkwo’s lifeless body hung from. The men of Umuofia couldn’t take Okonkwo down because it was against their religion to do so. Angered Obierika ends the talking of the Umuofian men by saying, “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog…”(Achebe