Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a novel set in Nigerian villages in the 1890s and explores the struggle between cultural traditions and evolution. Using symbolism, Achebe conveys the difficulties of competing cultures in a tone that is tragic and satirical. He draws attention to not only the external conflicts, but also sheds light on the internal battles that brew within. Specifically the story examines how the protagonist, Okonkwo, and his clan are affected by the various changes happening around them. As the cultures in Okonkwo’s life clash, his inability to adapt puts him on an unavoidable, destructive path.
Qualities of the Igbo
Igbo culture was the basis for Okonkwo’s entire existence. He strived to not only be a member in good …show more content…
There is a great sense of pride in family lines and man’s successfulness is judged based on their family’s grandeur. Polygamy is a common practice for the men of Igbo but would be extremely taboo for a woman. Consequently, the more wives that a man has, the more successful he is considered to be. Also, a cultural family distinction of Igbo people is the separation of the living quarters. Men live alone in their own obis while their wives each live in separate obis with their children. Finally, the family structures are set to favor the male roles as fathers hand their land down to their sons so that they can begin their quests to build their …show more content…
Just as the clan accepted the locusts as good, they accepted the colonists and did not see the impending danger. The colonists’ decent on the culture of the villages was not unlike the ravaging that is represented in the behaviors of a swarm of locusts. As the colonists settled, they imposed their organization and will on the people of the local villages.
Colonial Organization As the colonists settled in the area, they brought with them their religion and their government. Modeled after their home country, they were Christian and brought remote access to the British government. The colonists insisted that everyone would abide by their systems of beliefs and government and proclaimed that those who did not were not only wrong, but would be punished. Though there were some similarities between the existing beliefs and those that the colonists brought with them, there was a mounting conflict between the two groups.
Conflicts Between
Qualities of the Igbo
Igbo culture was the basis for Okonkwo’s entire existence. He strived to not only be a member in good …show more content…
There is a great sense of pride in family lines and man’s successfulness is judged based on their family’s grandeur. Polygamy is a common practice for the men of Igbo but would be extremely taboo for a woman. Consequently, the more wives that a man has, the more successful he is considered to be. Also, a cultural family distinction of Igbo people is the separation of the living quarters. Men live alone in their own obis while their wives each live in separate obis with their children. Finally, the family structures are set to favor the male roles as fathers hand their land down to their sons so that they can begin their quests to build their …show more content…
Just as the clan accepted the locusts as good, they accepted the colonists and did not see the impending danger. The colonists’ decent on the culture of the villages was not unlike the ravaging that is represented in the behaviors of a swarm of locusts. As the colonists settled, they imposed their organization and will on the people of the local villages.
Colonial Organization As the colonists settled in the area, they brought with them their religion and their government. Modeled after their home country, they were Christian and brought remote access to the British government. The colonists insisted that everyone would abide by their systems of beliefs and government and proclaimed that those who did not were not only wrong, but would be punished. Though there were some similarities between the existing beliefs and those that the colonists brought with them, there was a mounting conflict between the two groups.
Conflicts Between