Cultural Collision
“Like all people, we perceive the version of reality that our communicates. Like others having or living in more than one culture, we got multiple, often opposing messages.” Okonkwo's sense of identity was challenged with the introduction of western ideas into the ibo culture. Okonkwo started out in the novel as ruled by a fear of appearing weak and feminine, collision of the british colonists and Ibo people affected okonkwo to the point of him committing suicide. The reasons for Okonkwo's change in their sense of identity included loss of respect and destruction of his culture (Umuofia lost their will to fight). Overall, their response to the introduction of Western ideas shaped the meaning of the work as a whole by …show more content…
The author showed us the richness of the igbo traditional culture as well the destruction from british colonization. Colonization finally drives Okonkwo to take his own life because the oppression is too great for his divided tribe to overcome. Okonkwo can't take living under the rule of foreign men who don't speak his language or know his customs. So, rather than bear the yoke of colonization, he hangs himself. We see evidence in the text, “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” pg(152). Meaning that once British colonization came to umuofia their clan can no longer act as one and people fall apart, ironic the book being called “Things fall apart” so Okonkwo can't stand the new way of life so he commits suicide.
The third reason okonkwo’s sense of identity was challenged with western ideas because of negative effects. Some of the negative effects would be the new ways of life that okonkwo did not accept. The white men did not accept clan's customs and ways of living or doing things within their tribe. When things change Okonkwo couldn't stand it anymore and committed suicide over the negative effects that was brought over from colonization . To him the new ways was wrong. It was in his custom to live the way he did which he did not
“Like all people, we perceive the version of reality that our communicates. Like others having or living in more than one culture, we got multiple, often opposing messages.” Okonkwo's sense of identity was challenged with the introduction of western ideas into the ibo culture. Okonkwo started out in the novel as ruled by a fear of appearing weak and feminine, collision of the british colonists and Ibo people affected okonkwo to the point of him committing suicide. The reasons for Okonkwo's change in their sense of identity included loss of respect and destruction of his culture (Umuofia lost their will to fight). Overall, their response to the introduction of Western ideas shaped the meaning of the work as a whole by …show more content…
The author showed us the richness of the igbo traditional culture as well the destruction from british colonization. Colonization finally drives Okonkwo to take his own life because the oppression is too great for his divided tribe to overcome. Okonkwo can't take living under the rule of foreign men who don't speak his language or know his customs. So, rather than bear the yoke of colonization, he hangs himself. We see evidence in the text, “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart” pg(152). Meaning that once British colonization came to umuofia their clan can no longer act as one and people fall apart, ironic the book being called “Things fall apart” so Okonkwo can't stand the new way of life so he commits suicide.
The third reason okonkwo’s sense of identity was challenged with western ideas because of negative effects. Some of the negative effects would be the new ways of life that okonkwo did not accept. The white men did not accept clan's customs and ways of living or doing things within their tribe. When things change Okonkwo couldn't stand it anymore and committed suicide over the negative effects that was brought over from colonization . To him the new ways was wrong. It was in his custom to live the way he did which he did not