The Importance Of Religion In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe

At the turn of the nineteenth century, Christianity began to infiltrate Africa turning their religious world upside down. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe portrays the tragic transition from traditional Igbo beliefs to the start of Christianity in the village of Umuofia and how old culture cannot survive while new culture emerges. The clash of values is brought to life through Okonkwo who has primarily traditional roots. He cannot understand how his people can convert to Christianity and stray from the core beliefs that had been so deeply instilled in their tribe. Chinua Achebe’s own religious background influenced him to write such a spiritually invested novel. The contrast of Igbo spirituality and Christian religion is so important to …show more content…
His father was a catechist and both of his parents traveled Eastern Nigeria as evangelists. However, many of his other relatives remained followers of the traditional Igbo religion which left Achebe intrigued to learn more about his roots (Yigit). At the time he was growing up, African Christians “tended to look down on” the people who remained invested in the Igbo culture. They even called the non-Christians “the people of nothing” which made them feel like they were less than human (Yigit, 136). As he grew up, he became interested in the culture of the traditional tribe members and why the Christians felt so superior. In his research and efforts to become educated on the two different religions, he learned that the native Africans were thought of as savages by a myriad of European countries (Onwumere). The lack of civilization caused people to believe that the Africans had no faith, no education, and no culture. With his diverse background, Achebe became motivated to show people that the Igbo did indeed have a rich culture full of tradition and …show more content…
The Igbo feel that the power of the men of the clan is determined by wealth and manliness; Some criteria of power include the number of wives, amount of property, and strength. Okonkwo is thought to be a man with high status because he has three wives, “two barns full of yams,” and has shown “incredible prowess” in recent wars (Achebe, 8). Not only this but his strict household rules and short temper make him feared among his wives and children giving him a more elevated status. This elevated status also makes him and other powerful men eligible to be a part of the egwugwu which are masked men which represent the ancestral gods. The women and children fear the egwugwu because they have the power to judge right from wrong in the tribe. Ogbanje is another custom of the Igbo people. An ogbanje is an evil spirit that haunts a family, bringing them misfortune. Okonkwo’s second wife, Ekwefi, is said to have the ogbanje spirit inside of her because so many of her children have died (80). The Igbo people treat the ogbanje spirit with caution and destroy everything that could possibly make the spirit come back. These are just some examples of the rich culture embedded in the Igbo people and woven throughout Things Fall