Things Fall Apart Christian Influence

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was written during the turn of the nineteenth century. The book documented the downfall of African tribes by christian missionaries along with the protagonist Okonkwo. But what if this so called “downfall” was written by and through the perspective of a missionary? The book, Things Fall Apart, would change completely in its focus in which the author Chinua Achebe wanted it to be read. The effect of christian influence would highly overcome the focus of Ibo and other African tribe cultures if the book was written through a missionary perspective, which would in turn change the book’s current audience, plot, rhetoric, and theme. Missionaries who turned up in the 19th century, expected to convert local populations and deafricanize them into christianity, this is no secret. So of course, …show more content…
Christianity, of course would overcome the tribes culture. The new perspective for the new audience would make the book seem as if the colonization was necessary. The tribes would resist less and accept the the colonization, and reject their beliefs in chi and polytheism. This would in turn, make the new audience of the book agree that Christianity made more sense to the tribe since they rejected easier than they did in the original book.
For the other theme of man versus society, Okonkwo's death and rejection of Christianity might only influence the audience to realize that conversion to Christianity was the only way to save his life.Especially since Okonkwo said, “I despise him and those who listen to him. I shall fight alone if I choose”. The new perspective might even make his his death justified since he only accepted his supposed “heathen” Ibo culture and did not accept the savior