Comparing Things Fall Apart And Walden, By Henry David Thoreau

At the heart of a classic work of literature is its central theme or idea. It is a common occurrence that many classics share a universal idea or belief, but are explored through the different perspectives of those from different cultures or social statuses, for instance. Two classics that demonstrate this are Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, which is about a fictional fierce warrior named Okonkwo of an Ibo village in Nigeria who faces circumstances beyond his power and the downfall of the culture he has grown into; and Walden by Henry David Thoreau, a non-fiction novel about Thoreau 's journey of self-enlightenment and discovery as he lives on Walden pond for nearly two years. They share similar concepts which are change, identity and …show more content…
Society in Things Fall Apart seems to clash between the villages of Nigeria and the European settlers that call the land their new home. In a conversation between Okonkwo and his friend, his friend states " 'He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart '" (pg. 176), after the men discuss the degree of damage that the Europeans have caused. The symbolism of the knife represents the impact that they have brought into the villages with their new religion and culture. Okonkwo starts to feel as if it is a losing battle against the influence of the settlers, since all the effort he makes to push the settlers away has done little to change the new and changing society. In Walden, Thoreau criticizes American society for not starting their own journey of self-discovery. On page 175, he writes "John Farmer sat at his door one September evening, after a hard day 's work, his mind still running on his labor more or less... A voice said to him, –Why do you stay here and live in this mean moiling life, when a glorious existence is possible for you?...", where John Farmer is an allegory for the common American. Thoreau believes that the common American focuses too much on making a living for themselves, and that focusing instead on living a life they please is more rewarding. He argues that society should abandon their miserable lives and start a more …show more content…
If a change in society takes place, then that change will reflect in the individuals in that society. This is shown in Walden, as finding one 's identity became a result during Thoreau 's residence by Walden pond. He writes, "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth", on page 258, a pun of the saying "Give me liberty or give me death". It represents the importance of being able to find a higher truth in life and nature above the less impactful subjects such as money and fame. Thoreau 's time spent at Walden pond has allowed him to find this truth about life that he searches for and pushes him to share this newfound knowledge with others. In this way he hopes to influence society to make a change for the better. On the other hand, in Things Fall Apart the concept of identity represents a struggle for Okonkwo as his world continues to change around him. On page 153, Achebe writes, "Okonkwo was popularly called the 'Roaring Flame '. As he looked into the log fire he recalled the name. He was a flaming fire", to describe what traits Okonkwo 's peers attributed with him. The "Roaring Flame" is a metaphor for his personality, which is bold and uncontrollable, destroying anything in his path. However, with the conflict of the European settlers influencing the villagers and even his own son, he falls into a downward spiral in which the last object he destroys is himself. The influence of a society that goes against what Okonkwo