Chinua Achebe Essay

The concept of strangers coming and causing a stir within an established group is a familiar story within history. One of these stories is the Europeans come to colonize Africa. The novel, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe shows this story by focusing on one person who is experiencing the transformation first hand. There are many characters and episodes that will show bigger themes within the story. Some examples of the characters and episodes to show the themes are the characters of Unoka and…

(BrainyQuote.com.) In history, especially during colonization, foreign powers have attempted practices to eradicate the culture and traditions of Native and African people. In the novels Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the protagonists Saul and Okonkwo are forced to integrate into the Caucasian culture, having their own cultures taken away from them. Being unable to adapt to the changes – like the adjustment of religion and language – causes the two…

In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the Ibo people from Umuofia based their lives on their beliefs and culture. The Ibo culture mainly evolved around the men, making them superior to the women in every possible aspect. Women are made to seem unimportant in the Ibo culture. The Ibo culture associates women to weakness, handled as objects, and given no power. Throughout, the book Chinua wrote, he set many examples in which women were treated as inferior to men. The main character of…

were viewed as uncivilized and primitive. However, Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart depicts a drastically different African culture than those portrayed by early European colonists. Things Fall Apart illustrates the methodical conversion of the Igbo people from traditional values to those of the Christian faith and the ill-fated struggle of a man named Okonkwo to preserve the traditional practices of his culture. Through Things Fall Apart, Achebe counters the common portrayal of Africa as…

The Igbo tribe has been consumed, for lack of better words, with the idea of perfection. This is revealed throughout Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe by means of Okonkwo, the clan, and the religion. Okonkwo, for instance, is very adamant about being the most exemplary in his village. He wants to have the perfect family, the best crops, and a stellar reputation. Igbo tribes were very strict on their expectations of their members, if somebody doesn’t conform to their gender, religion, or they…

Chinua Achebe in his novel Things Fall Apart proves time and time again that, despite what some may think, the tribal people of Africa are indeed civilized. Throughout the novel, Achebe uses explicit examples to hint at the fact that the people are civilized. The reader is shown this through many examples, such as the clans justice system and their response when the missionaries come to their clan, that there is more sophistication to the Umuofian people than previously thought. When the…

Chinua Achebe ended Things Fall Apart is very interesting. Okonkwo commits suicide after killing a messenger from the white people. This was a very ironic end for the main character, who’s main goal was to be seen as a strong, manly figure. Throughout the story, all that is mentioned is Okonkwo’s thirst for glory. The most important goal in his life seemed to be receiving the highest title possible. In his seven years of exile, he dreamed of a glorious return to Umuofia, but that did not…

In the classic bestseller Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, readers receive a plethora of cultural information about the Ibo. Achebe executes the story of Okonkwo and the other characters in Umuofia, where the story takes place, quite well, but it can sometimes become confusing to read about all the culture while still attempting to understand the plot. Due to this particular story’s ability to make it somewhat difficult to retain all the information given, it is helpful to analyse the…

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, greatness is defined by worth- or how much one accomplishes in a lifetime. Okonkwo, the main character, diligently works for everything he earns. His passion to be successful comes from his fear of turning out like his father, Unoka, who died with “no title at all and was heavily in debt” (8). Okonkwo fears the thought of becoming nothing. He keeps this fear with him and uses it as a strength to push himself through every hardship and reach the status his…

Power has the ability to overcome and make anyone in its way obsessed with having it. Power can turn even the best, most moral people into people full of greed and hate. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the Ibo tribe is becoming oppressed and disrespected by the arrival of Christian Missionaries. Achebe shows us through the imprisonment of the tribe leaders and the forcing of the Missionary 's government onto the tribe that a thirst for power can destroy and break things apart.…