Cultural Values In Things Fall Apart

Cultural Values in Things Fall Apart
What are cultural values? Why are they essential to our lives? Cultural values are the lifestyles or way of life of
a particular society. Within more or less ordered communities, cultural values give individuals a sense of
identity within the community, and acts as a vessel of sustained unity that conducts our actions and affairs. For
ex: In Nigeria, two characteristic's associated with cultural values are strong family ties and village traditions
that are expressed daily through the lives of Nigerian people. One of the many places exhibiting really profound
culture values in Nigeria is the Umuofia village of the Igbo people. This village symbolizes great significance of
cultural values, because it is clearly demonstrated throughout the novel Things Fall Apart.
As a child Chinua Achebe was brought up in a Christian family in the village of Ogidi during the 1930's. Ogidi
was an early center of Anglican Missionary work in Eastern Nigeria (TFA, 1996). Although Mr. Achebe's early
life was heavily influenced by the Christian missionary, brought on by British colonialism Mr. Achebe did not
let the outside influence of British Colonialism affect his work at school and the loyalty to his native culture.
He was extremely focused to accomplishing his goal in academics. Recognized for his academic achievement
Mr. Achebe was accepted into the University of Ibadan (TFA).
While attending college Mr.Achebe began writing and publishing short stories, and followed those with
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Essay on "Culture Conflict" in Things Fall Apart
The coming of the white man affects the people of Umuofia's religion and cause culture conflict. The people of
umuofia have many gods. Agbala– the oracle of the Hills and Caves. "People come from far and near to consult
it" (12). People consult it when they have dispute with their neighbors and also, they can discover what their
future held for them from this god. Chi is also a personal god which judge people by the work of their hands.
They also believed that if they say yes that their chi also says yes. The people of Umuofia are very obedient to
their gods. They don't go to war without consulting their gods. When a daughter of Umuofia was killed in
Mbaino, they didn't just decide to go for war or do things on their own; they ... Show more content on
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This situation caused a culture conflict between the white man and the people of Umuofia. The white man wants
to impose his religion on the people of Umuofia. The white man believes in one God which he believes to have
made heaven and earth. Also said his God made the entire world and the Umuofia's gods. He wanted the people
of Umuofia to abandon their gods and follow his own religion. The white men belittle the people of Umuofia's
gods by saying different things about their gods. The white man says that the people of Umuofia's god are gods
of deceit who tell them to kill their fellow and destroy innocent children. The white man says that their gods are
not alive and cannot do them harm and that they are made of piece of wood and stone. Hearing and seeing all
these from the white man, the people of Umuofia were not happy with the white man's religion which was a
reason for a culture conflict.
The economy of the people of Umuofia was out in conflict with the white man's economy. Agriculture is the
source of living in Umuofia. People's riches are based on the number of barns they have. Peolple really work
hard on their farm to make harvest. Both children and wives help on the farm to plant yams. The people of
Umuofia have a very good scene of agriculture. For instance, during the planting season, Okonkwo planted his
yam from the smouldering earth by making rings of thick sisal leaves around them. This yam is so precious to
them

Umuofia In Things Fall Apart
Set in an Ibo village called Umuofia in Nigeria, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells the story of a man
named Okonkwo who goes from being one of the most powerful and respected man in is village to being
powerless and distraught about the path his life has traveled upon. Okonkwo has three wives and many children,
in which three of his children have great impact on his life: Ezinma, Nwoye, and his adopted son, Ikemefuna.
Okonkwo's village is very traditional and has strict beliefs, until European missionaries arrive and convert many
of the African natives to Christianity. Okonkwo has no desire to accept this, and eventually his struggle for
power leads to his downfall. Achebe uses the structure of the novel to convey the message that European ...
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Upon the arrival of the European missionaries in the village of Mbanta, the village Okonkwo moved to during
his exile from Umuofia, it is apparent that the missionaries are coming to villages to convert people to
Christianity and the fastest converts are those that are considered worthless beggars. The text states, "The
missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built their church there, won a handful of converts and were
already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages. That was a source of great sorrow to the
leaders of the clan, but many of them believed that the strange faith and the white man's god would not last.
None of his converts was a man whose word was heeded in the assembly of the people. None of them was a
man of title. They were mostly the kind of people that were called efulefu, worthless, empty men. The imagery
of an efulefu in the language of the clan was a man who sold his machete and wore the sheath to battle. Chielo,
the priestess of Agbala, called the converts the excrement of the clan, and the new faith was a mad dog that had
come to eat it up" (143). Looking at the text, it is clear that the missionaries are trying to spread a new religion;
they built a church and sent out people to spread the religion throughout the village. The people that convert the
fastest to christianity are those that are considered worthless in the community. These people converted the
fastest to the new religion because they are not respected by the people in their community, they are powerless.
When converting to a new religion, these people have nothing to lose, but rather more to gain. In conclusion, the
people who have worse living conditions are the ones that convert to the missionaries new religion. Achebe
shows the more vulnerable people accepting

Things Fall Apart Essay
In the novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, various political issues arise throughout the village of
Umuofia. These issues separate Mr. Brown's and Okonkwo's view on society and the way of life in Umuofia.
While Okonkwo depends on animalistic type actions for his life, Mr. Brown utilizes logic and deep reasoning to
make decisions for himself. Three major political issues that the village of Umuofia face throughout the novel
are women's rights, judicial systems, and education. Mr. Brown and Okonkwo disagree on how to go about
these topics, and their actions and words throughout the novel show their point of view on how to handle it. In
Things Fall Apart, Mr. Brown depends on logic and reasoning for his campaigns, while Okonkwo depends on
power, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the culture Okonkwo lives in and believes in, men are portrayed as greater, more powerful, more important,
and more useful than women. Also, men and women have "set in stone" occupations that guide the actions and
choices they make in life. For example, in Umuofia it is customary to have one's wives live in huts with the
children, while the men farm for yams. This shows that Okonkwo needs power, control and order to feel safe
and content with his life. Umuofia values women the same way as Okonkwo does, like a pawn. In the novel,
talking about the Egwugwu house that was a sacred and powerful part of Umuofia's tradition, the narrator states:
"[...] These women never saw the hut. No woman ever did. They scrubbed and painted the outside walls under
the supervision of men" (88). The women in Umuofia are treated like pawns; controlled by the men, telling them
where to go, where they can't go, what they need to do, and what they cannot do. This is why they are prohibited
to participate in a special tradition of the tribe. Change is scary for Okonkwo and the village of Umuofia, which
results in relying on power and control to get order. This is why Okonkwo is aggressive on his wives and
children, and it is okay

Quotes In Things Fall Apart
Cameron Verser
Teacher: Mrs. Jean Biglane
AP English Literature and Composition: Sixth Period
29 August 2017
Stripped Roots "Until the lions have their own historian, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter."
This quote can be applied to many different situations throughout history, but in the context of the novel, Things
Fall Apart, the quote refers to renowned Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe, recounting the story of the Ibo people
and their oppression. Achebe assumes the role of the lions' historian by exhibiting the richness of the Ibo culture
and showing its destruction by the colonialism of the late nineteenth century.
The people of Umuofia have a complex and unique system of religion and government. While most other
civilizations in the world have an easily distinguishable line between religion and government, the religion and
government of the Ibo are intertwined. The Ibo people worship a deity known as Agbala, the goddess of the
earth; however, Agbala can only be heard through Chielo, the voice of the Oracle. The people of Umuofia are
led by a chief council called the egwugwu who rely on advice from Agbala to govern the village. Agbala's
authority over the village of Umuofia is clearly seen in her order to have Ikemefuna executed. "Yes, Umuofia
has decided to kill him [Ikemefuna]. The Oracle of the Hills and the

Umuofia Research Paper
Umuofia was a known village that became feared by neighbors due to their local values. The tribe gained
enemies, but were respected because they did not declare war unless invited. The smart villages were given an
option of war on everyone, or just their one targeted victim, and most surrendered the one. Beheading showed
strength within a warrior, violence being the foundation of their culture. In Nigeria, around the early 1900's, a
young man applying his local values to reach high ranking across many villages was done through . "The center
cannot hold" when the Igbo tribe decides to withdraw from violence due to a new appealing European culture.
There are instances where their culture gains control through violence and times when they limit any savagery
to meet the commands of the Gods. Violence gave the Igbo tribe a lot of structure and played a great factor in ...
The dismemberment warns the ogbanje from " coming again ", unless the spirit is stubborn, they come back
with missing limbs. In the village of Umuofia, the body is taught a lesson, without affecting the spirit. As far as
the cosmopolitan view on the local law, and the agreeing side of the class, mutilation is acceptable under these
circumstances. Although I understand the spiritual aspect and influence within their village, I do not agree with
it. I find that mutating a baby is a violation of universal values and a specific violation of the value of life.
During our class discussion, some classmates on my opposing side brought up really good points. We asked
questions to find out how cutting up a baby's body could bring hope, or choosing not to mourn over the infant's
life would Then I began to wonder if the spirit and body are thought of as separate, how does the corpse severed
body actually teach the spirit a

Changing the Tradition: The Influence of Colonization on...
Changing the Tradition: The Influence of Colonization on Umuofia In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
exercises the importance of traditions in an Ibo village of Nigeria. Africa is very well known for their long
history, dating back to two million years ago, and their ancient ethnic customs have lived on since ("African
History"). Unlike families from a rich white society, African families are usually required to live the traditions
that have been survived through many generations, even if they are frowned upon in other parts of the world.
However, the colonialists' arrival in the late 19th century to Umuofia influences African characters of the novel
to disobey these gender, religious, and cultural customs. Women were not really ... Show more content on
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Enoch, the most extreme catechumen of Umuofia, takes on Reverend Smith's dare to "unmask an egwugwu in
public" during "the annual worship of the earth goddess" (186). This sinful action is the equivalent to "[killing]
an ancestral spirit," so when he accomplishes this rebellious action, member of the Ibo society felt as if a family
member was killed (186). As seen here, the contradiction of the African man disobeying his ancestor's beliefs
creates tension between the indigenous and colonial governing systems; as a result of this absurdity, "Umuofia
was thrown into confusion" (186). Although Mr. Brown cautioned Enoch to keep a good balance between his
ancestor's traditions and Christianity, Reverend Smith influences Enoch to be a fanatic of his new religion.
Therefore, Enoch's fondness of Christianity makes him lose control of himself and lose the understanding of
where he belongs, and therefore, he listens to whatever the Reverend says. If it were not for the colonialist's
influence, the extreme tension between the Ibos and whites would not have existed. As many Umuofians are
starting to shun the traditions, Okonkwo hopes that he can continue believing in Ibo culture's ancient customs;
however, the colonialists also influence him to act differently. Okonkwo has always been known to be "
[impatient] with unsuccessful men" because his father was a humiliation (4). In Achebe's writing, the readers
can tell how Okonkwo wants to be everything his father was

What Is Okonkwo's Response To Umuofia
If another religion were just to barge in and tell you your gods are fake, how would you respond? In the book
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, it tells a story of an unfortunate man named Okonkwo. He was one of the
greatest man of umuofia. He went through a series of misfortunes One of the more significant one, was when he
was exiled because his gun exploded killing the son of a great warrior. Okonkwo's exile was 7 years, but the
exile didn't stop him. What ended him was the introduction of Christianity to the igbo culture. Okonkwo's
response to the igbo and christianity having a cultural collision was a negative response because it changed
many things in Umuofia and he saw the christians as foolish. During Okonkwo's stay in his motherland ... Show
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And in the end he hanged himself because of the changes done by the christians and the fact his clan had grown
so soft that they did nothing about the changes the christians made. Okonkwo's response was a negative one
because in the end he kills himself because of it. In ch 25 pg 208 Obierika says "That man was one of the
greatest men in Umuofia...". This shows that Okonkwo, one of the greatest man in Umuofia committed such an
abominable act in his culture, all because of the christians collision with the igbo

The Christian Missionaries Transformed Okonkwo 's Journey
The Christian missionaries transformed Okonkwo's sense of identity by changing his views on society, his
surroundings, and his emotions overall. As the readers followed Okonkwo's journey, they felt conflicting
connections with him and the tribe as the new religion took over and the Ibo culture was being taken away.
Okonkwo's sense of identity came and went with the Ibo tribe, but his fear of being weak stayed the same
throughout his journey. Okonkwo's everyday life before the new religion interfered, consisted of his heated
emotions, a complete family, and living in a strong, dependable Umuofia, where he was greatly respected. He
first gained his respect in Umuofia by literally throwing his biggest obstacle, "In the end, Okonkwo threw the
Cat" (Achebe 13). This symbolizes the time in his life when fear took over everything weak in his life, and when
he stands up for himself. Gaining his respect in a place that is, "powerful in war and in magic, and its priests and
medicine men were feared in all the surrounding country" (Achebe 21), is a major achievement. In Umuofia,
decisions by the tribe whether to go to war or not, were easily made. For example, when a neighboring tribe
murdered a daughter of Umuofia, the Oracle and Umuofia knew that "the war that now threatened was a just
war" (Achebe 22). The neighboring tribe therefore fearfully handed over a virgin and Ikemefuna. In this feared
place is where Okonkwo raised his family of three wives and eight children. He "ruled

Effects Of Imperialism In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
"We have albinos among us" (Achebe 141). The words vocalized by Uchendu, a wise African villager and Uncle
of Okonkwo in the novel Things Fall Apart by author Chinua Achebe. Achebe does an excellent job at giving
the reader an insight of life before and during the beginning of English imperialism over Africa in the 1800's.
This essay will identify and explain the effects imperialism had on the African villages.
Starting with the first effect of imperialism, the introduction of Christianity in Umuofia, Okonkwo's fatherland.
Four years into Okonkwo's exile, his good friend Obierika payed him a visit, informing Okonkwo of the arrival
of missionaries in Umuofia. The Christian followers had to come to Umuofia to build a church and to convert
locals into their anomalous religion. Most importantly, "what moved Obierika to visit Okonkwo was the sudden
appearance of the latter's son, Nwoye, among the missionaries in Umuofia." (Achebe 143) The introduction of
Christianity was one of the many effects set upon the African villages. Locals were becoming ... Show more
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More and more villagers were falling under this new idea of a single God, not only villagers from Umuofia but
from surrounding villages. The locals were no longer against the new religion. Okonkwo was one of the few
who still was. The local villagers were sort of thankful for what the white men had brought to Umuofia. "The
white man had indeed brought a lunatic religion, but he has also built a trading store and for the first time palm–
oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia." (Achebe 178) The white
men had slowly convinced the local people that what they were doing was productive after all. The arrival of the
white men in Umuofia allowed for larger flow of commerce. This is yet another effect of imperialism over the
African villages, though it isn't negative. The next effect however, is indeed negative and

Umuofia Quotes From Things Fall Apart
Change is Coming Imagine living in a place where you and everyone around you believe in the same religion,
have the same culture and the same traditions. To you what you do, wear and practice is normal. Now imagine
weird looking people that show up at the place where you live. These people tell you that everything you have
believed in and the traditions you practice is wrong and evil. Then they try to "fix" you and your people by
converting you to their religion and by trying to get you to stop doing those traditions. This is what happens in
the book "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, when colonizers come to Africa. Change comes and the village
of Umuofia is no exception. The people of Umuofia have different opinions about the colonizers. ... Show more
An example of this is their belief that twins are evil and bad luck. When twins are born, they are abandoned and
left to die in the forest. When missionaries come, they begin to save the twins and spreading word that, "... twins
aren't evil" (Achebe 61). The missionaries also spread the word of God and education. Nwoye becomes
interested in the church because of their beliefs and because he understood that deaths in the name of tradition
was wrong." But there was a young lad who had been captivated. His name was Nwoye, Okonkwo's first son. It
was not the mad logic of the Trinity that captivated him ... It was the poetry of the new religion, something felt
in the marrow. The hymn about brothers who sat in the darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and
persistent question that haunted his young soul – the question of the twins crying in the bush and the question of
Ikemefuna who was killed" (Achebe 147). Nwoye later gets baptized, changes his name and gets disowned by
his father. I don't think he regrets it though. He finally realized who he was as a person and understood that
some of the traditions his people carried out were wrong. Okonkwo couldn't accept that those wrongs and that
there was going to be changes going on but it is understandable that the loss of culture is sad. He ends his own
life rather than live in a world where

How Did Umuofia Occur In Things Fall Apart
In Things Fall Apart, the society in Umuofia has fell apart in many ways. There has been murders, droughts, and
other unexpected situations in Umuofia that have affected Okonkwo, the main character of the book, and other
people in Umuofia too. Okonkwo caused some of these problems himself by committing murders and getting
himself banned from Umuofia for seven years. After those seven years, more problems were caused by
missionaries who impacted Umuofia negatively. Yeats last two lines of The Second Coming represent bad
situations and people trying to fix them. There have been situations where Okonkwo and the people have gone
through problems and tried to fix it, even though he made them worse. After the death of Ogbuefi Ezeudu, one
of Umuofia's oldest men and an important leader in the village, things seemed to have got worst for Umuofia. At
his funeral, Okonkwo brought a gun and that went off, shooting Ezeudu's son. This caused Okonkwo's exile
from Umuofia and he and his family had to move to Mbanta. During the exile, a white man had rode in on a
bicycle and threaten the people of Umuofia. The white man threaten to destroy Umuofia's clans, which caused
the villagers to kill the white man and for revenge, a group of men killed the villagers. ... Show more content on
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The white men changed everything by trying to get the people to convert to Christianity. They built a church,
prison and established new laws. Some people love the changes but most people hated them, especially
Okonkwo since his son, Nwoye converted and changed his name. More chaos was caused by a convert who
unmasked a egwugwu, a clansman who impersonates one of the ancestral spirits of Umuofia causing the
egwugwu to destroy the church for revenge. This caused Okonkwo and the other egwugwu men to get arrested
and they had to pay a fine to get out of

Things Fall Apart Critical Analysis
For Whom Is It Well: A Critical Exploration of Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is often
regarded as the epitome of African literature, as it covers topics never before seen within the genre and paints
the Igbo people as much more complex than previously assumed. Achebe provides the reader with a look into
West African Igbo culture with well rounded characters and complex themes, and immerses audiences in a
world to which they were previously unaware of. The novel revolves around Igbo tradition, part one being so
steeped with culture and tradition is what helps the reader realize the severity of the British colonization. Once
the reader becomes accustomed to Igbo terms and and traditions everything shifts as the Christians move in.
The majority of readers have little to no background in African culture, specifically with the Igbo people;
immersing them in the culture before the final conflict helps the reader to truly process how serious it all was –
giving the audience the ability to connect to the culture in order to fully understand how serious things were.
Comprehension begins with an understanding of the sociocultural aspects of the Igbo people, the most notable
in Things Fall Apart being gender roles. The isolated village of Umuofia is perfect in this respect – readers are
able to leave everything about the western world behind and immerse themselves into late nineteenth–century
Nigeria. Time spent in the setting of Umuofia develops a sense of

Okonkwo Umuofia Quotes
EA 3.2
Literary Analysis: character analysis
Have you ever woke up to a whole new world? Okonkwo is a self made well respected member the umuofia
clan. He worries that he'll become like his father a lazy, unable to support his family and cowardly. Okonkwo
has a lot of children. He's having big problems with his oldest son but i'll get to that later.
Okonkwo is already a person that thinks he always should be in charge. "If a man comes into my hut and defeats
on the floor, what do I do? Do i shut my eye? No" That quote states that okonkwo doesn't care who comes in
trespass he's not going to be scared. He's going to church. He feels he should be in charge because he lived in
umuofia for very long. " That is what a man does" says okonkwo. He

Things Fall Apart Quote Analysis
Okonkwo desires nothing more than to become a man "resting on solid achievements", or achievements
displayed through strength, hard work, and wealth (Achebe 1). He desires nothing more than to become a man
unlike his father. His violent and peaceful actions displayed throughout Things Fall Apart depict his success and
compelling faith in Umuofia's traditions. By deciding to take his own life, Okonkwo courageously reveals to the
people of Umuofia that a tradition dominated by fear and weakness, which opposes the society's already
established customs, would lead to their downfall. His death acts as the last resistance before Umuofia falls to
the colonizer. It is a reminder of how societal traditions can withstand colonialism if established beliefs ... Show
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For example, when the readers learn of Ekwefi's suffering, they also learn how the society deals with the loss of
children. After losing her third child, the medicine man orders, "that there should be no morning for the dead
child. He brought out a sharp razor from the goatskin bag slung from his left shoulder and began to mutilate the
child" (Achebe 78). In this circumstance, Achebe utilizes overt imagery, particularly in the sharpness of the
razor and in the act of mutilation, to convey the significance of the medicine man's action. The readers learn that
the violent action of mutilation is not done for the purpose of cruelty. It is a way to respectfully acknowledge
Ekwefi's suffering as a mother who has lost children. This society employs this measure as a way to
acknowledge the sadness and goodness of these specific situations. Similarly, the people of Umuofia kill
Ikemefuna as a way to avoid war with a neighboring tribe. His death is not performed for the sheer purpose of
brutality. It is a response to the Oracle's proclamation and in some cases produces depressed responses. For
example, after permitting Ikemefuna to live with him for almost three years, Okonkwo helps kill Ikemefuna
because "he was afraid of being thought weak" (Achebe 61).

The Effects Of Change In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
Change impacts everyday life, to the big picture in people's lives. People have dealt with change for ages. It is a
challenge that people must face at some time in our lives. In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, he shows
the effects of change on a civilization of people and their ways of dealing with it. It shows the story of the Igbo
people and their story of change from colonization. From the arrival of Christian missionaries, things began to
change for these people, they had to learn to deal with a new culture, turbulent results followed. Achebe portrays
a positive change through constructive institutions and a peaceful religion, however with negative tradeoffs such
as racist hierarchical problems.
Institutions such as hospitals and markets are a positive change in Umuofia brought from the white people.
Hospitals allowed for the Igbo people to mend themselves, therefore, making it a positive change. When Mr.
Brown learns that the Igbo people cannot be won over with a frontal attack, he builds a " little hospital" for the
Igbo to heal and see the white men are not as awful as they may seem (Achebe 181). Hospitals in Umuofia
brought medicine and healing to the people, therefore, making a positive change in the village. This, therefore,
displays the positive trade–offs because of the healing and medicine that came to Umuofia. Another positive
institutional change in Umuofia is the building of trade markets in Umuofia. From the new "trading store" the
white men

European Imperialism In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
The novel Things Fall Apart was written in 1958 by a late Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart
alludes to the effects of European Imperialism on Igbo culture. This novel begins in a fictional town called
"Umuofia", on the boundary of modern day Nigeria. European missionaries arrive in Umuofia, uninvited and
especially unwelcomed. Upon the missionaries arrival, Umuofia's cultural tradition is shaken to its core and
tampered with by the Europeans. The effects of the Europeans on the Igbo culture in Umuofia alter the village's
religion, political structure, and the Igbo peoples way of life. In the village of Umuofia, the Igbo people worship
a religion of many deities. Their polytheistic religion consists of gods related to nature such as rain, sun, etc. The
most important deity is the goddess of the Earth; Igbo people frain from committing sins against the goddess of
the Earth in fear of complete genocide. The European missionaries introduce Umuofia to a monotheistic
religion, Christianity. The Igbo people fear what they can't understand, such as medicine. Igbo people feared the
"white man", however, missionaries successfully convert some Igbo people into Christian, causing them to be
shamed by the hierarchy of men in the village. The conversion caused changes in Igbo culture and influenced
the Igbo people to behave in a way that was unheard of before the European missionaries arrived. Enoch, a
recently converted Christian, committed one of the worst crimes in

Umuofia Quotes
Things Fall Apart is a story that create a social, cultural, and religious traditional Igbo life. The novel depicts
conflicts and tensions within Igbo society as well as changes in the village by colonial rule and Christianity. The
novel is structured in three parts. Part One takes part of the great leader Okonkwo's family and life and the
customs of the Igbo society.. Part Two relates the arrival of the Europeans and the introduction of Christianity.
Part Three recounts the influence of colonialism. Okonkwo, the protagonist, is a talented but inflexible leader of
the Umuofia who struggles in the traditional world with the Christian missionaries invasion. In the novel,
Things Fall Apart, Achebe depicts the changing nature of tradition through the internal conflict of Umuofia. ...
Umuofia is a complex, advanced social and artistic community of Igbo culture. The village has strict and
religious beliefs and believed in pure things representing their culture. [quote and
commentary________________________________________________________________________________].
However, the villagers began to question the Oracle and Earth Gods and the value of individual vs society. After
Okonkwo finds out that his good friend,Ezeudu, has died, he celebrates his life as he was important to the clan.
There was a turning point at the end of the chapter with Okonkwo accidentally shooting and killing Ezeudu's
son and," the confusion that followed was without parallel in the tradition of Umuofia...nothing like this ever
happened,"(124). Futhermore, Umuofia values justice in the clan despite the offense of twins and other unpure
things. The villagers have to fear the Oracle and avoid any wrath or punishment to allow their traditions to be
more holy. They questioned their trust in the village despite it being a powerful and developing

Cosmopolitanism In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
Imagine living in a village where everyone shares the same beliefs and speaks the same language, but suddenly
one person arrives, and the world seems to move off balance. This is what happens in Things Fall Apart when
Reverend Smith replaces Mr. Brown, a white missionary, in the African village of Umuofia. Soon after Mr.
Smith arrives, the village because of the white people seize control of the village, causing the main character,
Okonkwo, to commit suicide. When one applies Kwame Anthony Appiah's ideas of cross cultural
communication and diversity within a society in Cosmopolitanism to Reverend James Smith in Chinua Achebe's
Things Fall Apart, the character would have a change in his attitude towards the African culture in Umuofia.
Even though Reverend Smith entered Umuofia in times of distress, he could have conducted himself in a
different way, so that the new diverse society would be able to function peacefully. Unfortunately, when Smith
entered Umuofia in place of Mr. Brown, "He condemned openly Mr. Brown's policy of compromise and
accommodation. He saw things as black and white. And black was evil" (Achebe 184). The reverend was
unaccepting of the Africans' beliefs, including those who converted to Christianity. It is not that Smith detested
the Africans, he just wanted them to believe his version of Christianity because he was raised to believe that
Christianity was the only true religion, and that any other god was false. If Mr. Smith was a cosmopolitan, he

Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Christianity is introduced to a tribal clan through missionaries. The clan,
however, has their own religion, which comprises of a clear social structure. While the mission is beneficial to
many members of the clan, others are not content with the new influence. The Agbala–men with no title–are
grateful for the new religion: the mission provides them with a new opportunity to become a respected member
of society. The powerful men are wary of this change, as it decreases their power and status in the society, and
allows for more social freedom and movement. As many in the tribe take to the new religion, the culture is
slowly forgotten, causing conflict. When the missionaries enter Umuofia and attempt ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
A sudden hush had fallen on the women, who had been talking, and they had quickened their steps. Nwoye had
heard that twins were put in earthenware pots and thrown away in the forest, but he had never yet come across
them. A vague chill had descended on him and his head had seemed to swell, like a solitary walker at night who
passes an evil spirit on the way."(61) Nwoye realizes that he is powerless in Umuofia. He cannot save the twins,
or himself. Nwoye is drawn to the mission, after being beat by Okonkwo. Feeling forced to live up to
Okonkwo's and the tribe's expectations, Nwoye instead rebels, from his family and the violent practices of the
Igbo culture as a whole. Nwoye feels a sense of relief from the missionaries' song, as lessons the trauma of
seeing the abandoned twins and knowing that Ikemefuna was killed. "The words of the hymn were like drops of
frozen rain melting on the dry palate of the panting earth. Nwoye's callow mind was greatly puzzled."(132)
Nwoye is relieved and enlightened when he hears the hymn. He understands the social structure in Umuofia is
flawed, and decides to reestablish his life. The missionaries bring new hope to Nwoye, and to the outcasts of
Umuofia. By extracting the outcasts from the society, the missionaries cause social upheaval and undermine the
fabric of Umuofian society. In order for there to be a functioning society in Umuofia,

Essay on Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Umuofia is a village in Africa, and the inhabitants there are usually united. However, when the Christians arrive
and permeate the village, the clan changes but also falls apart. The novel in which this story takes place is called
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The story is about a well–respected man named Okonkwo who has three
wives and many children, the oldest being Nwoye. Okonkwo is banished for seven years from Umuofia, and
during those seven years, Umuofia is changed fundamentally by the Christian faith. Many people are converted,
but the whole clan is in conflict. This novel demonstrates that Christianity destroys but also guides the Ibo
culture in Umuofia. Initially, the Christians help guide the Ibo culture by giving some ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
It was Okonkwo's uncle, Uchendu. 'Are you mad?' Okonkwo did not answer. But he left hold of Nwoye, who
walked away and never returned"(132). The scene ironically shows both guidance and destroying. Nwoye
demonstrates confidence in his new Christian faith by not yelling back to his father and simply walking away to
what he believes. Okonkwo, however, is driven insane by Christianity. Since Okonkwo does not believe the
Christian faith, he does not want anyone else to join. When Nwoye does join, Okonkwo takes his anger out on
him. Christianity both gives confidence to people and tears apart family units. Secondly, the Christians unite the
converts, but this unity does not prevent the new converts from demeaning others because of their religion or
beliefs. When Mr. Kiaga, the missionaries' interpreter, persuades the converts to accept the osu, or those who are
cast out of the clan, Achebe writes, "'Before God,' he [Mr. Kiaga] said, 'there is no slave or free. We are all
children of God and we must receive these our brothers'"(136). The people are guided by Mr. Kiaga's words as
he teaches that they are all children of God and are, therefore, equal. One might think that converts would
subsequently show the other religion in Umuofia an equal amount of respect as before, but they do not. While
the church is still new to the village and does not perish in Evil Forest, Achebe says, "Three converts had gone
into the village and

How Did Okonkwo And Umuofia Change
"And in fairness to Umuofia it should be recorded that it never went to war unless it's case was clear and just,"
(12). Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, is the story of an Ibo village in Africa, known as Umuofia. The story
follows the events of Okonkwo as he deals with the troubles currently in his life, as well as the rapidly changing
culture of his village as missionaries come in. These events take place in 1900's, and are instrumental in the
change of Ibo society around the end of the 19th century. Okonkwo, the main character of the book and a
talented Igbo, is a microcosm of Igbo society who is destroyed by internal and external forces. Both Okonkwo
and Ibo culture are destroyed and changed by multiple internal forces. Okonkwo's ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Ibo culture and the Umuofia village are impacted by Umuofia's conflict with a neighboring village. As Achebe
described, "Many others spoke, and at the end it was decided to follow the normal course of action. ... on the
other, the offer of a young man and a virgin as compensation,"(11). This young man, Ikemefuna, leaves a lasting
impact upon Okonkwo and Umuofia. Umuofia and Okonkwo become used to Ikemefuna in their daily life, so
when he is killed, it affected many of the people in the village with a sense of loss. The missionaries that come
into their country play a big role upon the Ibo culture. As Achebe mentioned, "Umuofia had indeed changed
during the seven years Okonkwo had been in exile. The church had come and led many astray. Not only the
low–born and the outcast but sometimes a worthy man joined it. Such a man as Ogbuefi Ugonna, who had taken
two titles, and like a madman cut the anklet of his titles way to join the Christians,"(174). Some of the more
important people in Ibo culture, such as the one mentioned, were willing to forego their entire position in their
current society, everything he had been raised on, he gave up. These missionaries change the entire culture of
Umuofia, destroying their culture. Umuofia's culture is doing exactly what the title suggests, things are falling
apart. Achebe explains this in her own words, "Okonkwo was deeply grieved. And it was not just personal grief.

The Women of Umuofia in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart...
The Women of Umuofia in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
The only women respected in Umuofia are those like Chielo, the priestess of the Oracle of the Hills and Caves,
who is removed from the pale of normalcy. Clothed in the mystic mantle of the divinity she serves, Chielo
transforms from the ordinary; she can reprimand Okonkwo and even scream curses at him: "Beware of
exchanging words with Agbala [the name of the Oracle of the Hills and Caves]. Does a man speak when a God
speaks? Beware!" (95). Yet if Okonkwo is powerless before a goddess's priestess, he can, at least, control his
own women. So, when Nwoye's mother asks if Ikemefuna will be staying long with them, Okonkwo bellows to
her: "Do what you are told woman. When did you ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
At the end of the novel, Obi Okonkwo yields to the implacable force of traditional ethos when choosing
between his mother (representing traditionalism), who threatens to kill herself if he marries an outcast or osu,
and the outcast protagonist Clara (representing the modern female). The pregnant Clara gets an abortion and
fades out of the story. But at least she is cast as an educated, financially independent woman. She has the
makings of a spirited, independent character, by virtue of her overseas education and profession as a nurse. She
can afford to do without Obi Okonkwo.
In A Man of the People, there are images of women playing traditional roles such as singers and dancers, or
women adoring rich politicians like Chief the Honorable M.A. Nanga. Mrs. Eleanor John, a tough party woman
and board member –– rich, independent, assertive –– lamentably is cast as a semiliterate businesswoman with
no noteworthy role. We see Chief Nanga's wife, a beneficiary of the colonial, utilitarian education, dissatisfied
with her husband's extramarital relationship and impending marriage to the young Edna. Mrs. Nanga complains
to Odili, but when the latter sets out to unseat her husband, she reverts to her traditional role of helpmate
fighting to retain her precarious social and economic position. Consequently, she remains a dependent,
peripheral figure, deriving validity as a human being only from

Things Fall Apart: Was Umuofia Such A Powerhouse In Nigeria?
Why do you think that Umuofia was such a powerhouse in Nigeria? Did they try to change anything or did they
just have the respect of its neighbors? In "Things Fall Apart" culture is commonly abided by and never
questioned. In the novel "Things Fall Apart" , the author, Chinua Achebe established the themes of strange
religion, clashes of culture and keeping traditions the same with plot, point of view, symbolism and the setting.
Many cultures are important to many different kinds of tribes and groups in the world. In the book the Umuofia
clan take their culture very seriously and do not play around with it. If the author did not make this the main plot
I wouldn't have known about this. For example during the week of peace people make sacrifices for the wrong
doing they have done that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Like the United States, Umuofia was a powerhouse among villages in Nigeria. They had many different
religious meanings that other tribes did not know at the time. The Igbo people feared what they did not
understand. In the novel Umuofia had an understanding of medicine unlike other villages.: Umuofia was feared
by all its neighbors. It was powerful in war and in magic, and its priests and medicine men were feared in all the
surrounding country. Its most potent war medicine was as old as the clan itself. Nobody knew how old. But on
one point there was general agreement – the active principle in that medicine had been an old woman with one
leg. In fact, the medicine itself was called agadi–nwayi, or old woman. It had its shrine in the centre of Umuofia,
in a clearing spot. And if anybody was so foolhardy as to pass by the shrine after dusk he was sure to see the old
woman hopping about.
And so the neighboring clans who naturally knew of these things feared Umuofia, and would not go to war
against it without first trying a peaceful settlement.(Achebe, pg.

The Title Of Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe chose the title "Things Fall Apart" because it explains everything that happened in Umuofia. The
title is basically a summary of the whole book, it tells you what will happen even before you read it. That is very
similar to " The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats. In the poem, the second coming is seen as a
devastating moment because it is a time of destruction because it was a time of chaos and trouble in the world.
Basically, everything is falling apart. The book Things Fall Apart shows how the custom and religion in
Umuofia was modified because of the white missionaries. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, the main character
gives us a clear understanding of the culture. Okonkwo lives in Umuofia, a village in Nigeria where he is a
husband to three beautiful wives. There are customs in Umuofia that the people living there have to abide by.
The most important concept in the village was to have a title, meaning you are well respected and you own land.
"The man who contradicted him had no titles. That was why he had called him a woman." (22). That is how
serious it is to have a title in Umuofia, without a title you are called a woman, something that takes away a
man's masculinity.In the village, there was no king only a Chief Priest and Elders who watched over everyone.
The government in Umuofia was run by males so all males were dominant figures in the book. In a household,
the man is in charge and you have to make sure that is known. " She had married

Cultural Conflict Can Bring Dramatic Changes to Socity...
Culture Conflict Can Bring Dramatic Changes to Societies
Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe analizes the coming of the white man and its results on the culture
of the people of Umuofia. The coming of the white man brought about culture conflict which affects the people
of Umuofia's religion, their judicial system and their social life. Their lives are transformed in many different
ways and change the perspective they have.
The arrival of the white man affects the people of Umuofia's religion and cause culture conflict. The people of
Umuofia have many gods. Agbala– the oracle of the Hills and Caves. "People come from far and near to consult
it" (12). People consult it when they have a discussion or altercation with their ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Their egwugwu who gives justice is feared by the women and their children. Whenever the egwugwu is
approaching, the women and children always shout and run away (63). They also don't unmask the masquerade.
The masquerade's identity is not known by anyone who doesn't belong to the clan's secret cult.
The religion of the people of Umuofia is totally completely different from the white man's religion. This
situation caused a cultural conflict between the white man and the people of Umuofia. The white man's desire is
to impose his religion on the people of Umuofia. The white man believes in one God which he believes has
created the heaven and the earth. He also said his God made the entire world and the Umuofia's gods. He wanted
the people of Umuofia to abandon their gods and follow his own religion. The white men belittle the people of
Umuofia's gods by saying different things about their gods. The white man says that the people of Umuofia's
god are gods of deceit who tell them to kill their fellow and destroy innocent children. The white man says
"your gods are not alive and cannot do you any harm and they are made of piece of wood and stone" (146).
Hearing and seeing all these from the white man, the people of Umuofia were not satisfied with the white man's
religion which was a cause for a culture conflict.
The coming of the white man also influenced the form of justice in

Umuofia In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a young man of great honor and respect. Okonkwo dwells
in Umuofia, a city of brave, young warriors just like himself. The men of Umuofia seem to be in complete
control of the city, until they get an unwanted visit from a band of European missionaries. The arrival of these
missionaries shatters bonds in Umuofia as well as spoiling old traditions, but also gives some clan members a
sense of equality.
This unwanted visit from European colonists weakens Umuofia by filling the leaders of the city with fear, as
well as intimidating the citizens with their reputation. Okonkwo feels like he is the only man left in the city who
is willing to force the invaders out through battle. "He mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia, who had so ...
Brown's arguments began to have an effect, more people came to learn in his school. They were not all young,
these people who came to learn. Some of them were thirty years old or more" (181). This goes against
everything that these Igbo people were ever told to believe. They're betraying not only their brothers, but their
fathers and grandfathers as well. The arrival of these missionaries makes some of these clan members doubt
their own beliefs and practices, so much so that they join in on their enemy's religion. All of the chaos and
destruction that the Europeans cause in the clan becomes overwhelming, ironically leading Okonkwo to kill
himself. "Then they came to the tree from which Okonkwo's body was dangling, and they stopped dead" (207).
This is something Okonkwo considered feminine, a sign of weakness. Okonkwo believes that men are meant to
be strong leaders, doing all the things that women are incapable of. Women were weak in his eyes, so when
Nwoye showed little signs of femininity, Okonkwo was ashamed. Okonkwo had wanted to die with a powerful
title, multiple titles even. Unfortunately, his life ends in a way that he never could have imagined it ending. With

Umuofia
Why should the major decisions of Umuofia be made made by one individual as opposed to several? Instead of
their being one singular sacred Oracle to proclaim the will of Agbala, efforts should be made to devise a wise
council of prophets; similar to the egwugwu themselves. There are multiple benefits to granting the
responsibility of the proclamation of the will of Agbala to a group of people rather than just to one. These
benefits fall under the categories of preventing corruption, accelerating the rate in which messages of Agbala
spread throughout the province, and the development of this society. To begin, The responsibility of one
Hierarch being given the power to proclaim the will of Agbala is impractical and in some cases dangerous. For
example, The Oracle has the power to incite war and violence among the nine villages, the effects of this kind of
power entrusted in a single individual can be incredibly devastating and the blood of brave Umuofians may be
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The conveyance of Agbala's messages to her people can prove to be quite the challenge for one individual.
Therefore, If these messages were to be sent by multiple people at the same time, then the burden of travel
would be reduced significantly. Especially if each of the council members represented their own village, similar
to how the egwugwu do. A council could do in hours what a single Oracle could in days or even weeks, in terms
of spreading the will Agbala. Our current Oracle is said to be very able bodied, In fact it is rumored that one
night she was while she was carrying something considerably heavy someone was following her at a running
pace and it is said that her pursuer was already exhausted before they even caught up to her. However, the will
of Agbala waits for no one. Imagine that level of fitness applied to nine messengers/members of a

How Does The New Culture Affect Umuofia
The village beauty was always strong willed and audacious. She was what many other women aspired to be. In
fact, even the notorious, masculine Okonkwo wanted her in her youth– but he couldn't pay her bride price. This
woman was so ambitious that she fled her first husband to live with Okonkwo after he beat the infamous Cat.
Ekwefi became Okonkwo's second wife due to her ambition, and this began her journey through life with him.
However, when a new culture spread its plague upon the traditions of Umuofia, her life changed dramatically.
The village beauty had seemed to lose everything, but the people she lost and things she had to go through
seemed to only make her stronger. Because of this, the new culture being introduced to Umuofia impacts Ekwefi
in a positive way. Towards the beginning of the book, Ekwefi tells Ezinma the story of a clever tortoise who
tricks a flock of birds into guiding him into the sky for a glorious feast all to himself. He convinces them to
change their names, and the tortoise ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Since the women of Umuofia are raised to follow men, Ekwefi must fall into this category. However, Ekwefi is
not a typical woman in this culture. She has more strength and ambitious will, as shown in the examples above,
than any other woman in Umuofia. She does follow Okonkwo, but she does so with her own sense of self–
regard. This must mean that Ekwefi does follow traditions and customs of the tribe, however, with her own
falsifiability. According to this idea, this would also mean that after Okonkwo committed suicide, Ekwefi no
longer had anything to follow. She was forced to build on her free will in order to find herself and understand
how to continue living seemingly alone in a changing tribe. By doing this, Ekwefi has become even stronger,
showing that the new culture impacting the village of Umuofia has impacted her

Women Equal In Umuofia
Women should be considered equal counterparts to men even in Umuofia and other remote places. This is the
belief of the majority of society today, however, it is not unilaterally accepted everywhere. If given the
opportunity, training, or education, a woman can accomplish the same tasks as a man. Technology has helped
this with advanced weaponry for wars and hunting along with tools to help farm lands better than in the past.
Consequently, there are women that are still suffering the senseless abuse that a few men are still dishing out in
some societies. This must end, and it will with the help of new laws and campaigns that are constantly being
initiated to help minimize this from happening and from organization such as AKST which women need to be
allowed to participate in. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There is a moral obligation that everyone do what they can to help thwart this suffering out. If you see it, report
it. If you can intervene safely, then do so. Technology that helps bridge the gap between male supremacy has
helped to reduce the gender gap that men and woman once had. Where a woman once was not deemed strong
enough to hunt larger game, now she can with advanced weaponry such as bow and arrows or rifles for hunting
game. Some modern agricultural technology could aid a woman to prepare a field by herself without the need
for men and this could provide for herself and family if need be. Women and men need to continue to fight for
equality and everyone should help in the effort to do so. The notion that something is considered "man's work"
is not as relevant as it once was as gender roles have reversed or equalized in countless ways. In the West it has
become common that a woman may be working and a man is tending to the house and family. There is nothing
wrong with this and it is fantastic that today's society allows us have these options. We are stronger together
than we ever could be

Colonialism And Colonialism In Things Fall Apart By Chinua...
Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, is an excellent example of postcolonial literature. Throughout his
novel he uses colonialism and colonial discourse and challenges the cultural stereotypes of the Igbo people.
Colonialism, by definition from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is the practice of domination, which
involves the subjugation from one people to another. Things Fall Apart has various examples of colonialism and
shows the progression of it throughout the novel. An example of colonialism is when the white men arrive in
Umuofia in all their glory and on their "iron horses". "The missionaries had come to Umuofia" (Achebe 143).
The arrival of the missionaries in Umuofia shows colonialism because they are coming to a land that is not their
own and telling the natives that their beliefs and traditions are wrong. The missionaries then install their beliefs,
religion, and lifestyle into Umuofia life by building a church, establishing a government system, and punishing
those who do not follow the "white man laws". The missionaries building their church is a progression of
colonialism. "They had built their church there, won a handful of converts and were already sending evangelists
to the surrounding towns and villages" (Achebe 143). This is an example of colonialism because it exemplifies
that once the white men arrived they wasted no time in getting started on their mission. They immediately
started trying to convert the Igbo to Christianity, their religion and then got right to building their church. An
even further progression of colonialism is when the white men develop a government in Umuofia. "...the white
men had also brought a government" (Achebe 174). The establishment of the missionaries' government in
Umuofia further shows the progression of colonialism because it shows how many of the missionaries' beliefs
and ways of life they have installed in Umuofia, and how much more civilized they thought they were than the
Igbo people because they needed their guidance and laws in order to head in the right direction. Colonial
Discourse is the way the colonizers spoke about the colonized people that made them look uncivilized (The
Must–Knows of Postcolonial Literature). Throughout Things

Examples Of External Forces In Things Fall Apart
In the novel, "Things Fall Apart", Okonkwo, who lead the major role in the story, was characterized by fear and
very weak thoughts in his personal life. He doesn't want his home at Umuofia to be familiar in the change of
time and progress. The isolation of his organization in the Umuofia community is considered as worth and
meaningful in his own life instead. Okonkwo is very much drifted towards external forces due to stress
affiliation with his father since his childhood. When the organization in society of Umuofia altered, his methods
and self–assessment failed to adapt to this alteration. So he could not adjust to function his ways into a new
environment and thus his fears slowly started to collapse everything around him.
When Okonkwo was young, he declared that his father was not able to feed adequately of his family and he was
abashed by his father's strength. He didn't receive enough food and he was insisted to dislike his father, Unoka.
While he went out in Umuofia, he expressed his embarrassment against his father and consequently he
discovered that villagers of Umuofia had similar dislikes against his father. The hatred feelings against his father
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This was depicted such as the abandonment of twins in the forest by members of the community. Also Okonkwo
mentioned that his father, Unoka was beggar, valueless person and he held no titles in Umuofia society.
Okonkwo also criticized his father that if a beggar were allowed to take a title in Umuofia, it would distort the
foundation as he created. Thus this response predicted Okonkwo's reaction to the numerous events to end of the
novel. Okonkwo was sent exile for seven years as punishment for killing a member of Umuofia. His friend,
Obierika described him as "a man who thought about things". Okonkwo never think about the traditions he
follows as in fact he continue to suppress everything his father

What Contributes to ‚ÄòThings Falling Apart' in Umuofia?
‘Things Fall Apart ' is the novel written in 1959 by the Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe. The novel itself is
ironic, tragic and satirical where the author at most describes the conflict between the traditional society of
Umuofia with the new customs brought by the white people. Another theme of the novel is contributed through
the protagonist, Okonkwo, who struggles to be strong, masculine, respected family man, rather than his father,
Unoka – weak, effeminate, lazy and poor.
Through this novel, Chinua Achebe tries to prove that faith has always been a guiding force in man 's life. He
chooses the period of eighteenth to nineteenth century in Africa, the time of white men 's arrival to the desert
land. Exactly then, Christian religion was ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Probably Nwoye felt himself as a traitor and decided that the best thing to do would be joining Christians, who
accepted anybody, no matter what title the person obtained.
By washing off any of the evidences of Unoka 's failure existence, Okonkwo washed off any presence of sense
of love and care towards people who were close to him. Eventually, Nwoye became more and more distant from
his father. This leads to another important observation leading to the fall of the Umuofia clan. It is Okonkwo 's
inability to see the significance of childhood and the unimportance of constant violence made it difficult for him
to relate to members of the clan such as his own son, Nwoye.
While reading the novel, we see that Nwoye liked listening to the stories his father used to tell, "Masculine
stories of violence and bloodshed". Okonkwo summarized the sense of sorrow, bitterness and war in them.
Nwoye knew that it was something he had to know in order to improve his attitude toward the clan. He knew
that it was right to be a man, violent, but he still gave preference to the stories his mother used to tell.
Most probably, this is how it was in other families. Children preferred listening to the stories about nature,
something they encountered with in their everyday life, something they knew. By contrast, they never related to
war within their lives and eventually they were unable to find any

How Is Okonkwo Portrayed In Umuofia
Kimberly Romero–Rodriguez
Block D/E
09/21/15
Things Fall Apart In class essay Okonkwo lives in a village names Iguedo. Okonkwo is a wealthy and respected
warrior of the umofia clan. He supports three wives and eight children. He is much different from the rest of the
clan. He strives for success unlike his father unoka, who was lazy and was always in debt.The people of the
umofia clan are civilized because they had social classes, division of work, and their calendar.
The Ibo people of Umofia rely on one's successes to determine how much one should be respected. In Umuofia,
it appears that the big factors in success are the amount of wives and barns that a man has. This is emphasized
when Achebe writes, "Okoye was also a musician. He played on the ogene. But he not a failure like Unoka. He
had a large barn full of yams and had three wives. And now he was going to take the idemili title, the third
highest in the land" (Achebe 6). Titles are something that are earned over a man's lifetime, based on his
successes. The privilege of having a title is the gained respect. Having a title shows that you're an accomplished
citizen of Umuofia.When Ezeudu died, "because he had ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Okonkwo yelled at his oldest wife, "Do what you are told , woman. When did you become one of the ndichie of
Umuofia?" (Achebe 14). Nidichie means "elders," the most respected Umuofians. This statement implies that no
woman has the right to be considered one of the elders. women were perceived as being weak. They received no
respect are were brutally abused This implies that females are inferior to males. There was a division of labor.
This is evidenced when Achebe writes, "His mother and sister worked hard enough, but they grew women's
crops, like coco–yams, beans, and cassava. Yam, the king of crops, was a man's crop" (Achebe 22–23). The
work was divided between women and men but men were given the tougher work because women are seen as

Things Fall Apart Test Essay
Things Fall Apart Test Things Fall Apart. Those three words spell misery for whatever they describe. This
phrase is the title of a novel by Chinua Achebe. Achebe chose to use this phrase from a poem, The Second
Coming, by William Butler Yeats. By writing The Second Coming, "Yeats describes an apocalyptic vision in
which the world collapses into anarchy because of an internal flaw in humanity.("Things")" which helps to
convey his feelings about humanity. Chinua Achebe decided to use a line of this poem to depict the effect of
British imperialism and to indicate the state of life in Umuofia.
Between these two pieces of literature, there are some contradicting themes and ideas. While in the poem, the
apocalypse in the end of the world are caused by the second coming of Christ, in Things Fall Apart, the
apocalypse or the end of the world is caused by the arrival of the British missionaries. In the second coming, the
end of the world is caused by the internal flaw of human society. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Both the novel and the poem share the idea of apocalypse. The poem illustrates the second coming of Christ as
the apocalypse while the book, on the other hand, represents the idea of apocalypse as the end of world as the
Ibo people knew it. When the British arrived, they persuaded the Ibo people to believe that all of their values
and traditions were immoral and unjust. However, between these two pieces of literature, there are some
contradicting themes and ideas. While in the poem, the apocalypse in the end of the world are caused by the
second coming of Christ, in Things Fall Apart, the apocalypse or the end of the world is caused by the arrival of
the British missionaries. In the second coming, the end of the world is caused by the internal flaw of human

The Effects Of Change In Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe
Change has impacted everyday life and the big picture in people's lives. People have dealt with change for ages.
It is a challenge that people must face at some time in our lives. In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, he
shows the effects of change on a civilization of people and their ways of dealing with it. It shows the story of the
Igbo people and their story of change from colonization. From the arrival of Christian missionaries, things
began to change for these people and they had to learn to deal and live with a new culture, turbulent results
followed. Achebe portrays a positive change through constructive institutions and a peaceful religion, however
with negative tradeoffs such as racist hierarchical problems.
Institutions such as hospitals and markets are a positive change in Umuofia brought from the white people.
Hospitals allowed for the Igbo people to heal themselves, therefore, making it a positive change. When Mr.
Brown learns that the Igbo people cannot be won over with a frontal attack, he builds a " little hospital" for the
Igbo to heal and see the white men are not as bad as they may seem(Achebe 181). The fact that hospitals were
built in Umuofia brought medicine and healing into the village of Umuofia, therefore, making a positive change
in the village. This, therefore, displays the positive trade–offs because of the healing and medicine that came to
Umuofia. Another positive institutional change in Umuofia is the building of trade markets

Who Is Umuofia In Things Fall Apart
In 19th century, british men had begun to adventure into Africa and imperialize. In Chinua Achebe's novel,
Things Fall Apart, it follows the story of Okonkwo; a clan leader in Umuofia, Nigeria. His world begins to
collapse as the british start to change the clan's traditions and religion. The invasion of the missionaries struck
terror into the clans. With the building of hospitals and trading centers, the people of Umuofia struggle to
understand the forced entrance of the white men. The effects the white men leave change the clans way of life.
The people of Umuofia were not surprised when the missionaries asked for land; in fact, the clansmen laughed
and allowed the men a patch of land that was considered cursed. After they sent the white ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
Saying they should convert now because if they did it after he died he would come back from the dead and
break their necks. Okonkwo's friends and family were soon converting to the new religion; but Okonkwo was
never going to stop fighting for his clan. He started trying to find a way to remove the missionaries from his
homeland. Shortly after they burn down the church out of rage. The missionaries come to the leaders of the clan
and says that they should solve and discuss what happened in the church in a friendly way; yet when the
members of Umuofia arrived they were captured and thrown to jail. "It happened so quickly that the six men did
not see it coming. There was only a brief scuffle, too brief even to allow the drawing of a sheathed machete. The
six men were handcuffed and led into the guardroom"(143 Achebe). The white men were abusing power by
killing people. "...[the men of umuofia had] been taken to Umuru and would be hanged on the following day.
Some said that their families would also be hanged. Others said that soldiers were already on their way to shoot
the people of Umuofia as they had done in Abame"(145 Achebe). Okonkwo was very upset once he was
released. He wanted the clan to get revenge and fight back for all that the white men have done to the clans. So
he took it upon himself to do so. "Okonkwo slept very little that night. The bitterness in his heart was now
mixed with a kind of childlike excitement, before he had gone to bed he had brought down his war dress, which
he had not touched since his return from exile"(147 Achebe). At the marketplace meeting the next day Okonkwo
takes action, decapitating one of the white men. He had done what he believed was

Succesful Men In Things Fall Apart
"I dream of an Africa which is in peace within itself" by Nelson Mandela. The novel, Things Fall Apart by
Chinua Achebe is about the downfall of a strong clan and a strong man. The story narrates the life of Okonkwo
and how he is seen as a successful man and was respected in his clan. The men in the Ibo culture are
characterized a certain way to demonstrate how they contribute to their downfall and how they are affected, so
the reader can understand how everything in Umuofia fell apart due to colonization. The men in Umuofia are
represented as successful as shown in the novel through the main character, Okonkwo, as he is the embodiment
of a successful man in Ibo culture. He earns his success from scratch as he was left with nothing from his
deadbeat father, Unoka. Okonkwo is able to obtain such status in Umuofia by becoming a great wrestler in the
nine villages, gaining two titles, warrior and being a prosperous farmer of yams that allows him to be able to
sustain his three wives and children. Being viewed as a successful man, not a weak man is very significant to
Okonkwo as it is known to the readers his greatest fear, "It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to
resemble his father," (13). The terror of being anything like his father pushes him to the limits ... Show more
As Umuofia had a reputation to withhold, "Umuofia was feared by all its neighbors," (11). This clan is feared by
the surrounding villages because they know that Umuofia and men are strong. As going to war against them was
something they want to avoid. The power and fear they had was something that made Okonkow and the men of
Umuofia proud of being part of this clan. Which is why the invasion of the missionaries has such an impact on
Umoufia because it is clan who is stable and suddenly it all falls apart because of these white men in less than
10

Oracles In Things Fall Apart
In some religious cultures, an oracle is someone believed to be in contact with deities worshipped by a
community. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the sacred nature of oracles in Ibo culture is exemplified
greatly as it directs the actions of entire clans. The novel is set in the village of Umuofia, where the Oracle of the
Hills and the Caves, called Agbala, has a surprising amount of power over the decisions of individuals in the
clan. In order to illustrate just how faithfully the Umuofians believe in their Oracle, it is mentioned that "no one
[has] ever beheld Agbala, except his priestess" (16), which means that the villagers have absolute faith in his
exsistence despite his lack of proven physical presence. Beyond just believing in Agbala and his power, the clan
members come to consult the Oracle "when misfortune [dogs] their steps[,] when they [have] a dispute with ...
In a discussion with Obierika about Okonkwo's involvement in Ikemefuna's death, the main protagonist tells his
friend that he "[sounds] as if [he questions] the authority and the decision of the Oracle, who said [Ikemefuna]
should die" (66). Okonkwo accuses his friend of this with an somewhat hostile tone, making one question how
far the villagers will go to defend Agbala and his word. Even more concerning is the Oracle's direct power,
hinted at by Okonkwo during the same discussion. Okonkwo makes the point that someone had to kill
Ikemefuna, or else it would not be done, and goes on to ask Obierika a rather intimidating question: "what do
you think the Oracle would do then" (67)? It is concerning that the benevolence of a deity, who is essentially an
absolute ruler of Umuofia, must be questioned. Despite the questionable stance of the Oracle, the dismissal of
Agbala's ability to turn on Umuofia shows the clan's faith in their

Cultural Values In Things Fall Apart

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Cultural Values In Things Fall Apart