“Things Fall Apart” is a novel that contradicts many of the white western stereotypical views of the native African people. The author Chinua Achebe wrote the novel to show that the African natives where not the savage, uneducated and primitive people that they had been portrayed as by the bias white man. There is know better example of this than the novel and movie “Heart of Darkness”, which portrays the natives as evil, ruthless and stupid and this could not be further from the truth, as Achebe’s hole purpose for the novel, was to raise awareness to the ignorant white man.
The native African people had one of the most complex and ridged social structures in the world at the time of colonisation. Through the white mans arrogance they where not able to see this or just simply did not want to anyway. Achebe uses characters like Okonkwo “main character of the novel and tragic hero” in his novel to illustrate the African people’s values and attitudes towards change to the invading white culture.
Achebe focuses on the native tribe of people called the Ibo, who live in Nigeria to get his views across to the reader. In this tribe there lives the books main character Okonkwo, a well-
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“ An abominable religion has settled among you. All participant from the arson where arrested and sent jail after they where tricked into coming to a meeting to discuss the matter, Okonkwo being one of them. ” (P175) With this statement Achebe shows that even Okonkwo even starts to question his attitude and values of the Ibo society. Nwoye was not happy having to flee the village with his family and soon runs away and returns to the village where he makes a new way of life with the white colonists and other outcasts. ” Okonkwo knew that it had been an accident, and still his beliefs in the societies values was so strong that he didn’t hesitate in leaving the village along with his family, even though he knew he was going to loose everything he had worked for. Achebe is starting to demonstrate the changing attitudes in the tribe beginning with the outcasts and emotionally tormented.
Okonkwo only saw one way left to stem the rising white mans evil, “If Umuofia decided on war, all would be well. Achebe uses Okonkwo to highlight the values and attitudes of the African people towards the colonisation by the white people. In all “Things Fall Apart” takes a look at the world through the eye’s of a Native African, giving his views on colonisation, instead of the western views that we have all grown up with. But if they choose to be cowards he would go out and avenge himself.
Okonkwo displayed great attribute as a man in his society, and these allowed him to maintain the high profile he had in the tribe. Achebe shows that the only way to maintain any of your values & attitudes there must be room for compromise otherwise your downfall is imminent no matter how great you are. ”
“ The only course open to Okonkwo was to flee from the clan.
Approximate Word count =
1402
Approximate Pages =
6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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