Things Fall Apart - Irony
A commonly used rhetorical device, irony is a needed part of any writing. Irony is a method of humorous or subtly sarcastic expression in which the intended meaning of the words is the direct opposite of their usual sense. Irony takes several forms, such as dramatic or situational. In the novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, all these forms of irony are used numerous times throughout the retelling of the epic saga of Umuofia's fate and the struggle of its tragic hero, Okonkwo. The whole tale is one of many hidden subtleties; from the seemingly harmless implementation of the new Christian religion in to Ibo culture, to the foreshadowed conversion of Nwoye, to the unseen role of women in society, the story's words are almost exactly opposite of its true meaning and value that it plays in the Ibo culture. The emergence of irony's several forms in the story exposes that below the surface, there lies a hidden deeper meaning.Irony in the story can first be seen in the fulfillment of the Christian religion's plans on establishing itself deep within the cultures of the Ibo and also of many other African tribes, especially in the case of Okonkwo and his son Nwoye. Throughout their lives, Okonkwo has always regretted h
The missionaries had an idea that if they could build an institution upon the grounds of the Ibo, they would soon not be able to leave, and the missionary's work would flourish. Irony also showed a deeper meaning - whereas Okonkwo was a furious fighter, Nwoye was one who enjoyed being with both women and men, and did not find trouble in establishing his 'feminine' traits and mixing them with his 'masculine' ones. However, the reasons behind giving the forest was that they believed that no man in his right mind would accept the offer to take such a horrible, evil place, and in doing so, hoped for the missionaries to leave and be no more. this is Okonkwo's tragic flaw: he is a man who lives in a culture that requires a balance between 'masculine' and 'feminine' that he does not acknowledge (Apppiah, XVII). He has great respect, but does not take pleasure in the ways that his father tries to show his strength. Let us give them a real battlefield in which to show their victory (Achebe, 129). They believed that they would be gone by the seventh market week, which is twenty-eight days. "Is it not again fitting that the most widely acclaimed source of religious practice among the Ibo was a place referred to as Agbala, or in layman's terms, woman? The ear of the Oracle who could understand her sayings was none other than a woman, Chielo, a priestess. aving Nwoye and Nwoye has always had a great feeling of hate towards his father. The final show of irony, giving to us the deeper meaning of words in the story, is the role of women in the society of Umuofia and of the Ibo who lived there.
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