Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe
Summary
Things Fall Apart is a story of a man named Okonkwo. He is the protagonist of the story;
however, it’s his tragic fall. He is the most influential in his place and probably the respected
one. This happens when he fought someone in a wrestling contest his place and he continuously
gain more of himself and be more powerful. In contrast to his father, who was a lazy and careless
man. Who also borrows money and spent it with his friends than to his family that cause often
his family went hungry. In his place, his father was considered as failure and even his death he
is remembered as failure and had a shameful death where he left so many debts.
As the novel develops, Okonkwo is the leader of his community. However, as years go by, he
was changed. He cannot control his temper anymore and always violates rules in his community.
After what he had done to the community and his people, he and his family were exiled from
Umuofia for seven years. They move to their mother’s native village. After leaving the
community, people there destroyed Okonkwo’s compound and kill all his animals to clean the
place of the sin of Okonkwo.
In the village, there were six missionaries came and the one white man speaks to the them about
Christianity. Okonkwo did not believe it but his son is being captivated and eventually convert to
Christianity. These missionaries built Christian church in the community. However, the people
believe that these missionaries will die because the land the church was built was on cursed but
when nothing happens to the missionaries, they think that they have power and magic. These
missionaries recruited people who live there from the weakest to the strongest. They have also
started a school where Okonkwo’s son is attending the school as well.
When the exile of Okonkwo is over, they return to the community. And he discovers the changes
happen to the place. A lot of men were back to their position of the community and converted to
Christianity. The missionaries built also a prison, they have government and laws being
established. Okonkwo wonders why his people not taken against to their oppressive government
and the church.
Mr. Brown, one of the white missionaries respects the traditions of the place. So, he tries to learn
about the culture and he becomes befriended with the clan leaders of the community. He
encourages everyone to get an education. Of course, Okonkwo is not happy about the changes
about it especially his son is attending the teaching education.
Years later, Mr. Brown was ill and he needs to go back to his place, so the new head of the
church is Reverend James Smith. However, he is very different from Mr. Brown. He is narrow-
minded especially with the culture and customs of the community which means he is very strict.
Due to this situation, there are problems arises to the community and there this man destroys the
Christian church because they have caused the community so much problems. When that
happen, the District Commissioner went to the community, and learned about the fall of the
church. He gathers all the six leaders of the community, including Okonkwo. He let the men who
destroyed the church got in jailed and will pay two hundred and fifty bags of cowries. The people
of the community collect all the money and pay the fine, and they were set free.
One day at the meeting, there are court messengers try to stop the meeting when they approach to
them. But Okonkwo immediately jumps and cut off the head of the man in charge of the
messengers with his perhaps bolo. No one of the clan members attempt to stop the messengers
who escape. So, Okonkwo realizes that they will never go to ward and the community will
surrender eventually. And everything has fallen apart for him, and he commits suicide by
hanging himself.

Story Analysis
Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist and author of 'Things Fall Apart,' a work that in part led
to his being called the 'patriarch of the African novel. Chinua Achebe made a splash with the
publication of his first novel, Things Fall Apart, in 1958. Renowned as one of the seminal works
of African literature, it has since sold more than 20 million copies and been translated into more
than 50 languages. In 1958, Achebe published his first novel: Things Fall Apart. The
groundbreaking novel centers on the clash between native African culture and the influence of
white Christian missionaries and the colonial government in Nigeria. An unflinching look at the
discord, the book was a startling success and became required reading in many schools across the
world. (https://www.biography.com/writer/chinua-achebe)
The story evolves to a man who is very influential and respected to the community but later
exiled because of being volatile. And when he returned to his community everything changes
that he didn’t expect. The story is written by Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian. He wrote this story to
awaken the Nigerian people how this Igbo culture was change inevitably by the white people. It
is to show that because of the internal weaknesses of the Igbo people they were easily withstand
by the white people and made changes of their community where division of culture and people
have change, introducing education was done, religions and technology are also been present and
the government was introduced but considered as oppressive.
Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” demonstrates the Marxist and Historicism Approach that deals
with different issues of the community considering that cultures, politics, and customs are
involve. The coming of the missionaries to the community made a big impact and change
especially to their cultures, customs, and how people see things even how to lead with their
people was change. Politics was merely the caused of everything. They have struggled the
changing world around them and their traditions. I believe this issue has something to do with
the culture of the people of Umuofia and the culture of the white missionaries. These where
politics comes in. The rules perhaps were change, and new infrastructure were also built when
they came. As you believe, it’s the history repeats that the power of these people was taken over
by the oppressive changes done by the white missionaries. Though, there are significant
happened to the community but the fact that their cultures and traditions were changed it was like
ignoring what the ancestors have done to their tribe.
Moreover, the politics comes in to the community when they built a Christianity church. When
Christianity was introduced to them and let the people convert to be everything has change. A lot
of issues and problems came in tot eh community. And the fact that they were led by the white
missionaries where their cultures and points of view are different, they can’t make as one untied.
It seemed like the white missionaries take advantage of their power and position over these
people. However, over the time these people little realize that what they are done were not
should be done to their community. Subsequently, one of their men destroy the church thinking
that it caused so much troubles to their community which is evident especially when these
missionaries came. Nevertheless, a District Commissioner came to the place and gather a
meeting for the people and the leaders including the leader of the community Okonkwo.
Dejectedly, while the meeting started someone tried to stop the meeting but Okonkwo suddenly
jump of to the person and cut off his head. When that happened, the people of the community
didn’t stop other messengers escape and made Okonkwo realize that his people will ready to
surrender to the new changes because of power perhaps. Consequently, he kills himself and
that’s Things Fall Apart.
This kind of situation happens even of to this time. When someone wants to defend our rights
and our place to those oppressive people, constituents became powerless because of how terrified
they of the power of other and they might use it against to them. I believe that politics will no
longer be as peaceful as a dead person. It will always be a quarrelsome and full of biases. People
who have position will take that as an advantage of step in the powerless. But I also believe that
these generation was evolving and changing. Young generation was smart enough to know what
is right and wrong. And they can now realize their voices and fight if not they can be the voice of
other people who cannot speak and fight. Furthermore, as this generation we need a leader that
do not force oppressive changes and has compassion to his people whatever language, cultures,
rules, traditions, and gender may it be. Unity will happen when government and its people
understand and compassionate. We should not let our country happen as the story encounters
before it’s too late. Be the voice and let our voice be heard.