Chinua Achebe presents a powerful and thought-provoking account of the native tribes of Nigeria over the course of several years and the startling events that come about as a result of a perpetually changing world. It is the story of Okonkwo, a fierce warrior-like clan member, and his children, his kinsmen, his friends, and his reputed enemies. But it is also the story of valor, tradition, kinship, ancient proverbs, social status, gender roles, and the eventual "falling apart" of the aforementioned elements. Through poignant description and fascinating imagery, Achebe paints a very real picture for his readers, where one feels almost like a part of this woodland society that we may have never known existed. Through this story, which will undoubtedly cause a multitude of emotional reactions for the reader, Achebe means to convey that disaster and ruin will become of men who carry hate in their hearts, and that ignorance is a force even more deadly than the blow of a machete.
It is interesting to analyze the manner in which Achebe supports this argument in his novel. The story is told in the third-person by an omniscient (that is, all-knowing) storyteller. However, because Achebe offers little or no reasoning behind the Ibo customs mentioned in the novel, we are made to believe that the storyteller has an innate understanding of these customs. For example, upon reading this novel one will soon discover the social prominence of kola, a beverage that is present at almost all social occasions.
[...] Again here, Achebe offers no reason as to the distinct pattern in which members of a gathering are fed. We as readers are asked to simply accept the fact. By refusing to tell the readers why the twins are abandoned in the forests or why kola seems to be present at all social gatherings, we are also to believe that the author has a profound respect and appreciation for these traditions. I see this as Achebe taking a personal dig at the white man's ignorance in his novel. [...]
[...] Through this story, which will undoubtedly cause a multitude of emotional reactions for the reader, Achebe means to convey that disaster and ruin will become of men who carry hate in their hearts, and that ignorance is a force even more deadly than the blow of a machete. It is interesting to analyze the manner in which Achebe supports this argument in his novel. The story is told in the third-person by an omniscient (that is, all-knowing) storyteller. However, because Achebe offers little or no reasoning behind the Ibo customs mentioned in the novel, we are made to believe that the storyteller has an innate understanding of these customs. [...]
[...] The Christian missionaries, and, in the end, the District Commissioner, are the opposite of the storyteller, who witnesses and reports events but does not question them. The white man attempts to make some modern-day sense of these bizarre rituals, and when he cannot, he becomes angry. He demands change. It is this demand, the desire for conformity among the masses, that ultimately leads to the breaking apart of the values that the Umuofia once held so dear. BIBLIOGRAPHY Things Fall Apart. Chinua Achebe. [...]
[...] Another example of an unexplained custom is the abandoning of twin babies to the Evil Forest. Achebe tells of twin babies being “thrown away” to die in the woods. Of course, to a reader in North America, this custom would seem bizarre and inhumane. But he does not attempt to justify this tradition with a reason. He simply states the event, as though to tell the reader that he may not be comfortable with the act being committed, but he must accept it because he is a stranger to their ways. [...]
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