(Post Colonial Analysis) |
Things Fall Apart is about the tragic fall of the protagonist, Okonkwo, and
the Igbo culture. Okonkwo is a respected and influential leader within the Igbo
community of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria. He first earns personal fame and
distinction, and brings honor to his village, when he defeats Amalinze the Cat
in a wrestling contest. Okonkwo determines to gain titles for himself and
become a powerful and wealthy man in spite of his father's weaknesses.
Okonkwo's father, Unoka, was a lazy and wasteful man. He often borrowed money
and then squandered it on palm-wine and merrymaking with friends. Consequently,
his wife and children often went hungry. Within the community, Unoka was
considered a failure and a laughingstock. He was referred to as agbala,
one who resembles the weakness of a woman and has no property. Unoka died a
shameful death and left numerous debts.
Okonkwo despises and resents his father's gentle and idle ways. He resolves to
overcome the shame that he feels as a result of his father's weaknesses by
being what he considers to be "manly"; therefore, he dominates his
wives and children by being insensitive and controlling.
Because Okonkwo is a leader of his community, he is asked to care for a young
boy named Ikemefuna, who is given to the village as a peace offering by
neighboring Mbaino to avoid war with Umuofia. Ikemefuna befriends Okonkwo's
son, Nwoye, and Okonkwo becomes inwardly fond of the boy.
Over the years, Okonkwo becomes an extremely volatile man; he is apt to explode
at the slightest provocation. He violates the Week of Peace when he beats his
youngest wife, Ojiugo, because she went to braid her hair at a friend's house
and forgot to prepare the afternoon meal and feed her children. Later, he
severely beats and shoots a gun at his second wife, Ekwefi, because she took
leaves from his banana plant to wrap food for the Feast of the New Yam.
After the coming of the locusts, Ogbuefi Ezeuder, the oldest man in the
village, relays to Okonkwo a message from the Oracle. The Oracle says that
Ikemefuna must be killed as part of the retribution for the Umuofian woman
killed three years earlier in Mbaino. He tells Okonkwo not to partake in the
murder, but Okonkwo doesn't listen. He feels that not participating would be a
sign of weakness. Consequently, Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna with his machete. Nwoye
realizes that his father has murdered Ikemefuna and begins to distance himself
from his father and the clansmen.
Okonkwo becomes depressed after killing Ikemefuna, so he visits his best
friend, Obierika, who disapproves of his role in Ikemefuna's killing. Obierika
says that Okonkwo's act will upset the Earth and the earth goddess will seek
revenge. After discussing Ikemefuna's death with Obierika, Okonkwo is finally
able to sleep restfully, but he is awakened by his wife Ekwefi. Their daughter
Ezinma, whom Okonkwo is fond of, is dying. Okonkwo gathers grasses, barks, and
leaves to prepare medicine for Ezinma.
A public trial is held on the village commons. Nine clan leaders, including
Okonkwo, represent the spirits of their ancestors. The nine clan leaders, or egwugwu,
also represent the nine villages of Umuofia. Okonkwo does not sit among the
other eight leaders, or elders, while they listen to a dispute between an
estranged husband and wife. The wife, Mgbafo, had been severely beaten by her
husband. Her brother took her back to their family's village, but her husband
wanted her back home. The egwugwu tell the husband to take wine to his in-laws
and beg his wife to come home. One elder wonders why such a trivial dispute
would come before the egwugwu.
In her role as priestess, Chielo tells Ekwefi (Okonkwo's second wife) that
Agbala (the Oracle of the Hills and Caves) needs to see Ezinma. Although
Okonkwo and Ekwefi protest, Chielo takes a terrified Ezinma on her back and
forbids anyone to follow. Chielo carries Ezinma to all nine villages and then
enters the Oracle's cave. Ekwefi follows secretly, in spite of Chielo's
admonitions, and waits at the entrance of the Oracle. Okonkwo surprises Ekwefi
by arriving at the cave, and he also waits with her. The next morning, Chielo
takes Ezinma to Ekwefi's hut and puts her to bed.
When Ogbuefi Ezeudu dies, Okonkwo worries because the last time that Ezeudu
visited him was when he warned Okonkwo against participating in the killing of
Ikemefuna. Ezeudu was an important leader in the village and achieved three
titles of the clan's four, a rare accomplishment. During the large funeral,
Okonkwo's gun goes off, and Ezeudu's sixteen-year-old son is killed
accidentally.
Because the accidental killing of a
clansman is a crime against the earth goddess, Okonkwo and his family must be
exiled from Umuofia for seven years. The family moves to Okonkwo's mother's
native village, Mbanta. After they depart Umuofia, a group of village men
destroy Okonkwo's compound and kill his animals to cleanse the village of
Okonkwo's sin. Obierika stores Okonkwo's yams in his barn and wonders about the
old traditions of the Igbo culture.
Okonkwo is welcomed to Mbanta by his maternal uncle, Uchendu, a village elder.
He gives Okonkwo a plot of land on which to farm and build a compound for his family.
But Okonkwo is depressed, and he blames his chi (or personal spirit) for
his failure to achieve lasting greatness. During Okonkwo's second year in
exile, he receives a visit from his best friend, Obierika, who recounts sad
news about the village of Abame: After a white man rode into the village on a
bicycle, the elders of Abame consulted their Oracle, which told them that the
white man would destroy their clan and other clans. Consequently, the villagers
killed the white man. But weeks later, a large group of men slaughtered the
villagers in retribution. The village of Abame is now deserted.
Okonkwo and Uchendu agree that the villagers were foolish to kill a man whom
they knew nothing about. Later, Obierika gives Okonkwo money that he received
from selling Okonkwo's yams and seed-yams, and he promises to do so until
Okonkwo returns to Umuofia. Six missionaries, including one white man, arrive
in Mbanta. The white man speaks to the people about Christianity. Okonkwo
believes that the man speaks nonsense, but his son, Nwoye, is captivated and
becomes a convert of Christianity.
The Christian missionaries build a church on land given to them by the village
leaders. However, the land is a part of the Evil Forest, and according to
tradition, the villagers believe that the missionaries will die because they
built their church on cursed land. But when nothing happens to the
missionaries, the people of Mbanta conclude that the missionaries possess
extraordinary power and magic. The first recruits of the missionaries are efulefu,
the weak and worthless men of the village. Other villagers, including a woman,
soon convert to Christianity. The missionaries then go to Umuofia and start a
school. Nwoye leaves his father's hut and moves to Umuofia so he can attend the
school.
Okonkwo's exile is over, so his family arranges to return to Umuofia. Before
leaving Mbanta, they prepare a huge feast for Okonkwo's mother's kinsmen in
appreciation of their gratitude during Okonkwo's seven years of exile.
When Okonkwo returns to Umuofia, he discovers that the village has changed
during his absence. Many men have renounced their titles and have converted to
Christianity. The white men have built a prison; they have established a
government court of law, where people are tried for breaking the white man's
laws; and they also employ natives of Umuofia. Okonkwo wonders why the
Umuofians have not incited violence to rid the village of the white man's
church and oppressive government.
Some members of the Igbo clan like the changes in Umuofia. Mr. Brown, the white
missionary, respects the Igbo traditions. He makes an effort to learn about the
Igbo culture and becomes friendly with some of the clan leaders. He also
encourages Igbo people of all ages to get an education. Mr. Brown tells Okonkwo
that Nwoye, who has taken the name Isaac, is attending a teaching college.
Nevertheless, Okonkwo is unhappy about the changes in Umuofia.
After Mr. Brown becomes ill and is forced to return to his homeland, Reverend
James Smith becomes the new head of the Christian church. But Reverend Smith is
nothing like Mr. Brown; he is intolerant of clan customs and is very strict.
Violence arises after Enoch, an overzealous convert to Christianity, unmasks an
egwugwu. In retaliation, the egwugwu burn Enoch's compound and then destroy the
Christian church because the missionaries have caused the Igbo people many
problems.
When the District Commissioner returns to Umuofia, he learns about the
destruction of the church and asks six leaders of the village, including
Okonkwo, to meet with him. The men are jailed until they pay a fine of two
hundred and fifty bags of cowries. The people of Umuofia collect the money and
pay the fine, and the men are set free.
Analysis:
The novel things fall apart by Chinua Achebe depicts the story that happens when a certain country or tribe is being colonized. There is somewhat we call "CHANGE". Change that occur when a certain country is under the administration or under the governance of another. Like a man who knew nothing about the world and inculcate the first teaching we had, we humans now despise change or enhance them.
In the case of the story "Things Fall Apart" I can confidently say that, when the tribe was run by the white men, certain changes happen because of the cultures that were implanted in them. Things that they knew was changed; beliefs, culture, and even religion. We may try to resist and fight for what we think is right but eventually we learn accept them whole. We can't deny the fact that when fighting, the shedding of blood can never be avoided.
Like the Philippines who was colonized by many country, many cultures are inculcated in our mind by different foreigners; Spanish, American, and Japanese cultures. But like the story of Things Fall Apart, we Filipinos were changed by what they planted as Christianity who convinced them totally. Thinking that this belief will change the track of their life, they succumb to that.
At first we may say that this change will bring about destruction to
the things we built and founded many many years. But as we go along, we
see that this change may bring us a higher perspective in life, giving
us another view of what betterment we can do with it.
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