Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a story about personal beliefs, customs, and conflict. There is struggle between family, culture, and the religion of the Ibo. These struggles are all brought on by a difference between personal beliefs and customs of the Ibo and the British. Things Fall Apart is Chinua Achebe's admiration of his ancestors and the culture of the Ibo tribe in Nigeria.
The title of this book is from the poem "The Second Coming" by Yeats, which describes the chaos that ensues when a monster returns to earth. I can understand why Achebe chose such a title for his novel; after deep thought, one can see how the title describes the mixing of cultures and that the breakdown of traditions can lead to unthinkable results. But, Things Fall Apart is a very deceptively simple book, and this apparent simplicity deceives the majority of Achebe's readers, from those who read it as simple story to those who never trace out the use of Yeats in the title. Without having my teacher decisively tell my class the foreshadowing and other symbolic figures, I would have never noticed the deeper meaning of this novel on my own.
On a positive note, Achebe's blend of culture and harsh reality makes this novel an amazing read that should be required for all high-school students. It provides a wealth of information about the culture and traditions of Nigeria, and details about how colonialism was able to tear apart a powerful tribe. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys history. I am not a history lover, and I really enjoyed this novel and learned many new things about the Ibo culture in Nigeria.
Things Fall Apart provides an alternate perspective on Christian faith and witnessing. Many people believed that the Christian faith was right for everyone and that it was a Christian's responsibility to impress its doctrines upon others. I have read many stories about Christian missionaries saving souls in foreign lands and believed this was admirable. But after reading about colonialism in this novel under the guise of religion, I wonder: Is it right to intrude into a society that is functioning well and deliver a different belief system to them? Is "saving" people worth destroying their traditional way of life? Is change inherently superior to tradition?
In addition, my thought process was changed as I observed the main character, Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a man who refuses to accept the intrusion that occurs in the novel; his effort to hold onto tradition led him to violent actions. He murders a missionary because of his beliefs and is unwilling to accept change. I realized from Okonkwo that many people are often stubborn about different beliefs. Since many people are unwilling to recognize beliefs that are different from theirs, they tend to miss out on opportunities to learn about other cultures. Okonkwo opened my eyes to diversity and led me to be more tolerant.
Readers will feel like they are part of the Ibo as they follow their day to day activities, but will also realize how quickly things can fall apart. When the tribe stops worshipping the same gods and partaking in the same ceremonies, the results are catastrophic. Ultimately, reading and studying this novel has impressed upon me the need for balance between tradition and change. Things Fall Apart is essential reading for people to comprehend the fragility of mankind.
Word Count: 570
