Things Fall Apart Reflection

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells the European colonization of Africa through the lens of Okwonko, a fearless warrior who believes in "doing things a man's way". The majority of the book is spent in Umofia, a village tribe in Africa before being touched by "the white man". It is only halfway through the second part that missionaries begin to set foot, and with them government and courthouses too.

Things Fall Apart is written for a white audience. This is clear through the defining of unfamiliar words and traditions. For example, the harvest festival is described but Easter isn't. Thus, waiting until almost 2/3 of the way through the book to introduce the white man is an interesting decision. This decision was made to flesh out the nature of Umofia's tribe and ways before the influence of the white man. To the reader's perspective, traditions and beliefs such as the re-entering of cursed children through the womb or the burning of twins in the evil forest seem ridiculous at first, but over time it becomes clear that this is the way of Umofia and this way works. The people of Umofia are happy before the intervention of white men, despite their different ways. Without spending the first half of the book thoroughly fleshing this out, the reader would think that the white men are doing a good thing.

I think the success of this set-up can be best seen in the scene where the Egwudu set fire to the white man's church. The foolishness of Enoch becomes obvious to the reader, and the sparing actions of the only burn the church that was allowed to stay in Umofia during peaceful times is clear. Then, to retaliate by unjustly imprisoning the 6 warriors that go to the district court is glaringly cruel. Declaring their own laws and demanding 250,000 cowries for the escape of unjustly imprisoned men highlights the underlying cruelty of the white men in land that isn't their own.

Which makes another thing clear: the white men have the power to take over Umofia if they want to, but instead try to convert their people. They want to establish their own governments and wait until the African people violate their rules to administer "justice". Chinua Achebe makes it very clear that nobody paid attention to the law of a foreign government that declared themselves government. In this way, they can convert and exploit their people and market.

Even by Umofia's standards Okwonko is extreme in his intolerance and violent outlook towards things. I think this is done to highlight the reason of wiser men in Umofia such as Obrieka and Uchendu. Becuase Okwonko is so extreme in the older, intolerant way of doing things, the reason of these men is clear in the scenes where they appear. The stability of Umofia's customs is presented through the instability of Okwonko's temper and the men who correct his ways.

There is also a clear gendered discussion between male and female. This is clear in the scenes about male and female stories, and the discussion of Nwoye and Ezinma. The conclusion is not that the male way of doing things is better. I will need to think more about the takeaway of this discussion.

I would recommend Things Fall Apart to anyone. It is a short read and unearths the stability and culture of life before European intervention.

05.25.24