Things Fall Apart

2 Pages 510 Words

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart provides excellent examples of an African culture, in a way that it seems more like an anthropological case study, as opposed to a novel. It is because of this unusual format that it gives the me a chance to see the roles that people play in their society, especially in a culture that is far different from the one in which I live. As I look at the society in which the Ibo people live, I can draw a similar parallel between some of the roles of the characters and the roles that some people play in our society. It is this principle that connects all cultures to a similar base that cultures either are, or once were distinctly patriarchal, as seen in Things Fall Apart and American societies.
In Things Fall Apart, we see Okonkwo as a very strong warrior, and respected member of his community. He has three wives and eight children. He has achieved such a high status in his society through his fighting ability and diplomatic capabilities. Therefore, he becomes a member of the second highest class of men in his clan. Of course, he has to have some sort of a fatal flaw, which in his case is a violent temper. When I read this novel, his character reminded me of the character Oedipus in Oedipus the King written by Sophocles. In the case of Oedipus, he kills his father, unknowingly, because a man cut him off in his travels. The similarity to Okonkwo is that Okonkwo has been known to hurt people when he is having trouble communicating. This similarity provokes a foreshadowing of Okonkwo’s anger somehow forcing him to do something hasty, without realizing the consequences of what he is doing. This is presented when he provides the fatal blow to his honorary son, Ikemefuna. We are also presented with the service of Okonkwo’s three wives. Each of them is supposed to provide him with food for the day, and children to help him farm, and take over his farm, when he becomes too old to do manual l...