Things Fall Apart

6 Pages 1392 Words

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a brilliant novel when discussing traditional African culture. It provides an anthropological method of explaining a heroic tale of an African man. This novel deals with a societal transformation that shattered a civilization. This piece of literature identifies the roles within a society in Africa before European colonialism took place and it also deals with the aftermath that tainted the African way of life. “Things Fall Apart”, demonstrates people’s positions in an enclosed structural system as well as looking at class in a worldview. This book does a fine job in explaining the global view during this particular time period as well as it focuses on the thoughts of one individual native man. A Southeastern Nigerian village is where the novel takes place. Achebe explains the values of the African tribe called the Igbos from this region. Europeans play an important role in the novel. European people can be seen as very different from the Igbos in a sense when relating their values and beliefs. In another light the beliefs can be seen as fairly similar. The social moral order of these two societies can be connected as much as they can be opposed.
In understanding the social order of these two groups first one must understand the story. Achebe’s main character’s name is Okonkwo. He was a strong warrior that was known for his violent temper and his high status within his community. He was respected for his combating and diplomatic capabilities, making him an exalted man in his clan. He had three wives and eight children. Overall he was an exceptionally successful man compared to his father who had died in debt. The story is constructed on the lives of the Igbo people and the social mobility of Okonowo’s village Umuofia. The story is illustrated in matter that the reader can understand the daily tasks of the people and their roles. These tasks are shown through Okonowo�...