"Things Fall Apart"
Things Fall Apart
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, there is a large group of African Villages named Umofea that live in a peaceful existence with each other. Their belief system is based on gods and earth worship that help keep the members of the villages in peaceful coexistence and harmony. Of course, like with all societies there are rifts amongst the people and community. For example, though everyone can personally make decisions concerning certain aspects of their life, the oracle is the true judge in many situations which can lead to frustration, but complete obedience. When Okonkwo takes Ikemfuna on a walk with clansmen, and the clansmen attacks Ikemefuna, a boy that okonkwo has taken a liking to in regards of him being his son in a way. In order to not show what okonkwo views as weakness, he cuts down Ikemfuna himself, which is perceived to be a sin among the culture, which snowballs into becoming a social rift which untimely turns into Oknonkwo being banished from the village for seven years. Another rift in the novel, Things Fall Apart was when Okonkwo murdered the white man in front of his fellow tribesmen in order to incite a riot and revolution. When okonkwo murders the white man, the response of the villagers is not what he expected, and he creates another social rift. By the time okonkwo wants to have a revolution, the villagers have already become accustom to having white culture integrated into their own by accepting education and religion. Also, throughout some of the novel, some villagers display negative feelings towards the evil forest where newborns are left to die. One villager even leaves the village due to it. This rift in the society makes it easier for the Europeans to take over Umofea. There were already feelings that perhaps the act of leaving babies to die in the forest allow was a barbaric but accepted ritual, so if the Europeans come with a religion that does not allow for things like that to happen, the...
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