**Title: The Impact of Colonialism as Seen Through Achebe's Works**

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A Message from the African Prophet

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I first became acquainted with Achebe through one of his famous short stories called The Sacrificial Egg. The author's lucid, clear, and simple expression was the most captivating.


On the other hand, Achebe is known as the messenger of Africa. He is a pioneer of African literature who has written his novels and stories in English and spread them among the cultures and beliefs of Africa and the four corners of the world. This very subject is what he has emphasized.

After studying in England, he realizes:

“The image presented of Africa is that of a savage and harsh people with wild and heroic passions and simple minds.”

As a result, he decides to acquaint the people on the fringes of the world with a corner of African culture before the colonial period.

Perhaps everything that follows is the result of this intention:


Before Colonialism

In the first two-thirds, the reader becomes familiar with the pre-colonial culture in Nigeria (the Igbo people). A culture in which:

Tribal warriors in inter-tribal wars would sever the heads of their opponents as a sign of pride, take them home, and display them in skull cups.

If a woman had twins, her children would be killed and left in a distant place!

There was a belief that a child who died (before or after birth) was a devilish child and had to be punished so that if it ever intended to return, it could be identified from the scars on its skin as the same devilish being before.

Of course, there were other rituals as well, such as courtship ceremonies, stories and metaphors, family, giving and inviting spirits, and removing spells and witchcraft, etc., not all of which were necessarily savage or primitive....




After Colonialism

In the remaining one-third, when we are completely immersed in the strange and curious tribal rituals and the main character (who is a proud and actually a typical village elder), we witness the arrival of the white people in the role of colonizers. The whites, while inviting the tribal people to their Christianity, expose the ugliness and horror of their rituals, but they also gradually use the people's violence against their rituals to maintain their power. The colonizers, by building churches, schools, and hospitals, intended to impose a new lifestyle and belief system on the Africans. Many tribal leaders were humiliated, many outcasts of society turned to Christianity, and of course, many people were killed in the process.




What is Revealed?

In the end, this question arose for me: Did the colonizers only exploit? Or did they also bring culture, education, science, and technology to the colony?

The very word "colonialism" alone provides an answer to this question, and the result of this colonialism is the existence of Achebe, who can easily write novels, short stories, and articles in English and criticize the colonial policies of England in them.


Of course, what about the many beautiful rituals that have been forgotten?


From this point of view, this book is considered an important work because it is one of the first books written in English by an African raised in the African tribal system that looks at the arrival of British colonialism. And perhaps for this reason, the name of this book has appeared on the list of 1001 books that must be read before death.


Apart from these historical topics, the book is also excellent technically. There is no complexity in the plot or the characters and situations (sometimes it even seems a bit simplistic), and it is told with the same simplicity that one would expect from an African tribal. One layer, clear and straightforward.


My rating is 3/5, but since we are not very racist, I give it a 4 to make Achebe happy.

Things Fall Apart is like a vivid canvas upon which Achebe masterfully paints the tragic picture of how the white dominion in Africa systematically disintegrated the rich and diverse culture and customs of the natives. It was a slow and insidious process that gradually reduced the Africans into white-worshipping pawns. Achebe, deeply proud of his African heritage, infuses every word of this novel with that pride. The pain he feels as he chronicles the downfall of a once-proud culture at the hands of the invading colonisers is palpable.

Achebe's story is not just that of one colonised nation but represents the experiences of many. Their cultures and customs were mercilessly intruded upon, with the whites changing and destroying what they couldn't understand. Through the spread of religion by missionaries and the introduction of education, they managed to win over many natives. The incentives and power bestowed upon the converts were strong inducements for more to join the white camp. Power, being a human weakness, made it natural for people to submit to it and embrace the powerful. This is precisely what happened in the colonies. The white men, with their superior weaponry and shrewdness, held a significant advantage over the natives. As the natives, especially the younger generations, witnessed the white supremacy and power, they slowly abandoned their age-old customs and pledged their allegiance to the newcomers. What remained for the colonies upon achieving independence was a heavily diluted and mixed culture, a far cry from their original traditions.

The story revolves around Okonkwo, a warrior and an influential leader of a clan. Through his experiences, Achebe vividly brings to life the culture and customs of Africa before the arrival of the Europeans. Although the story lacks a traditional plot structure, it flows smoothly, providing a fascinating insight into a lost culture. While the male domination and mythical worshippings that characterised their culture may not be acceptable in modern times, reading about this obliterated culture is undeniably interesting. Initially, it is difficult to summon sympathy for the protagonist due to his cruel and unsympathetic character. However, as his pride takes a great blow and he is humiliated to the breaking point, one cannot help but feel sympathy for him.

With his beautiful and evocative writing, Achebe tells the story of a lost culture, eliciting the sympathy of the readers. It is a powerful and heartfelt account of how nations with different cultures were brutally trampled and destroyed by the Europeans in their misguided attempt to "civilise" the natives. It shows how the European culture and religion were forcibly imposed upon them, disregarding the established ways of the natives. The colonisers' lack of understanding and insensitivity towards the natives is palpable, as they brutally uprooted them from their age-old customs. As a citizen of a former colony, I can deeply understand the pain that lies beneath Achebe's words. While the colonisers did bring some good things to the colonies, if only they had been more understanding and sympathetic towards the local ways and customs, and more humane towards the natives, perhaps things would not have fallen apart so disastrously.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/

It is no easy feat to sing the praises of a book like Things Fall Apart. This novel is regarded as a classic worldwide, yet it has stirred up such strong animosity among many readers on this site. Perhaps it's because so many people were forced to read it as high school or college students and are inclined to rebel against anything that is officially mandated or even recommended to them.

To truly understand this book, one must place it within the context of history, considering the time and place in which it was written. And I believe it is essential to explain what inspired the title, even if one doesn't actually read the poem by Mr. W.B. Yeats. Take a step back for a moment and envision someone in a tribal or deeply religious culture almost anywhere on the planet, whose world appears to be disintegrating due to outside forces, along with the anxiety this can引发. I think Chinua Achebe's novel will then begin to make at least a little more sense.

I first read Achebe's book while in a teacher training program at Columbia University, preparing to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, East Africa. During my first year in Africa, living quite far from Achebe's Nigeria, the world of the Igbo tribe was further disrupted when the people of Eastern Nigeria attempted to secede and form the independent nation of Biafra.

There was probably as much, if not more, bloodshed by the Igbo in this attempt at independence from Nigeria as during Nigeria's struggle for independence from the British. This is just another example of things falling apart with a vengeance.

This novel is a sort of fable, told by someone whose kin were educated through oral tradition rather than a more formal literary one. Yet the story of Okonkwo reminds one of Shakespeare's "King Lear," an epic figure from a very different time and place. What happens to the Lear-like Okonkwo represents not only a clash of cultures but also a generational clash within a culture, which is equally, if not more, unsettling.

The tribal world in Africa was in the process of redefinition, transitioning from a time when wealth was measured by the number of wives a tribal chief or elder had and when the currency was yams, palm wine, or cowrie shells to a much more "modern" period, seemingly devised by outsiders, whether they were the former colonial masters or a new group of post-independence rulers.

Okonkwo is either unable or unwilling to sort through the new variables and adapt to the new realities of a different structure that in many ways supersedes the old tribal certainties. There are likely Okonkwo-like figures in today's Afghanistan and tribal areas of Pakistan, as well as in many other places around the globe.

While teaching at a boys' boarding school far from the Kenyan capital, where boys often defined themselves along strictly tribal lines, I was asked to teach Shakespeare's Macbeth to the students at the school in this newly independent nation and then have the students perform the play for the entire secondary school and as many local villagers as could fit into a rather confined space. Suspecting that these students, some of whom were older than I was at the time, might find reading and performing Shakespeare to be a foreign task, I was astonished to find that they relished the story and the opportunity to portray Shakespeare's characters.

Chinua Achebe's story featuring Okonkwo and the other characters succeeds on an international stage in the same way that Shakespeare's plays do, because both bring to the forefront essential human stories about people facing change and each other, sometimes poorly, and families being torn apart in their attempts to adapt.

*Within my review are 2 photo images of author Chinua Achebe, which support a representation of Chinua Achebe's character, Okonkwo.

The white man, with his remarkable cleverness, arrived quietly and peaceably, bringing along his religion. We initially found his foolishness rather amusing and thus permitted him to stay. However, as time passed, he managed to win over our brothers, causing our once unified clan to lose its cohesion. He has, in essence, severed the ties that held us together, and now we have fallen apart.

The world has no end, and what is considered good among one people can be an abomination to others.

Published in 1958, Things Fall Apart holds the reputation of being the first great African novel. Set in the late 1800s, the story centers around Okonkwo, a prominent farmer and community leader. He has toiled hard since he was forced to fend for himself at a young age after his irresponsible father passed away prematurely. But Okonkwo is deeply concerned that the next generation shows little respect for tradition. To make matters worse, British Missionaries have arrived, posing a significant threat to the village life they have known.

This novel explores several timeless themes, and the writing is technically proficient, subtle, and rich in symbolism (such as the yams). Nevertheless, in 2019, Things Fall Apart proves to be a challenging read. Firstly, at least half of the book offers a rather detailed account of daily village life, which, to be honest, did not hold much interest for me (there are just so many yams). In this regard, it reminds me of the exhaustive sections on island life in Robinson Crusoe. Far more significantly, the book suffers because Okonkwo is a rather unlikable character. Due to his fear of being weak like his father, he has developed a volatile temper. He frequently beats his wives, and his family lives in fear of him. He deems calling a man a woman as the greatest insult.

Things Fall Apart is not the kind of novel I typically choose to read, as I usually prefer something a bit lighter. I read it because I am working my way through the Pop Chart 100 Essential Novels, with the intention of forcing myself to read classics outside of my comfort zone. I respect its status as a groundbreaking classic, but this book simply did not resonate with me. I am aware that it is the first in a trilogy, but I have no plans to read the rest of the series.

This is really not an easy one to review.

I found it quite challenging to understand much of Okonkwo's motivations. I'm well aware that this is because his culture is so extremely different from my own.

I suppose the very reason we read about different cultures is to learn about them and to develop an appreciation for each other's diversity.

Although Okonkwo was a difficult character to like, I can surely appreciate the culture and the tribes' desire to remain within their traditions and not be altered by the Europeans who came there.

Human nature doesn't always permit change to occur so effortlessly.

Okonkwo was a man ashamed of his lazy, poor, and gentle father and rejected everything his father stood for.

He aspired to be a great man in his tribe, wealthy, admired, strong, and brave, and he accomplished these things through violence and ruthlessness.

His culture values masculinity and looks down upon weakness.

For Okonkwo, manliness is equated with brutality, anger, and force, but his view is not that of the entire tribe.

Emotions other than anger are considered unnecessary and soft.

Okonkwo resists the changes because they oppose his beliefs regarding manhood and social status within the tribe.

But the question remains: will he come to terms with his views in the face of the new political and religious changes?

Only time will tell.

Things Fall Apart

It seems that I don't learn from my lessons! I have postponed writing about this book for a long time. I finished reading it in November last year, and now seven months have passed and it is still waiting on my desk, calling out to me!! I have read a lot and written a lot, but despite its beauty and power, it remains postponed, just because I, the fool, wanted to write about it better, and it is not the only one in this fate!! There are other books that I have also postponed writing about, until I lost the desire to do so and put them back in their warm place on my desk. But the story of Okonkwo will not meet this fate, I will not lose the desire to write about it.

The first thing that intrigued me in Chinua Achebe's novel is its enchanting title (Things Fall Apart), which he took from a poem by W. B. Yeats. Oh, what a true description of the fall and end of a world that we lived in and thought was eternal and would never disappear, but here it is falling apart and ending, leaving fragments here and there in our culture.

Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist, published this novel in 1958 in English, and it quickly became one of the most famous African novels. It was also adopted as a school curriculum in many African countries.

In this novel, we live with Okonkwo, the strong man who built himself from scratch and became the strongest man in his village. We live in the world of the African village before colonization, its religion, customs, and superstitions. Then the changes begin to appear, which worry Okonkwo as he stands in their face and fights to preserve his world as he knows it. But the customs change, and the religion changes with the increasing number of converts to Christianity. And when Okonkwo kills a messenger from the colonial government, his adventure comes to an end.

The end of the novel is one of the most beautiful endings, which reminded me of the end of (All Quiet on the Western Front) by Erich Maria Remarque. Indeed, everything falls apart, Oh Okonkwo.

Maybe the most remarkable aspect of Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" is that it offers us an insider's perspective on African culture. It shows us how Africans viewed the world around them and their place within it.

Most of the African novels I've read present an outside view, either the colonial or Christian perspective, which unjustly judges a people and a culture that they couldn't possibly understand.

The story is set in the Nigerian village of Umuofia in the late 1800s. Since their culture is deeply rooted in history and tradition, things had likely remained much the same for centuries. So, when the outsiders arrived, mostly white Europeans and initially mostly Christian, the shock was unimaginable and, in many ways, catastrophic.

The narrative revolves around the character Okonkwo, who dominates the story to such an extent that the book could have been titled "Okonkwo." "Dominate" is the appropriate word because that's Okonkwo's way. In village life, with his wives and children, he rules with an iron will. And when the "white man" appears in the village, it's clear that Okonkwo will be the wall of resistance.

If you have an interest in African culture, historical fiction, or simply good writing, then this is the book for you. It earns a solid 4.5 stars.

The white man is very clever.

He came with a calm and peaceful appearance and brought his religion.

We allowed him to make fun of our stupidity and stay.

Now, however, he has drawn our brothers to his side.

Our clan can no longer move as a whole.

The things that held us together have been cut and thrown away with straw, and we have become scattered and fragmented.

We are now in a difficult situation, and we need to find a way to unite again and resist the influence of the white man.

We cannot let our clan be destroyed like this.

We must stand up and fight for our rights and our future.

I had previously stated in one of my earlier reviews that if a particular character is not overshadowed by the plot-theme of a script and stands out on its own merit, becoming more memorable than the story itself, then the book is worthy of praise, as is the author for its creation. When reading Things Fall Apart, among its extensive documentation of the Igbo culture in the southeastern part of Nigeria, a man named Okonkwo shines not because of his tragic fate but because of the person he became due to his deteriorating circumstances.

He was proud, stubborn, short-tempered, and ruthless, yet he took pride in the customary and social hierarchies of the powerful Umuofia clan. He feared failure, a psychological inferiority complex nurtured by his father's shortcomings. Okonkwo strived with unwavering determination to be the leader of the clan. He stood tall and strong like a tree, facing every crisis that came his way with stubborn wit. However, he sadly overlooked his own limitations and never learned to bend or adapt like the grass to the changing winds, and finally succumbed to the harsh gusts.

My heart goes out to men like Okonkwo, whose personalities represent countless other men from various patriarchal societies, like my own, for example. Staunch patriarchs rarely accept change because they are deeply rooted in their ancestral cultural mores and dread its disintegration over time. Okonkwo's father died when he was young, burdened with debt and humiliation. Therefore, he feared his own downfall and saw achievement and power as a sign of acceptance and dignity among the members of the clan.

Okonkwo was the uncrowned prince of masculinity. As a patriarch, he believed that the making of a true man was achieved through the use of brute force and authoritarian rule. Any sign of vulnerability was seen as a feminine trait and a disgrace to his manhood. It has always been a classic case of "my way or the highway" when dealing with the head of a certain family structure. The father or grandfather, whoever held the supreme position, tended to be consumed by his own obsessive pride, failing to show the necessary restraint and gradually tearing the family apart.

It was no surprise when Okonkwo's son Nwoye despised his father's teachings and turned to Christianity for a peaceful existence. I have no sympathy for Okonkwo's tragic ending because I strongly felt that he deserved every bit of the death that came his way. I know I got a bit carried away with this character, but I saw aspects of his personality that hit close to home. A man who cannot change with the times is a friendless traveler.

After a while, when my anger subsided, questions arose as to whether it is easy for a person who is deeply embedded in a certain way of life to accept drastic change at the risk of losing a crucial part of his existence - his cultural identity. When I compare myself with past generations, I wonder if my children will ever remember or follow the remnants of my ancestral culture that have barely found a place in my lifestyle. Colonization brings westernization; the arrival of the "white" man on exotic foreign shores brings a modernist wave that practically erases the primary ethnicities of the land. Democratic reforms bring liberation, banishing orthodoxy and atrocious superstitions. It is indeed a wonderful prospect, I must say; however, it gradually washes away the crucial hierarchical cultural institutions, labeling them as a blot of vernacularism.

I embraced westernization as a child during my school years, but my father still finds some of the libertine values absurd. It is then that I reflect on Okonkwo and his failure to accept the presence of British missionaries in his village and his belief in the disastrous consequences of the spread of Christianity.

Achebe presents a complex blend of digression and misfortune that revolves around one man, his fate, and the collapse of his tribal ethnicity. The anthropological portrayal of the Igbo people and their civilization in the late 19th century showcases the democratic richness of the Igbo people, deeply rooted in the tribal origins of African literature. Themes of religious convictions in the mysterious aura of the village Oracle, the hypocrisy and breakdown of the justice system during colonization, and the commanding anxiety of free will are skillfully intertwined in depicting the Igbo world.

Tribes and cultures either disintegrate or merge into Western civilization, bringing an end to a strong ethnic era that once thrived and later patiently awaits its revival through generations. Languages and customs disappear with colonization, making the world a uniform global stage with the treasures of ancient cultures hidden within its dark interiors. One man's treasure is another man's trash; tribal practices, although labeled as an archaic form of savagery, were valued institutions of traditions and justice to some. Although Chinua Achebe's book attempts to echo the related attitude, somehow it seems depressing and empty at the closing stages of the book.

I truly relished this book!

It was the very first book that we perused in my contemporary world literature class, and it sparked some truly excellent discussions.

I'm all for any conversation where I can deliberate on dismantling the patriarchy. This book indeed delved deeply into sexism, a topic that I find both exasperating and fascinating.

The writing style was straightforward and easy to read. Although there wasn't an overabundance of vivid imagery, some of the similes and comparisons were really quite beautiful!

I believed this was a remarkable book for discussion, and it was truly captivating in terms of learning about the culture and religion of Nigerian villages!

I'm eagerly anticipating reading and discussing more books in this class!

If you've been seeking a book that condemns colonialism and toxic masculinity simultaneously, your search ends here. These are precisely the two forces that shatter the main character in 'Things Fall Apart', one encroaching from the outside and the other festering from within.

I adored this book. Perhaps it's because I didn't have to read it in school, long before I would have been ready. (Full disclosure: I don't think I was one of those truly mature teenagers, cocky for sure, but not mature.) I don't even know what I was doing reading other African, specifically Nigerian books, without having this foundation first. (But then again, I never read Madame Bovary, so what was I doing reading modern European literature?) Now, I'm eagerly looking forward to exploring other titles in the African Writers Series, of which Achebe was the editor.

It's true that Achebe wrote 'Things Fall Apart' in English, not Igbo - the language of the colonizers. However, when you read it, you can't help but realize that Achebe took English and molded it to his own will, making it his own. I highly recommend reading an excellent essay by Ruth Franklin in the New Yorker for more on this topic: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/05/26/after-empire . Also, check out the interview with Achebe in the Paris Review (Art of Fiction no 139 - https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1720/chinua-achebe-the-art-of-fiction-no-139-chinua-achebe).

The novel, of course, is not an idealized vision of Igboland before colonization. The portrayal is often brutal, and yet, like every other book that describes inevitable change, it makes me profoundly sad. Change is always on the horizon. You can't cling to the past. The old ways will always be replaced by the new, and it always makes me mournful, even though I'm an adult and I know that change is the only constant in life.

Okonkwo, the main character, is grappling with his daddy issues (parents - they mess you up no matter where you are) while also fighting the colonizers who are invading his land like locusts (and just like with locusts, the danger isn't fully recognized). He loses twice.

If, after reading the book, it's still not clear to the reader that Achebe is addressing the danger of someone else telling your story, of the colonizers stealing the narrative from the colonized, he drives the point home by ending the book with the District Commissioner contemplating the book he's going to write about Africa. He's already decided on the title: "The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger".

'Things Fall Apart' was truly amazing to me now. It was both strange and familiar, local and universal. I can only imagine how astonishing it must have been in the late 50s. And to conclude this review, here's an excerpt from the previously mentioned New Yorker essay:

"Western reviewers praised Achebe’s detailed portrayal of Igbo life, but they said little about the book’s literary qualities. The New York Times repeatedly misspelled Okonkwo’s name and lamented the disappearance of “primitive society.” The Listener complimented Achebe’s “clear and meaty style free of the dandyism often affected by Negro authors.” Others were openly hostile. “How would novelist Achebe like to go back to the mindless times of his grandfather instead of holding the modern job he has in broadcasting in Lagos?” the British journalist Honor Tracy asked. Reviewing Achebe’s third novel, “Arrow of God” (1964), which forms a thematic trilogy with “Things Fall Apart” and its successor, “No Longer at Ease” (1960), another critic disparaged the book’s language as “folk-patter.”

What a bunch of idiots.

Wiki refers to the book as the most widely read one in modern African literature.

Written in 1958, this is a classic African novel that delves into how colonialism had a profound impact on and undermined traditional African culture. It is set among the Igbo people of Nigeria. A significant phrase appears later in the book: “He [the white man] has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”

The main character is a powerful man, the village wrestling champion. He has three wives and numerous children, although the wealthiest man in the village has nine wives, thirty children, and three barns. The main character is not averse to beating his wives when the mood strikes him. He seems to be ruled by anger and fear.

There isn't a highly complex plot. We witness the main character initially struggling to establish himself. There are some years of poor crops, but overall, things progress relatively well. Then, he accidentally kills a fellow tribesman and endures the punishment imposed by the village elders, which is banishment from the village for seven years. He loses his land and accumulated wealth and has to return to his mother's village, all the while dreaming of his eventual return. When he does come back, white rule has extended its influence into his village, and everything has changed.

The British have brought greater prosperity, a school, and a clinic, but at a great cost, mainly by imposing their laws and legal system above the traditional rule by village elders. A Christian church has been constructed, and many villagers are abandoning the old gods and converting to the new religion, including one of the main character's sons.

There is no going back to the old ways. The whites' retaliation is swift. In a nearby village, men killed a white man driving a car (they had never seen a car before). In retaliation, soldiers arrived and machine-gunned the marketplace, killing men, women, and children, essentially annihilating the village.

Much of the book has an anthropological aspect. We learn about the village councils, a priestess, crop cultivation, food preparation, and all the elaborate rituals surrounding bride price negotiations, weddings, funerals, and the traditional gods.

I found many of the idioms and proverbs scattered throughout the text quite interesting: “There must be a reason for it. A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing.” “An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb.” “Eneke the bird says that since men have learned how to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching.” “As a man danced, so the drums were beaten for him.”

The author (1930-2013) was raised as a Christian, attended college in Nigeria, became a journalist, and began writing. With his growing fame, he eventually moved to the US to become a professor at Brown University. He expanded the book into a trilogy, adding No Longer at Ease in 1960 and then Arrow of God in 1964. The author is also renowned for a famous academic paper in which he attacks Joseph Conrad as “a thoroughgoing racist.”

This is a great read and a classic.

Top: old photo of the (also Igbos) from diaryofanegress.com

Modern-day Igbo family from hometown.ng

Photo of the author in 2008 from Wikipedia.