Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart - Research Paper Example

Things Fall Apart Things fall apart is one of the novels by of the most renowned African Chinua Achebe. The novel tells the story of the coming of the white settlers to Africa, and the different reactions that the Africans had to the coming of the whites. The cultural differences between the Africans and the Whites in the novel present a lot of problems between the two cultures. The novel tells the story of the arrival of the whites through the story of Okonkwo, one of the elders of the Umofia clan who because of his inability to accept the changing times and the coming of the white man ends up dying an untimely death. As seen in the book, the arrival of the white settlers also causes problems in the relationship between the Africans themselves as some Africans (especially the younger generations like Nwoye) accept the whites while others (especially the elders like Okonkwo) reject the whites. It is the issue of the acceptance of the whites that causes problems between Okonkwo and his son Nwoye. These differences can be seen to be representative of the generational differences that exists between the young and the old. The father and son relationship in the novel is seen to be complicated. This can be seen to be due to the differences in their personalities. While Okonkwo is hard headed and a hardworking man, Nwoye is seen to be shy and somewhat lazy, and is seen to be keen to avoid following in the same path as his father. He is also seen to be a dreamer, and his personality causes his father to be resentful of him. His father thinks of him as being overly lazy and wishes to stamp out all signs of laziness and disquiet in him (Achebe 33). The two are also seen to be different in the way that they show their emotions. Okonwo is said never to show emotions unless those emotions are of anger or hatred. This inability to show any emotions causes his son to resent him. The inability to show emotions can be seen to be one of the differences between Okonkwo and his son Nwoye. It can also be seen to be one of the generational differences as the elders in the society are expected to always be composed and never show any signs of emotions. The younger generation on the other hand has no problems with self-expression as seen through Nwoye who is not afraid to cry. For the elder generation, any show of emotion is a sign of weakness (Bloom 120). It is also important to note that in the traditional Igbo society, there was a tendency for the father to view his son in comparison to himself. When Okonkwo compares himself to his son, he is very disappointed (Emenyonu & Iko 179). The major cause of the differences between the father and son is in their perception of the white settlers. Nwoye has accepted the white missionaries and has even joined their church, something that Okonkwo finds unacceptable. For Okonkwo, the acceptance of the whites meant the falling apart for the clan. He blames the whites for what he views as the ‘softening’ of the man of the Umofia clan. It is said that ‘Okonkwo was deeply grieved…he mourned for the clan , which he saw breaking up and falling apart, and he mourned for the warlike men of Umofia…has so unaccountably become soft like women …’(Achebe 168). Okonkwo is deeply rooted in his traditional way of life and in the traditional religion that he believes should be followed, and that the abandonment of this way of life will be disastrous for the clan (Okpewho 75). It is not only Okonkwo who rejects his father. Nwoye rejects Okonkwo as well and even goes ahead to join the missionaries and change his name. His rejection of his father becomes more apparent when Okonkwo takes part in the killing of Ikemufuna despite the fact that the boy had referred to him as his father. Nwoye cannot understand why his father would take part in such an act. The fact that the two have different perceptions about what masculinity entails makes it even harder for them to have any kind of cordial relationship. The killing of Ikemufuna coupled with the constant beatings that he receives from his father are the main factors that drive him to attend the mission school (Shea 76). The different outlooks that Nwoye and Okonkwo have towards life can be seen to be a result of the age difference between them. The rejection of Okonwko by Nwoye can be interpreted as the rejection of the old ways by the new generation. The younger generation is more willing to accept new developments and the changes that are inevitable in the society such as the coming of the missionaries. They are also more willing to embrace education and see the older generation as a stumbling block because of their rigidity and inability to embrace change. The generational differences will keep presenting a problem for the relationship between the young and the old. In the examination of the father-son relationship, it is important that the relationship between Okonkwo and his father. His father was a poor man and Okonkwo resented him. His upbringing of Nwoye is therefore based on the fears that he has that either he or Nwoye will turn into his father. He therefore pushes his son into taking on more masculine duties and roles in the clan. When Nwoye begins to take up more masculine roles such as cutting firewood, Okonkwo begins to have a sense of pride in his son. This means that the perception of the concept of masculinity is very important in the father son relationships. The different generations can be seen to have a different concept of what masculinity entails. While Okonkwo is convinced that being hardworking and showing no emotions is a sign of masculinity, Nwoye is convinced that such actions are not masculine. The major fallout between Okonkwo and Nwoye comes when Okonkwo kills Ikemufuna so as not to be seen as a coward or to appear as weak. This causes Nwoye to have a deep mistrust for his father. Okonkwo kills Ikemufuna just after the boy runs to him calling him ‘father.’ This shows that Okonkwo has the capacity to severe a relationship with his son to protect and preserve the image that he has created for himself in the tribe. Okonkwo also rejected his father because he perceived him to be poor and lazy. It is said that ‘…He had no patience with his father…’( Achebe4)For him, he has a resentment for anyone he perceives as weak or poor. He also goes ahead to disown Nwoye when he joins Christianity and goes ahead to change his name. He says that ‘I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people" ( Achebe172). For the older generation, the preservation of self-image is much more important than any relationship that the individual may be in, even if that relationship is between a father and son. Another reason for the resentment that Okonkwo feels for his son Nwoye is because he sees Nwoye as a reminder of his father. His perception of Nwoye as being soft and feminine prevents him from attempting to create any meaningful bonds or relationships with the boy. It is only when Ikemufuna goes to live with them that he begins to have a liking for the son. His fear of his son turning out to be like his father causes him to be violent towards the boy which only causes a further rift between the two. The effect of the rejection can be seen to be different in each of the characters. When Okonkwo rejects his father, he goes ahead to work very hard in an attempt to ensure that his life does not turn out like that of his father. His hard work turns out to be of benefit to him as he becomes one of the wealthiest men in Umofia. His rejection of his son however has negative consequences for his son as he leaves home and goes to the mission school and rejects the traditions of the community and his father. His rejection of his father, coupled with the community’s rejection of the traditional way of life has negative consequences for his father. He (Okonkwo) is unable to deal with the new way of life that has been adopted by the community and he ends up committing suicide. He comes to realize that masculinity is not always proportional to the personal achievements and accomplishments. His suicide marks the end of the generation that is unable to accept the inevitable change. The rest of the people who are left in the society are those who are willing to accept that they can no longer continue in their old way of life and traditions. They must accept some of the new aspects of the religion and life that is presented to them by the arrival of the white men. The relationship between Okonkwo and his son can be seen to be representative of the generational differences that exist between the older and the younger generations which was especially brought up by the arrival of the whites in the society. The younger proved to be more accepting of the whites and of the new religion. The older generation is however more rigid in their ways and are unwilling to accept change. This inability to accept the fact that change is inevitable remains the main cause of the conflict between the father and son and consequently between the older and the younger generation. There seems to be a cycle of parental rejection in the book. Just like Okonkwo rejects his father, he is rejected by his son. This rejection can be taken to be symbolic of the rejection that exists within the generations. The younger generations keep rejecting the older generations as they attempt to forge a way forward for themselves. The new generation will therefore reject the older generations, and the older generation in turn will not accepts the new ways of the younger generation. As long as there are changes in the way of life for the different generations, the conflicts will continue to be a part of the relationships between the generations. Works cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers. 1958. Print. Bloom, Harold. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. New York: Infobase Publishing. 2002. Print. Emenyonu, Ernest. Uko, iniobong. Emerging Perspectives On Chinua Achebe: Isinka, The Artistic Purpose: Chinua Achebe And The Theory Of African Literature. Africa World Press. 2004. Print. Okpewho, Isidore. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: A Casebook. New York: Oxford University Press Shea, George. A Reader's Guide to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. Michigan: Enslow Publishers. 2008. Print. Read More