Things Fall Apart Essay

Nicole Fuerstnau

March 21, 2010

English 9, 1st hour

Essay

The quote, to me, means that Okonkwo’s story took place a long time ago because
this would not have happened in today’s society unless it was in an uncivilized place. Also that Okonkwo is a man who teaches you about a culture/society that is falling apart.
He is so attached to the idea of war because it got him the respect from the other clan members. Okonkwo wants respect because he doesn’t want anyone to associate him
with his father. That is why Okonkwo becomes a great warrior throughout the nine
villages. However Okonkwo can not do anything about the new government that the
white men have brought because not all of his clan members are in agreement to go to
war. Even if they did, they would be fighting against their own brothers since some have joined the missionaries. In the end Okonkwo fails and commits suicide.
I believe that the statement/quote is to be true because in history, each village had there own culture or way of life and was broken apart by Europeans. Also that most clans couldn’t stop the persuasion of the missionaries and eventually the missionaries gained control of their villages. Neither, the villagers or Europeans were willing tocompromise because they didn’t want to understand each other’s cultures. There were examples in Things Fall Apart that showed how even the most strongest warrior was helpless when it came to the white men. For example, Okonkwo’s ability to fight didn’t help to get rid of the missionaries it only made it worse for him. The information above is why I came to believe that the quote is true.