Things Fall Apart

By

Chinua Achebe

 

This novel was published first in England in 1958 by Chinua Achebe. Things fall apart took place in Nigeria where African People have their Village and where white people tried to end the old way of life of African people. They tried to introduce Christianity but at the same time it has a combination with spirits and Gods.

 

This novel has many characters but the main one was Okonkwo, that was well known by his great ability of fighting he was one of the greatest in the nine villages and even beyond. He came frim a poor family, his father was a poor man, people from the village didn’t want to give them money or lend him because he never paid back. There was a conflict between villages because in their tradition there were major known Gods, a god's daughter got killed from another village but this incident brought war in this village. Everything stared with missioners came to the village of Umuofia they came to introduce a new religion asking for a peace of land where they build a church and started to preach and say that their gods were important and their god was protecting their followers. But there was a young man that was captivated by the words of the Christians. This man was the son Okonkwo, his name is Nwoge. Okonkwo left the village for 7 years. After he came back he didn’t want this religion to come his village but it was too late, all his people became Christians and even his son. This new religion brought a war between Okonkwo's people after all Okonkwo killed him self and he had a horrible death nobody wanted to bury him. His people said that it was evil for them.

 

I think that this novel shows how religion and powers could change everything. I think that the title has to do with the story because Things Fall Apart is like everything that the village people have, their religion and customs were taken away and introduced them new ways.