Things Fall Apart

Something that I thught was extremely fascinating with this novel was the inclusion of many of the local customs, laws, and traditions of the tribe. From a literary standpoint, I can see where discussing these helped to illustrate the difference of culture between Okonkwo’s people and the white men that came to his village. However, I also think that this was done, at least in part, to provide a better picture of life in Oronkwo’s village because it differs drastically in some areas from that of European cultures. Granted, European cultures had as many practices that seem foreign to people of today (such as the practice of leeching, for example, or having whipping boys for the higher social classes) as the people of Okonkwo’s village. Overall, I thought it was an interesting look into their everyday lives and social practices (and the reasons behind them).

I thought that Achebe did a great job of detailing how European culture infiltrated and dominated African culture at the time this book is about. By detailing the customs of Okonkwo’s people, Achebe was able to show how life initially was for them. As the story progressed, he showed how customs differed even between neighboring villages, and this worked well to outline how radical the European take over was because, even though village customs differed, the European customs, laws, and religion were altogether alien and not based in any village or tribal customs of Okonkwo’s people. In other words, this novel truly demonstrated how the Europeans oftentimes did not care what other people believed, but, instead, sought to force their own opinions and viewpoints upon them.