Things Fall Apart Research Paper

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A post-colonial novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, takes place in a Nigerian tribe called Umuofia. This tribe is located near a city named Onitsha, on the bank of the Niger River. The author, Chinua Achebe, is a Nigeria native, coming from a village named Ogidi. Achebe writes of the treatment of the Nigerian people by those of Christian decent. He tells a story of the Umuofia tribe’s lifestyle based on the introduction of the Christian to this Nigerian land. European colonialism brought about much change to the Umuofian people and their views on life. In Umuofia, the father is not a very strong family member. He does not take care of the farm, children, or many of the daily chores around the household. The women …show more content…
Witchcraft is defined as, “the practice of magic, especially black magic; the use of spells and the invocation of spirits”. The Umuofians practice their witchcraft at different ceremonies, such as funerals or weddings. They want the spirits to be present during such times and by performing this “black magic”, they feel as though their deceased loved ones are still with them. This “black magic” is a type of taboo to the Christian believers. The Europeans see witchcraft as a sin and something that they do not practice. Christians see “spirits” as ghosts, which they do not choose to believe in. Ghosts are seen as part of the witchcraft practice to those of the Christian belief; therefore, ghosts are not taken seriously during a Christian ceremony, unlike during an Umuofian ceremony. Reincarnation is also seen as a taboo in the Christian faith. The Umfuofian people believe that reincarnation is possible. In Achebe’s piece of work, he tells of a little girl that is constantly being reborn to her mother and father in a different form for a new chance at parenting. Christians believe that once a person passes away, their spirit goes directly up to Heaven, where God is awaiting their …show more content…
When a set of twins is born in the Umuofian tribe, they are abandoned and left to die. Christians frown upon this and look down on the Umuofians, because they see all life as being important. The European Christians cherish life no matter what the case may be. The only essence of evil to Christians is that of Satan, who was once an angel of God. After committing a crime in Umuofia, the people are to be banished for a set number of years no matter what the crime may be. When Okonkwo murdered the sixteen year old, he was exiled for seven years. Even though the death of Ogbuefi Ezeudo’s son was an accident caused by the gun exploding, Okonkwo was still banished due to the fact that the young boy was a clansman. In the Christian faith, when a sin (crime) is committed, the individual goes to confession to profess their sins for forgiveness. Their punishment is not to be banished, but to be given penance for their sins and pray to
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