Things Fall Apart Chapters 24-25: The Death of Okonkwo

"'That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog . . .'" (Achebe 208).

Part 1: According to the text(s), what effect did imperialism have on people who lived through it?

When the white men came to Umuofia, some people in the tribes found solace in their ways and appreciated their presence. As a result, the white men took them in and treated them fairly well. However, those who did not appreciate the white men's ways were not treated as nicely. Okonkwo in particular was angered by the white men, and was very defiant. He refused to accept their presence and forbid his other sons to be like Nwoye and change to follow their beliefs and customs. Since he was so defiant, the white men eventually got tired of him and arrested Okonkwo with five other village leaders. While he was arrested, he was beaten, starved, and not even allowed to go outside to use the bathroom. When Okonkwo was finally released, he was angered by the fact that Umuofia was not preparing for war. He was so damaged by his time in prison, and so upset that no one else wanted to fight, that he beheaded the head court messenger of the five that just arrived in the village. When he saw that even this did not make his people want to go to war, he walked away and was later found hanging from a tree. Imperialism affected the people who lived through it because their presence led to the suicide of Okonkwo.

Things Fall Apart Chapters 22-23: Mr. Smith

"Mr. Brown's successor was the Reverend James Smith . . . He openly condemned Mr. Brown's policy of compromise and accommodation. Mr. Smith was greatly distressed by the ignorance which many of his flock showed even in such things as the Trinity and the Sacraments" (Achebe 184).

Part 1: According to the text(s), what effect did imperialism have on people who lived through it?

Like most imperialists, Mr. Smith was focused on spreading his ideas and abolishing the ways of the indigenous people. He believed he was superior and that he knew best, so he tried to force his ways onto the others. Unlike Mr. Brown, he was very over-zealous and believed that even the converts were not devoted to their religions enough. He refused to see the views of the other side and believed only his way was right. This imperialism affected the people who lived through it because another culture and belief system was being forced onto them. Their beliefs were being challenged and they had to try to defend them. This negatively impacted their lives because they had to put time and effort into defending themselves and proving their beliefs were valid. Also, the clans were being divided because some found comfort in the new religion, so unity was being destroyed and the tribes were on the brink of war.

Things Fall Apart Chapters 20-21: Mr. Brown

"Mr. Brown preached against excess of zeal. Everything was possible, he told his energetic flock, but everything was not expedient. And so Mr. Brown came to be respected even by the clan, because he trod softly on its faith" (Achebe 178).

Part 1: According to the text(s), what effect did imperialism have on people who lived through it?

The word "imperialism" has a negative connotation. Upon hearing the word, people immediately thing of white men coming into to other countries and destroying the cultures of the indigenous peoples and pillaging their homes. In this chapter of Things Fall Apart, however, one imperialist had a very positive affect on the villagers. With him he brought to the town a trading store and and increased flow of money, reducing the cost of goods. While he did try to convert the clansmen, he was very respectful of them and did not want to force his beliefs onto anyone. It was his mission to gain more followers, but he did so with crushing the culture of the Igbo people. Also, unlike most imperialists, he tried to understand the beliefs and cultures of the people he was trying to convert. He was very careful to avoid being overly zealous and even met with the leaders of the clans to discuss religion and learn about why they believed what they did. While imperialism is usually seen as a negative thing, Mr. Brown is one rare example of how imperialism has the ability to help others.

Things Fall Apart Chapters 17-19: Mr. Kiaga

"'They also said I would die if I built my church on this ground. Am I dead? They said I would die if I took care of twins. I am still alive'. . . The two outcasts shaved off their hair, and soon they were the strongest adherents of the new faith" (Achebe 157).

Part 1: According to the text(s), what effect did imperialism have on people who lived through it?

As the imperialists continue to settle in the villages, their influence is growing. They are sending missionaries to different clans and have set up a church. The church, however, is set up in the Evil Forest. The clansmen were sure that the white men would die within a few days, but nothing happened to them. Everyone in the villages was terrified of the Evil Forest and avoided it out of fear of death, but seeing the white men survive it made them question the white men's power and the danger of the Evil Forest. This led to a few of the villagers converting to Christianity. In addition to this, it was Igbo legend that twins were dangerous and needed to be disposed of immediately after birth, but Mr. Kiaga had been taking care of twins for a while and was still perfectly fine. This convinced the outcasts that they could join society without being punished by the gods. The imperialists affected those who lived through it because it caused the villagers to question their old beliefs and convert to Christianity.

Things Fall Apart Chapters 15-16: The White Man

"But there was a young lad who had been captivated. His name was Nwoye . . . The hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his young soul" (Achebe 147).

Part 1: According to the text, what effect did imperialism have on people who lived through it?

When the imperialists first arrived, they destroyed the entire village of Abame. After that, they moved on to the other villages in the area and started to teach them their ways. They told the clansmen that their beliefs were wrong and that their gods did not exist. While they caused a great deal of terror and destruction and demolished the belief system of the villagers, some people found solace in the imperialists. Nwoye found comfort in them, and quickly converted, becoming one of them. Their belief system and cultures made sense to Nwoye, and seemed to explain many of the terrors in his life. When people think of imperialists, they think of greedy white men carelessly destroying villages and squashing the cultures of the people native to the land. While this is true for the most part, some people, like Nwoye, appreciated the different belief system and welcomed their ways.

Things Fall Apart Chapters 13-14: The Blood of a Clansman

"They set fire to his houses, demolished his red walls, killed his animals and destroyed his barn . . . They had no hatred in their hearts against Okonkwo . . . They were merely cleansing the land which Okonkwo has polluted with the blood of a clansman" (Achebe 125).

While the entire clan was at the funeral of Ezeudu, Okonkwo's gun exploded and a piece of iron pierced the heart of a young boy, killing him. As a result, Okonkwo was banished from his village for seven years. Before he left, a large group of men dressed in garbs of war set fire to his houses, demolished his red walls, killed his animals, and destroyed his barn. It was not out of hatred for Okonkwo, it was simply the justice of the earth goddess. This is similar to imperialism in that imperialists usually did not destroy villages out of spite, they simply thought it was for the best. Imperialists viewed Africans as savages that needed to be saved, and did so by forcing their own cultures and beliefs onto them. The group of men had nothing against Okonkwo; they acted out worry and did what needed to be done for the benefit of the clan. They destroyed his belongings in order to cleanse the land that Okonkwo had soiled when he accidentally killed a member of his own clan.

Things Fall Apart Chapters 11-12: The Power of Storytelling

"Low voices, broken now and again by singing, reached Okonkwo from his wives' huts as each woman and her children told folk stories" (Achebe 96).

An integral part of Igbo culture is storytelling. Stories are used to teach morals to children and to explain the events of the past. However, most of these stories never got outside the tribes. The imperialists had their own stories of Africa, and wrote many books about the different countries and the people living in them. Almost no stories were told from the African point of view, so the people outside of Africa had a very skewed vision of what life in Africa was really like. When the imperialists arrive in Umuofia, they will most likely be very surprised by the level of sophistication of the Igbo culture. Their attempts to mold the civilization to fit western standards will probably be met with quite a strong degree of defiance, because the Igbo people are very set in their ways. The Igbo are a very superstitious people, and have many customs and traditions that dictate how they live their daily lives. Despite this, the imperialists will try to change that to get the Igbo people to follow their lead.

Things Fall Apart Chapters 9-10: The Medicine Man

"The medicine man then ordered that there should be no mourning for the dead child. He brought out a sharp razor from the goatskin bag slung from his left shoulder and began to mutilate the child. Then he took it away to bury in the Evil Forest . . ." (Achebe 78).

When imperialists come to a new country, they often feel it is their duty to "enlighten" the inhabitants and save them from their "primitive" ways. Anything different from their own spiritual and cultural beliefs was seen as wrong and imperialists believed that other races desperately needed help from the white men. When imperialists came and saw things like a medicine man, it scared them because it was different. In western culture, the thought of not mourning a dead child and then mutilating it would be seen as an abomination. Imperialists did not understand that different did not mean immoral or wrong. As a result, they destroyed the cultures of many of the indigenous peoples of the countries that they invaded. This was all a part of their "white man's burden." They felt that it was their job to "clean up" the other races and mold them so that they fit with western culture. The imperialists in Things Fall Apart will most likely react the same way, as cultural aspects like the medicine man will probably scare them.

Things Fall Apart Chapters 7-8: The Death of Ikemefuna

"That boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand in his death . . . Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill him. The Oracle of the Hills and the Caves have pronounced it" (Achebe 57).

Part of the customs and traditions of Umuofia is to have an oracle. The villagers are very trusting of their oracle and rely on him or her to guide them and tell them what will happen. In this chapter of Things Fall Apart, Ogbueli Ezeudu pulls Okonkwo aside and tells him that it has been decided that Ikemefuna will be killed and that Okonkwo should not be a part of the killing. It was part of the custom of Umuofia to take someone outside of the village to be killed, so Ikemefuna was told that he was going home and then he and nine other villagers set out to journey to his home. While Ezeudu told Okonkwo to abstain from participating in Ikemefuna's death, Okonkwo did not want to be seen as weak, so he took a turn in cutting Ikemefuna. This passage revealed a lot about the customs of Umuofia because it showed how big of a role the oracle plays in the lives of the people. The villagers are very superstitious and listen to everything the oracle says. Also, almost all aspect of their lives involves some sort of ceremony. The killing of Ikemefuna revealed a lot about Umuofia's traditions because every part of his death was based on the words of the oracle and the customs involved when someone is to be killed.