Things Fall Apart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Things Fall Apart - Essay Example The protagonist of the novel, Things Fall Apart, is Okonkwo who is also considered symbolic of the village, Umuofia. Okonkwo has his own identity and dignity as a reputable member of the village, Umuofia but he is shown as a willful and lose-tempered person. He loses his temper due to which, he tries to kill his second wife. Okonkwo has to suffer exile on the basis of his killing a boy for seven years. Okonkwo has ambitions to become the leader of his tribe. When he is exiled from his village, he leaves to his mother’s village, Mbanta. He waits anxiously for his return to his own village for seven years. In the meantime, Europeans enter Africa and subjugate people. Europeans try to steal away the identity of Africans by means of their missionary preaching of Christian religion. The native populations of Umoufia, Mbanta and other African villages and lands have their own traditions, laws, customs and ideology to pass their lives. However, Europeans enter Africa and try to subjugate the people of Africa by means of their religion. When Okonkwo reaches back to their village after seven years, he gets surprised by seeing the condition of his village. Along with many other villagers, his own son, Nwoye, has changed his native religion and converted to Christianity. Although, it is true that his village has economic prosperity and development but that is given to them on the basis of their giving up their identity. Through colonialism, the Europeans attacked on the native culture, customs and laws of African people. When the missionaries tried to convert people from their native religions to Christianity, they took away the identity of Africans. Okonkwo tries to maintain his identity and adheres to his traditions and recognition. He does not convert into a Christian. He also tries to help out the other members of his village. Okonkwo is also one of the egwugwu, which are masked spirits of the ancestors. On one occasion, when the tribe is busy in its