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Examples Of Respect In Things Fall Apart

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Respect is one of the most effective things humans begin to use to gain a competitive advantage in life. One of the many ways respect is shown is through food. From preparing to eating, humans use food as a sign of respect. Things Fall Apart is a novel written by Chinua Achebe. This novel follows the life of Okonkwo, an Igbo warrior before the colonization of Africa. Through the novel readers witness Okonkwo's struggle with masculinity and his belief that men cannot show any signs of “weakness”. This is shown in the many instances of togetherness where the men get together to talk about significant things. In Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, the Igbo people use the drinking of palm-wine and the breaking of the kola nut at the same …show more content…

“It was clear from his twinkling eyes that he had important news. But it would be impolite to rush him. Obierika offered him a lobe of the kola nut he had broken with Okonkwo” (48). Okonkwo and Obierika were already eating and talking amongst each other before Ofoedu came. Instead of rushing him Obierika showed respect to Ofoedu by offering him some of the kola nuts. This not only shows respect but also shows the patience of the Igbo men. From this quote readers can infer that if they were an Igbo man then they also would be given this level of respect. It is essential to show respect to someone when they are giving information because that information can help you later in life. Respect is a quality that the Igbo people realize is …show more content…

Within Things Fall Apart, the Igbo people break the kola nut and pray to the gods. The Igbo people show respect in this way because they are trying to please the gods. “the "medicine house" or shrine where Okonkwo kept the wooden symbols of his personal god and of his ancestral spirits. He worshiped them with sacrifices of kola nut, food and palm-wine, and offered prayers to them on behalf of himself, his three wives and eight children” (10). Achebe uses both palm-wine and kola nuts as specific examples of things that Okonkwo sacrifices to the gods because through the novel palm-wine and kola nuts are used as tools to show respect. The Igbo people both fear and praise the gods because they offer good fortune as well as severe punishments. For example, in chapter 18, Okoli an Christian convert, killed the sacred python. The unconverted Igbo people began to worry about what would happen and wanted to take matters into their own hands and ostracized the Christian converts. Okoli became ill and died making the no converts quote “His death showed that the gods were still able to fight their own battles. The clan saw no reason then for molesting the Christians.” (114). The Igbo people understand the harsh punishments that the gods can bring down so they continuously pray and sacrifice palm-wine and kola nuts to show respect for their

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Because the missionaries do not respect the Igbo religion, tension in villagers like Okonkwo increases. Once the white missionaries arrive in the village of Igbo they immediately start criticizing the natives religion. One missionary even told the people that “they worshipped false gods, gods of wood and stone.” completely

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In Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo reacts to cultural collision in his society by having a closed mind and attempting to retaliate, which ultimately leads to his suicide, contributing to the novel’s theme that one

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The novel “things fall apart” is about the fatal demise of Okonkwo and the igbo culture of Umuofia. Okonkwo is well known and respected leader in his community, who is successful in everything he does, such as wrestling and farming. He is quick with his hands and takes pride in his accomplishments. Okonkwo’s family relationship makes him a sympathetic character because of his support and an unsympathetic character because of his cruelty. In many ways Okonkwo showed that he had no sympathy for others , However at times he could be sympathetic.

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The novel "Thing's fall apart" by Chinua Achebe is a complex work that masterfully establishes and develops characters through their experience with cultural collision. The way that Achebe accomplishes carefully weaving his implicit claim throughout the work is such a beautiful subtlety that it deserves to be analyzed. The Igbo's pride is constantly challenged by the colonizers as they gain increasingly more power in Africa. The idea of pride is constantly developed throughout the thoughts and actions of the novels protagonist Okonkwo. His response to the colonizers is influenced by his own views on pride and is used by Achebe to illustrate his own opinion on pride.

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In Chinua Achebe novel, Things Fall Apart Nwoye a young man under Okonkwo’s responsibility is affected positively by the introduction of western ideas into the Ibo culture. This being said Nwoye has found a passion for being apart of a religion not known by any local in Igbo called Christianity, to some it was a blessing and to others a disgrace. To Okonkwo he feels that anybody who converts to Christianity is a disgrace to their village. And how surprising is it that his own son converts to a Christian. And in his conversion he tries to escape his strict culture and find out who he is as a person.

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