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Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

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In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe there remains a central plot of son and father conflict. The son Nwoye is in deep conflict with his father. And he is dramatically changed by the influence of Western ideas. Through events in his life and by the way he is treated by his own people including his Father. Not only does Nwoye struggle with his Father but he also struggles with the death of one of his closest friends which he considered a brother Ikemefuna. The tragedy that followed Ikemefuna changed Nwoye’s life and perspective of his own culture forever. And indefinitely lead up to Nwoye’s departure of his people and his faith in his culture. Throughout the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe we see multiple things …show more content…

And later influenced him to seek out to them to find answers. We see this when the story says “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 141). This shows Nwoye finding himself and answering a deep dark question through being influenced by the new faith. And has therefor starting to convert with the new faith of western ideals and will continue to make decisions making him become more influenced in the future. Nwoye’s response to Western Ideas is vastly positive. Even though he unfortunately becomes an enemy of his father, he became further Independent. This is shown by a few quotes from the book previously mentioned. Such as when he walked away from Okonkwo his father. It also has made him very content such as when it says “But he was happy to leave his father” (Achebe 145).
Throughout Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Nwoye is positively affected by western ideas. And through this conflict and alteration in identity it has helped Nwoye. Such as being more Independent by working against what his Father believes in. Being outgoing by talking to his father’s friend and telling him he is now one of the missionaries. And has filled himself with curiosity of what is beyond his own

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