Things Fall Apart Thesis

Thesis: Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart in three unique parts to portray how a culture can be changed and decline due to outside forces.

Chinua Achebe wrote part one of Things Fall Apart in a complex style to emulate the complex culture of the Ibo people. For example early in the narrative “And at last the locusts did descend. They settled on every tree and on every blade of grass; they settled on the roofs and covered the bare ground. Mighty tree branches broke away under them, and the whole country became the brown-earth color of the vast hungry swarm” (56 Things Fall Apart) Achebe uses these words to describe the missionaries coming to Umuofia. He uses metaphors and similes to describe these new people coming. He states that they

This is trying to tell us that when the missionaries come they will leave no leaf unturned and might break the foundations of the Ibo culture. Achebe once again uses intricate wording earlier in Chapter 3 . “Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had a bad chi or personal god, and evil fortune followed him to the grave, or rather to his death, for he had no grave.” (18) In this excerpt Achebe uses an Ibo word to explain Okonkwo's father’s bad luck. Achebe uses many words from the Ibo language throughout the book to emphasize the culture and make the reader work a little harder to understand what's going on, and to make an image of the scene. In part one Achebe also uses proverbs to make the text more elaborate. Achebe writes wise words from Nwakibie “ Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break.” (19) This is statement is letting the reader know that Okonkwo is ashamed of his father and didn’t want to end up the same way he did. Nwakibie was trying to tell Okonkwo that he can carve his own path even though his father didn’t live a good life. All of these passages help to show the readers how Achebe uses complex wordings, and various types of

In part two Okonkwo has been sent to the motherland after accidentally killing a clansman. He was shortly after exiled to Mbanta for seven years. During his seven years in the motherland many things start to change in Umuofia. His friend Obierika comes to Mbanta every so often to update Okonkwo on life in Umuofia. The first time Obierika comes to Mbanta he has big news for Okonkwo. “I forgot to tell you another thing which the Oracle said. It said that other white men were on their way. They were locusts, it said, and that first man was their harbinger sent to explore the terrain. And so they killed him.” (138-139) Achebe uses Obierika's visit to tell not only Okonkwo but also the readers that change is coming to Umuofia. During this visit Obierika and Okonkwo continue to talk about these “locusts” and how they never thought the stories about them were true, and that they are nervous for their people. “ But I am greatly afraid. We have heard stories about white men who made the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true.” (140-141) This quote helps to show that the Ibo people don't think the change coming is a good change, and they fear what the white people with “iron horses” will bring. Two years Obierika comes to Mbanta to tell Okonkwo what the white missionary has told the