Cultural Analysis of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

Cultural Analysis of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
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Cultural Analysis of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart has been widely acclaimed for its exemplification of the early African nationalist tradition that disclaims the colonialist and imperialist ideology that Africans are savages and uncivilized. The novel follows the rise to prominence of Okonkwo as leader of the fictional Nigerian clan of Umuofia in three parts: the first section outlines his family and personal history as well as the cultural traditions of the Igbo, whereas the second and third sections introduce the impact of Christianity and European colonialism on the main character as well as the broader Igbo community. Owing to constant strife, Umuofia is already in decline and the arrival of the missionaries speeds up the process of cultural breakdown causing Obierika, a respected elder in the society, to lament that the “clan can no longer act like one” and that things have “fallen apart”. The novel is a counter-narrative to the negative colonialist depictions of African culture and seeks to provide an image of the Igbo society as a living entity with a coherent social structure.
The story of Okonkwo reveals a lot of Igbo culture and from the outset, it is clear that the clan has an African masculine nationalist tradition. Things Fall Apart begins by revealing Okonkwo’s general contempt for his father, Unoka, who is termed as effeminate and lazy: Unoka was a source of contempt in the clan and Okonkwo strove to reinvent himself into a stark contrast of his father. Okonkwo is described as a man of action and war. Unlike his father, he is not afraid of bloodshed and was the first man in Umuofia’s war to bring home a human head. The main character is consumed by the existential project of preserving his clan’s masculine traditions as illustrated by his pursuit of wealth, personal power, and respect (Karanwal, 2018). Achebe uses Okwonko’s physicality and obsession with masculine traditions as the incarnation of the African cultural ideal of manhood. In the Manichean allegory, the colonialists are demonstrated as masculine while the disorderly Africans are characterized as feminine. Achebe invalidates this prevailing ethos by illustrating the Igbo’s masculine philosophy in the face of a potentially antagonistic universe. Umuofia’s acknowledgement of Okwonko’s legendary feats and its abhorrence of his father’s weakness and laziness speak to the clan’s masculinist assertions.
Another aspect of African culture that is revealed in Things Fall Apart is the integral importance of rites of passage in celebrating the human life cycle of birth, growth, and death. The novel reveals several aspects about the Igbo rites and passages, especially marriage and death. Maturity, through marriage, is a solemn process that dignifies both the groom and bride’s families and is a significant rite of passage into adulthood. As is illustrated in the case of Akueke, the woman not only becomes a key figure in her husband’s homestead, but also joins the kindred council of daughters, U...