The Slruggle of Cultures in the Novel Things Fall Apart

The battle of cultures is definitely one of the most universal themes seen in books. This cultural fight/disagreement can be seen throughout life and history anytime two groups of people hold different/disagreeing views that cannot live together. Even today, Western and Eastern cultures–the U.S. and China are one example; the Palestinians and Israelis are another–continue their struggles to create agreement between different beliefs through (back-and-forth conversation to agree on something), and sometimes, armed conflict. (in almost the same way), the (related to Europe) missionaries and the native Umuofians struggle to live together peacefully. However, the relationship between the People from Europe and the Umuofians is one-sided.

Purpose in life; the tribe worked together, functioning as a single unit. In fact, the drums seemed to have Umuofia under a spell. ‘Old men nodded to the beat of the drums and remembered . . . its (very attractive/serving to make drunk) rhythm’ (47). However, the constant repetition of the drum (putting pictures into your mind) before the (related to Europe) missionaries arrive stands in (huge, almost shocking, difference between two things) to the lack of drums throughout the last thing just mentioned half of the novel.

In addition to cultural fight/disagreement, Achebe explores the theme of (the qualities that make a man) against/compared to/or (the qualities that make a woman), and in doing so, shows/tells about Okonkwo’s deadly character flaw: hyper-(the qualities that make a man). Okonkwo (is given a reason to do something) by a desire to prove himself superior to his father, who was (in an embarrassingly scared way) and irresponsible and died a poor man with many unpaid (money owed). He viewed his father as overly thoughtful, slow to act, and woman-like (womanly). Therefore, Okonkwo adopts opposite qualities; Okonkwo is unwisely in a rush, quick to act, and extremely (too much) violent (Okonkwo associates violence with (the qualities that make a man)). Achebe uses figurative language like (physical things that refer to ideas or emotions) and similes to compare Okonkwo to a fire. ‘. . . Okonkwo’s fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan . . .’ (1). Okonkwo gained power and importance in Umuofian (community of people/all good people in the world) by burning lesser people as fuel. Just like a brush-fire, Okonkwo’s fame, importance, and fame/respect grew stronger the longer he burned. He continued to burn strong into adulthood. ‘. . . [The drums] filled him with fire as it had always done from his youth. He shook (with fear or emotion) with the want to win (by force) and control/calm’ (42). Okonkwo’s inner fire is what allowed him to win (by force) Umuofian (community of people/all good people in the world) and rise above the disgrace of his father.

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the reader is taken on a book-related/writing-related trip to a Nigerian tribe, the Umuofia, to experience first-hand the struggles of a warrior named Okonkwo. At the first look, the novel appears to be written for a very clearly stated/particular audience: educated people familiar with Nigerian history, traditions, and culture. However, upon further examination the novel shows/tells about itself to be a striking story of human experiences, universal themes, and always-existing struggles that (attractive quality/request) to every human, (without any concern about/having nothing to do with) (state of knowing someone or something well) with Nigerian culture. Taken as a whole, the novel appears to be much more than the sum of its parts: (the set of rules for forming language), speaking style, figurative language, (putting pictures into your mind), repetition, and symbols. Things Fall Apart is a novel with book-related/writing-related merit–and lots of it.

Part of the novel’s appeal lies in its forcing themes which strike chords that resound throughout time and across language-based (things that block or stop other things). The battle of cultures, the struggle with change, and deadly character flaws are the main themes which Achebe’s novel probes. In order to sculpt a book-related/writing-related monument to (what it’s like to be a human, and what we humans all go through) and these universal themes, the author, Achebe, employs a broad variety of book-related/writing-related tools. Book-related/writing-related devices play an extremely important role in improving the novel’s main themes and earning Things Fall Apart its (existing all over a large area) acceptance as a quality piece of writing.

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