Brenk !

Rachel Brenk

Ms. Cairns

English 2H Red 1

12 December 2016

The Battle For Change

A person stands in front of the ruins of his home. His eyes fill with tears as the flashbacks

race through his mind. He sees his family, his culture, his home. He remembers the one day that

seemed like any other day until in seconds it was not. On that day suddenly the sound of screams

filled the air. White men running into their land every which direction. Large rifles held in their

hands and evil filled their eyes. The person's father shook him and warned him to run. All he

could hear was the sound of gunshot as he left his home forever and never looked back. The

man's cultural society being corrupted by the white men is known as colonization which is

evident in novels across the globe today. In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe emphasizes the

universal struggle between change and tradition through Nwoye's reawakening of hope and faith

as a result of European colonization in Africa.

Nwoye revitalizes his faith due to European colonization in Africa, highlighting the

universal struggle between change and tradition. After Okonkwo hears the news of his son's

conversion to Christianity, he begins to wonder, "Suppose when he died all his male children

decided to follow Nwoyes steps and abandon their ancestors? Okonkwo felt a cold shudder run

through him at the terrible prospect, like the prospect of annihilation"(Pg. 276). Due to lack of

mobility amongst beliefs in his tribe, Nwoye struggles to preach and proclaim his content

towards his new faith. As the news of Nwoye's conversion begins to spread, Okonkwo's prior
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confined knowledge on his clan's traditional beliefs causes him to react in fear to the possibility

of Christianity spreading to "their ancestors". Okonkwo's distress to Nwoye's growth as an

individual illustrates to the audience Nwoye's struggle with his father's disapproval causing to

hold him back from transitioning between his old culture to his new one. Achebe depicts

Nwoye's character to contrast from the clan's traditional beliefs in order to convey the universal

struggle between change and tradition. One morning when Okonkwo's cousin, Amikwu, passed

by the church, "...he saw Nwoye among the Christians. He was greatly surprised, and when he

got home he went straight to Okonkwos hut and told him what he had seen"(Pg. 273). When

Nwoye takes action for what he believes in despite the consequences, he has to take

responsibility for his actions the first time he betrays his tribe. Due to Amikwu' surprised

reaction and eagerness to inform Okonkwo the news, reveals to the audience the unlikelihood of

Nwoye's choices. Fortunately Nwoye's new faith has brought him happiness, however he cannot

fully express it due to his father and his tribe's disapprobation of the new faith. Achebe highlights

the colonization's large affect on Nwoye and his tribe in order to convey the universal struggle

between change and tradition.

Achebe portrays Nwoye's character to reawaken his hope as a result of European

colonization in Africa, demonstrating the universal struggle between change and tradition. When

Nwoye decided he was ready to leave his old culture behind, He went back to the church and

told Mr. Kiaga that he had decided to go to Umuofia where the white missionary had set up a

school to teach young Christians to read and write...Nwoye did not fully understand. But he was

happy to leave his father"(Pg. 274-275). In the society in which Nwoye lives in, the traditional

culture and belief system the people rely on has always remained consistent. However when a
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new cultural perspective presents itself, Nwoye's hope leads him to indulge himself among it

searching for a change. Nwoye's immediate acceptance and content as a result of leaving his old

culture behind illustrates to the audience the struggle between change and tradition. Nwoye is

able to overcome the challenge from transitioning from his old culture to his new culture from

the motivation to leave his disproving father. Achebe depicts Nwoye's character to reawaken his

hope in order to highlight the struggle between tradition and change as a result of European

colonization in Africa. As the news of Nwoye's Christianity journey continues to spread, Mr.

Brown reveals he,"...had just sent Okonkwos son, Nwoye, who was now called Isaac, to the new

training college for teachers in Umuru. And he had hoped that Okonkwo would be happy to hear

of it"(Pg. 324). As Nwoye's hope leads him to continue to take on new opportunities involved in

his faith, his inspirational progress becomes known within his old tribe. His new name, Isaac, fits

into his new belief system along with his continuation to preach Christianity which illustrates to

the audience Nwoye's character development into his new identity. Achebe highlights Nwoye's

transformation from a timid boy into a confident man in order to exhibit how he revitalized his

hope and confidence allowing him to face the opportunities the world has to offer. Due to the

colonization in Africa, Nwoye overcomes the struggle between change and tradition as a result of

reviving his hope.

In Things Fall Apart, Nwoye reawakens his hope and faith as a result of European

colonization in Africa, revealing the universal struggle between change and tradition. When

Nwoye revitalizes his faith it allows him to expand outside his confined tribe, however once

Nwoye reawakens his hope, it finally brings him to pursue the lifestyle he always wanted.

Present in today's society, colonization continues to bring out the old and new innovations of the
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world. Standing in San Diego today is Old Town Community which has been preserved for

hundreds of years and exemplifies the different civilized culture which once existed in this

community. As being a example of surviving the effect of modern colonization, Old Town

Community helps capture how today's society could have continued to operate without

colonization. By today's culture having a blend of colonization societies which incorporate

innovative changes and traditional societies which preserve the country's history, both help

citizens reflect on the old, adjust in the present, and have hope to look forward to the new

opportunities in the future.