Mr.

Napat Jaguar Sienglue

English 12 / 12:09

Ms. Laurin Werner

December 3 2018

The Impact of Christianity in Umuofia in the novel Things Fall Apart

Colonialism is an action when the country with the greater power is trying to take over the

economic, political, social and cultural over less advanced countries. — History of colonialism

began with the idea of capitalism. The purpose is to take ownership of slaves, settlements,

trading control and the worst included the downfall of the traditional culture. Western imperial

powers frequently dominated most of the less developed countries. Their resources and labor

were being exploited with a wrongful threat. The foundation of religion before the take over will

make the process more comfortable because it will cause the controversy between people of the

victim country. In the novel, ​Things Fall Apart,​ Chinua Achebe describes the visit of the British

missionary to explain how Christianity affects Nigeria and their traditional culture.

“Nigerian lands were once the major center of the slave trade port since the arrival of the

British missionary in between the 18 and 19th century. Moreover, Great Britain also seized and

take the absolute control of the port Lagos in August 1851”(Kaitlyn Alme, n.d). Later, The

missionary expanded their territory to the lands around Lagos and the Niger River Basin, leading

to the establishment of the Royal Niger Company, which had managed its political affairs until

1943, the company was transferred to British rule and established. "Colonial and State

Protectorate of Nigeria" in 1914. The change in the nigeria began in Umuofia. At first, they
believed. God in nature will punish the invaders of these. However, when the church was built

quickly in the evil forest as stated by Chinua Achebe in ​Things Fall Apart​ stated that “The

missionaries had come to Umuofia. They had built their church there, won a handful of converts

and were already sending evangelists to the surrounding towns and villages.”(p.143). Umuofia

people began to change religion. Their original beliefs began to decline. The new religion

brought education. Also, medical, institution and technology such as hospital and iron horse

which is a bike came in, including interference with the original system. Killing people for

non-existent gods is unacceptable. So when many people decide to change religions. No one

even rises against them because of the strategy of bringing the religion before established the

colony will make Christianity stronger because it had reached the lower classed of the people

first. Make them believed that they were not worthy of such unfair treatment. Traditional beliefs

become completely absurd. Confusion in their original gods occurred — the government of the

white people to interrupted quickly. The conversion of Christianity event spread to the next level

In the other classed of society. The controversy leads to make everything in society have to

change because the white man government persuaded people to make people enjoy the benefits

of becoming a Christian newcomer. Obierika mentioned, “Does the white man understand our

custom about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? However, he says

that our customs are bad, and our brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our

customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our brothers have turned against us? The

white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at

his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no
longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together, and we have fallen

apart.”(p.31).

Since the arrival of the British missionary, Christianity has infludnced on the people of

Umuofia in many different ways. Firstly, The controversy between the concept of Christianity

and Igbo culture leads to a change in society. As the author of the ​Things Fall Apart,​ Chinua

Achebe stated in the article “An African Voice” that “With the coming of the British, Igbo land

as a whole was incorporated into a different polity, to be called Nigeria, with a whole lot of other

people with whom the Igbo people had not had direct contact before. The result of that was not

something from which you could recover. You had to learn a new reality, and accommodate

yourself to the demands of this new reality, which is the state called Nigeria”(Chinua Achebe,

2000). In addition, Everything in Umuofia had changed because of the white man government

persuaded people to make people enjoy the benefits of becoming a Christian newcomer. Stated

by Obierika, “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion.

We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and

our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together, and we

have fallen apart.”(p.31). Moreover, to explain the concept of how Christianity affects Nigeria

and their traditional culture. According to an article written by Kaitlyn Alme(2016) titled

"Colonial History of Nigeria: Slave Trade, Resource Extraction, and the Invention of a National

Territory" stated that “the British government gained control over the Royal Niger Company

territories and added on lower regions near the river to create the Protectorate of Northern

Nigeria and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. The British kept their control over Nigeria via an
indirect rule, which meant that local leaders would govern the area under orders of the British”

(Kaitlyn Alme, n.d)

In Umuofia, traditions that the clan's people in the village respect usually depends on the

national sacrifice before and during the harvest season. Ceremonies, such as marriage, trials, and

death are all related to the Umuofia ancient beliefs, but sometimes those beliefs are ridiculous.

Such as killing people in the village to sacrifice to the gods, which Okonkwo lost his adopted son

that he considered as the smartest and most loyal. Many things had changed since Okonkwo been

exile to his mother village Mbanta. There is the arrival of Christianity of white people

missionary. They come to persuade people in many ways to make people change their religion,

claiming that there is no god in nature as they believe But there is only one God, and he is the

center of the universe. At first. The people of the village have not yet decided to changed

religion. One is because they do not understand the principles of faith that are complicated and

unusual for them. John Campbell(2016) titled “Regarding how religion is woven into the fabric

of people’s lives, I mean, you can see all kinds of markers of that. I mean, people’s names, for

example. You know, sometimes it is not immediately obvious, but many times it is.”(John

Campbell, n.d). However, since Christianity began to spread. People who converted to religion

in the early stages are mostly the poor have no social status that threatens. Even though time has

passed but the beliefs of new faith never happened with Okonkwo, so he did not accept the

religion of white people. The story comes to a significant moment when Okonkwo and his

friends were forced to follow the rules and put down by the white man, whom he despised. Also,

now sacrifice And respect for nature are being seen as a tree, a land, and a piece of wood, not a

god anymore. The conflict caused Okonkwo to gathered elitist groups of the societies together.
To fight the new power of white people. Okonkwo's heart ached and rage causing him to kill the

messenger of the white man. However, it turns out that most of the people did not agree with his

action and won't stand by him against the British. Stated by Chinua Achebe “Okonkwo stood

looking at the deadman. He knew that Umuofia would not go to war. He knew because they had

let other messengers escape”(P.205). With his final thought, strong will, His hatred of

Christianity and adherence to dignity, he decided to commit suicide even though his dead body is

not buried in ceremonies honorably because suicide is against the traditional custom. Stated by

Obierika “We cannot bury him. Only strangers can”(P.208). Moreover stated by the

commonwealth titled "Nigeria: History," “Igbo were conquered. By 1900, Britain had control of

Nigeria. The Colonial Office adopted the system of indirect rule, with traditional leaders

continuing in power while owing allegiance to the colonial authority.”(the commonwealth, nd.).

Finally, the description of the visit of the British missionary in Umuofia Chinua Achebe

clearly explains how Christianity affects Nigeria and their traditional culture. By describing of

how Christianity as the new faith has impacted the people of Umuofia in many different ways,

such as persuade the Umuofian in many ways to make them change their faith, and claiming that

the old god is false. The example of the significant change occurred when Okonkwo and his

friends were forced to follow the rules and put down by the white man government.
 ​ References

1.) Achebe, C. (1959). Things Fall Apart. New York, New York: Penguin Books.

2.) ​Bacon, K. (2017, November 16). An African Voice. Retrieved November 25, 2018, from

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2000/08/an-african-voice/306020/

3.) ​Alme, K. (n.d.). Niger Delta Black Gold Blues: Colonial History of Nigeria: Slave Trade,

Resource Extraction, and the Invention of a National Territory. Retrieved November 25, 2018,

from http://scalar.usc.edu/works/niger-delta-black-gold-blues/12-colonial-subjugation

-of-people-land-and-nature-slave-trade-resource-extraction-palm-oil-and-the-invention-of-a-nati

onal-territory-Kaitlyn

4.) ​Site designed and built by Hydrant (http://www.hydrant.co.uk). (n.d.). Nigeria: History.

Retrieved November 25, 2018, fromhttp://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries

/Nigeria/history

​5.) ​Thurston, A. J., & Vaughan, O. O. (n.d.). Divinely Divided: How Christianity and Islam

Coexist in Nigeria. Retrieved November 25, 2018, from

https://www.cfr.org/event/divinely-divided-how-christianity-and-islam-coexist-nigeria