Nave 1205

A Respond to Things Fall Apart

Every religion teaches people to be a good person and have different way to teach people

also have different way to spread their religion. In the novel “Things Fall Apart” Chinua Achebe

explain about new religion that white man brought to spread in Nigeria, change people thought to

believe in Christianity and change their culture traditional. It also talks about their thought about

gender equality. The novel of Chinua Achebe reflects presentation of Christianity, which

Okonkwo didn’t accept and want to against, also it shaped him by his culture traditional.

Christianity is a new religion that come to Umuofia during Okonkwo’s exile to Mbanta,

which make the village change a lot. Christianity persuade Nigeria people about freedom and

gender equality. Many people converted to Christianity included Nwoye which makes Okonkwo

disagree with white man and want to against the Christianity to change their traditional back to the

village. Before Christianity come to Umuofia, Okonkwo was the most powerful and strongest but

when Christianity spread in Umuofia, it makes him change a lot such as show his weakness to

society and become depress, it also might cause Okonkwo to commit suicide. This is an evident

when writer states “Obierika, who had been gazing steadily at his friend’s dangling body, turned

suddenly to the District Commissioner and said ferociously: “That man was one of the greatest

men the Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself, and now he will be buried like a dog...” He could

not say any more. His voice trembled and choked his word.” (p.208). From the quote, we realize

that Okonkwo’s best friend want to demand fairness for Okonkwo that before Christianity come

to the village, Okonkwo and his family live with peaceful and believe that the crop can grow

because of God. White man spread religion to Umuofia makes Okonkwo showed his weakness in

spite he was the greatest man in the village and break the belief of people in the village. People in

the village already change their mind about belief and thought about gender equality. Christianity
make everyone equal and fair. They make Okonkwo to commit suicide and no one on the village

can touch him because he committed suicide and people believe that if someone commit suicide,

the body will become evil. He had to die more shameful than Unoka and be buried like a dog. It

makes him died without dignity and didn’t have any chance to speak anything to change their

traditional back.

Before Christianity spread in Umuofia, female and male don’t have the same quality life.

Men have power more than women. For instance, men can grow more crop than women and while

some job women cannot do. Women are responsible for cooking and preparing food for husbands

and children. Also, they need to do the housework which the men won’t do it. This demonstrated

by “Okonkwo’s second wife had to merely cut a few leaves off it to wrap some food, and she said

so.” (p. 27). From the quote, we realize that women need to prepare food to wait for her husband

and family and need to do the housework instead of growing crop. Women also cannot join the

ceremony and meeting that men are talking about serious thing. According to the quote, “It was

clear from the way the crowd stood or sat that the ceremonies was for men.” (p. 87). This suggest

the ceremony is only for men to join to talk about serious things and women are not allowed to

join or to sit in there which show the gender inequality in the society. So, when the white man

come to Umuofia they tried to make male and female to be equal so they might live with peaceful.

It made Okonkwo strongly disagree while some people in the village already agree with them

Because he still wants to be the most powerful and strongest man in Umuofia. When Christianity

spread, they will have more power than Okonkwo. Villagers will decide to follow white man more

than Okonkwo. Villagers that converted to Christianity think that If people live with equality so

they might not cause many problems in society. Christianity tried to make people in the village to

be equal in gender and have to same quality life. Although, some people are not disagreed with
them and still believe and follow culture traditional, but most of people in the village are agree and

support them to change the village.

Thus, the overall theme of Chinua Achebe’s novel reveals people’s view of new religion,

how it changes their cultural traditional and thought about gender equality. In connecting,

Okonkwo’s belief in traditional God, we realize that Okonkwo has strongly disagree with new

religion and his belief has been shaped him by his culture traditional. While religious has been

accepted by villager, this novel describes how it can change people to be equal in gender and the

reflects of new religion.