Colonialism and Independence in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart :: Things Fall Apart essays

Things glint Apart - Colonialism and Independence     Turning and turning in the widening roll The Falcon cannot hear the falc 1r Things fall apart the center cannot give way Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming   This excerpt is almost a summary of Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart. Things Fall Apart is a novel round nineteenth century Nigeria, before colonialism and the granting of independence. It is a floor of a majuscule wrestler and elder of a Nigerian club comprised of several villages. It tells most his life from start to finish in great detail. To state of wards the end of the novel, the proofreader is introduced to colonialism. This colonialism is what the anarchy is the above quote is referring to. The falcon represents the young generation of the clan the falconer represents the elders. This is a story of how things really do fall apart. The story is centered around Okonkwo, a great wrestler and elder of th e clan. He is the son of an indolent man, who was constantly in debt. Okonkwos father was often referred to as a woman, which was a great insult. Growing up, Okonkwo develops a phobia of fitting his father, and does everything is his power not to. With this phobia came an abominable mulishness. His first step in becoming a real man (opposed to his father) was to prove his strength, in doing so he became the great wrestler of his clan. Doing so earned him a circularize of accolades and honours. He earned a lot of land, and married three different wives. However, with all of his fame and fortune, he was unable to escape his internal conflicts due to his stubbornness and his becoming frustrated easily. One example of this was when a young antheral warrior and a young virgin girl were sent to Okonkwos village in exchange (as a sacrifice) for a heinous crime committed against his clan. This was a crime that otherwise would have resulted in an all out war a war which Oko nkwos clan and village would have earned an behind victory. The young boy is sent to live with Okonkwo and his family for quite some clip. During this time Okonkwo becomes very attached to him, so attached that it seems as if the boy is one of his own.