Things Fall Apart: Book Analysis (Essay Sample)

Things Fall Apart
Name
Institution
Things fall apart is a novel by a Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe that narrates the story of the Nigerian tribe, the Igbo. The book shows how the transformation of the Igbo cultural practices through the British colonial rule and Christian missionaries. The book is about a society the Igbo and the cultural traditions native to the tribe. The book is an important reminder of how colonialism and missionaries came to erode cultural and communal practices. Chinua Achebe in his books shows that native cultural practices can be forgotten when foreign practices are adopted. A society that no longer practices is native cultures has lost its identity and significance. It is, therefore, important for a community as they borrow foreign practices, they should never forget that which is native to them.
Things fall apart gives a cultural insight of the Igbo people. We are shown a protagonist, Okonkwo a renown warrior. Wrestling is a cultural leisure activity for the Igbo and participants enroll in the activity in the hope that they win to raise their social status in the community. The Igbo people have a family setup where the man is the head of the household. Polygamy is common practice among men and we are shown Okwonko to have had three wives. Children are an important part of the family to ensure the continuation of the lineage. Supernatural beliefs are common for the people of Igbo. They believe in gods who have to be appeased anytime something wrong is committed. An example is after Okwonko kills Ezeudu’s son. The book mentions chi which is believed to a