Elsa M.

Philip
2021/8
Postcolonial literature
10-05-2024

Q. “Things Fall Apart” is considered a representation of the process of colonization.

Discuss.

“Things Fall Apart,” one of the most widely read and celebrated African
fiction, was Chinua Achebe’s first novel which was first published in 1958. Although the
novel was written in pre-Independent Nigeria of the 1950s, it is set in the period around the
beginning of the twentieth century when Europeans first came into contact with the Igbo
people of eastern Nigeria. It is significant that in the final years of colonial rule in Nigeria,
Achebe chose to recall an era when a traditional African community was being irrevocably
transformed by the arrival of the British colonialists and missionaries. It is a novel that looks
back elegiacally at this pre-colonial culture and the epochal changes wrought by British
colonialism. At the heart of the novel is the story of Okonkwo who stands both resolutely for
the beliefs and traditions of his culture, and implacably against the encroaching influence of
the colonial usurpers. This essay analyses how the process of colonisation is portrayed in the
novel.

One of the central themes in the novel is the clash between traditional Igbo
culture and the forces of European colonization. Achebe vividly portrays this clash through
Okonkwo who struggles to maintain his cultural identity and authority in the face of colonial
encroachment. A combination of hubris and misfortune leads to Okonkwo and his family
being banished from the village for seven years. It is Obierika who ‘narrates’ the first stories
of the existence of white men to Okonkwo during his exile. “It is like the story of white men
who, they say, are white like this piece of chalk,” said Obierika . . . “And these white men,
they say, have no toes.” Despite relating the story of how the white men had virtually
annihilated the whole clan in Abame, as retribution for killing the first white man to visit
them, it is only Obierika who appears to grasp the danger that these strangers represent: “I
am greatly afraid. We have heard stories about white men who made the powerful guns and
the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were
true.” Two years later, when Obierika again visits Okonkwo, the situation has changed
dramatically. The intervening years proved to be epochal ones for the village, for the British
colonialists arrived in his absence and introduced their system of law and government, and
missionaries began to convert people to the Christian religion. When Okonkwo returns from
exile, he is dismayed by the changes he finds.

Early in the novel, Achebe provides insights into the pre-colonial Igbo society,
depicting its rich cultural traditions, social structure, and spiritual beliefs. For instance, he
describes the Igbo's reverence for their ancestral gods, such as the Oracle of the Hills and
Caves, and the importance of rituals and ceremonies in maintaining social cohesion. Through
these depictions, Achebe establishes a sense of the vibrancy and complexity of Igbo culture
before the arrival of the colonizers. One pivotal moment in the novel is the arrival of the
Christian missionaries in Umuofia, Okonkwo's village. The missionaries, led by Mr. Brown
initially, sought to convert the Igbo people to Christianity and to "civilize" them according to
European standards. Mr. Brown builds a church and begins to convert the Igbo people,
leading to conflicts within families and communities as he condemns the Igbo gods as false
and urges the villagers to abandon their ancestral worship. Achebe portrays the missionaries
as both benevolent and manipulative, offering education and healthcare alongside religious
indoctrination. Through the character of Mr. Brown, Achebe explores the complexities of
cultural exchange and the ambiguity of colonial benevolence. As the influence of Christianity
grows in Umuofia, traditional beliefs and practices come under increasing scrutiny and
condemnation. Characters like Nwoye, Okonkwo's son, are drawn to the promises of
education and salvation offered by the missionaries. However, their conversion leads to a
sense of alienation from their own culture and traditions. Okonkwo, who staunchly opposes
the missionaries, sees his authority and influence diminish as more and more villagers
convert to Christianity.

Another significant aspect to take notice of is that it is from the ranks of the despised
and marginalized groups within Igbo society that the new church and government
functionaries and pupil-teachers are drawn. Under colonial rule, this reversal of the
established hierarchies in pre-colonial Umuofian society, Biodun Jeyifo observes, rather
caustically, that ‘for this group, things certainly did not fall apart!’ Achebe thus portrays the
colonial encounter as both a site of oppression and one of liberation for different groups
within the colonized population. It helps reveal the subaltern discourses of those marginalized
by Umuofian society who are liberated by the colonial encounter. Also, given the deeply
gendered discourses of identity and personality in the novel, it is apparent that the early
missionaries led by Mr. Brown are depicted in the narrative as embodying and propagating
qualities considered ‘womanly, namely tolerance, love, mercy, and compassion. Okonkwo
describes the missionaries as ‘a lot of effeminate men clucking like old hens.’ This feminine
and subordinate perception of white missionaries led to the wrong assumption that they were
harmless and unthreatening and therefore tolerable. This ‘effeminacy’ later became highly
contradictory as “The white man had not only brought a lunatic religion, but he had also
built a trading store and for the first time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price,
and much money flowed into Umuofia.”

Firstly, the introduction of cash crops like palm oil and yams disrupt traditional
subsistence farming, leading to economic dependency on European markets where prices are
dictated by the colonizers. Additionally, land grabbing and imposition of new land tenure
systems favour European settlers, depriving indigenous communities of their ancestral lands
and livelihoods. This land grab not only deprives the Igbo of their livelihoods but also
undermines their cultural identity and autonomy. The British also impose heavy taxes and
levies, forcing the Igbo into labour and contributing to internal tensions. The British
exploited the labour of the Igbo for infrastructure projects like road construction and mining,
extracting wealth from the land without adequate compensation or regard for the well-being
of the local population. Lastly, the monetization of the economy leads to dependency on
European goods and services, exacerbating the power imbalance between colonizers and the
colonized. All these contribute to the erosion of indigenous cultures and the subjugation of
indigenous communities.

Achebe also illustrates the psychological impact of colonisation. Okonkwo

experiences a profound internal struggle as he grapples with the changes brought about by
colonization. His sense of identity deeply rooted in Igbo traditions of masculinity, honour,
and power now ends up in a crisis of identity. He finds himself marginalized and oppressed
by the colonial administration. This loss of control over their destinies exacerbates feelings of
frustration and despair. Okonkwo’s ignominious death irrevocably severs his ties with his
beloved clan, as his suicide ensures that he will be denied his place as a revered ancestor in
the spirit realm and is instead transformed into an evil presence, one that cannot even be
touched by fellow clansmen. On the first page of the novel, he is described as a young man
whose ‘fame had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan’ .one who is destined for greatness,
yet at the end he is reduced to a tragic pariah, an untouchable who must be buried by
outsiders. We see Obierika, devastated with grief, address the District Commissioner and
haltingly pay tribute to his friend: “That man was one of the greatest men in Umofia. You
drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog...” Okonkwo's inability to
adapt to the new reality ultimately contributes to his tragic downfall.

In conclusion, "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe is a masterful portrayal of

the process of colonization and its impact on traditional African societies. Through the
experiences of characters like Okonkwo and events in the fictional village of Umuofia,
Achebe vividly captures the clash between indigenous cultures and the forces of European
imperialism. Although the novel ends in an unmistakeably elegiac tone, when one considers
the novel in its entirety it is clear that Achebe is by no means uncritical of the culture that he
both celebrates and mourns. It is this ambivalence that helps to give the work such power and
relevance in the contemporary world, as European countries struggle to come to terms with
the legacy of their colonial histories, and the ongoing process of decolonization continues in
former colonies around the world. Through richly detailed descriptions and poignant
narrative, Achebe invites readers to reflect on the complexities of cultural exchange, power
dynamics, and the enduring legacy of colonialism in Africa and beyond.
REFERENCES:
1. Achebe, C. (2010) Things fall apart. London, Penguin Books.

2. Whitaker, D. and Msiska, M.-H. (2007) Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
London: Routledge.