Things Fall Apart III

ashley8 said...
The third section of Things Fall Apart introduces many ideas that lead up to the surprising conclusion of the novel. In the beginning of the third section, Achebe makes it clear that Okonkwo wants to make an unforgettable return to Umuofia when Achebe states “he was determined that his return should be marked by his people. He would return with a flourish, and regain the seven wasted years.” (171). The idea that Okonkwo strongly desires to make an incredible return to Umuofia is ironic because the people of Umuofia are so consumed with the missionaries and the new Christian religion that they do not take much notice in the fact that Okonkwo and his family have returned to the tribe. In addition, Okonkwo finally is able to make a lasting impression on his tribe, but it comes about through the way in which he decides to leave the tribe - by taking his own life. The conclusion of the statement is also ironic because he considers the time he has spent in exile on his motherland as “seven wasted years”(171) and he anticipates his return to his fatherland, where he knows that he can flourish and prosper. Although he had the potential of obtaining a great amount of knowledge from his kinsmen and his uncle, Uchendu, I feel that the idea of him living on his motherland and the negative ways his clan viewed living on a man’s motherland, caused him to look at his punishment as one that would restrict, rather than help him achieve his goals.

Upon returning to Umuofia, Okonkwo quickly realized how much the tribe had changed due to the missionaries’ invasion and he was willingly to do anything in order to restore the original values in Umuofia. However, many clan members were unwillingly to go to war against the missionaries, even though people like Obierika felt that the white man “… has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” (176). Despite the District Commissioner’s goal of bringing “civilization to different parts of Africa” (208) the strong unity that the clan once had, was now broken. Umuofia had become like “a startled animal with ears erect, sniffing the silent, ominous air and not knowing which way to run” (196) and I think the clan’s destroyed ideals caused Okonkwo so much pain that he killed himself. However, I agree with AllThatJazz 07 in feeling that Okonkwo’s suicide was out of character because he was a proclaimed warrior, one who was always very quick to point out flaws in other men and he even went as far as convincing himself that he did not father Nwoye because he thought Nwoye was less of a men, when all of the while Okonkwo could not find the strength inside himself to be a powerful leader and assist the clan in prevailing through some of their most difficult times.

Towards the conclusion of the novel, Obierika confronted the District Commissioner and stated, “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself; and now he will be buried like a dog.” (208). After reading Obierika’s statement, I understood and somewhat agreed with his statement because the missionaries suddenly invaded Umuofia and nearly destroyed their land by causing tension and animosity amongst many clan members. At the same time, I feel that Okonkwo allowed these men to mentally destroy him because it was the first time in a while that Okonkwo had been confronted by people who were potentially stronger than him. Regardless of how much Okonkwo prepared for war, the white men had more advanced weapons and more importantly, they had support from other converts, where as Okonkwo was one of few people in his clan that was willing to enter into a war. Throughout the novel, I felt that Okonkwo’s anger and desire to show his strengths were fueled by his aspiration to hide some of his deepest emotions, especially the resentment and connections he had with his father. Even though they seemed to be polar opposites, in the end, they both committed deplorable crimes against their culture and were forced to die alone.

July 14, 2008 3:57 PM