Analysis Of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

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The world consists of millions of people, many of which lead important roles in each other’s lives. Everyone has the ability to influence someone to do virtually anything, and this is especially effective with relatives and those one is close to. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart showcases the life of the main character’s son Nwoye. The boy constantly aims to satisfy his father’s hopes of his son becoming as successful as him, but Nwoye eventually gives up. Throughout the rest of the novel, the boy undergoes a journey of identity and searches for comfort and meaning in his life. As the reader experiences the events Nwoye goes through that motivates him to leave his family and everything he believes to join the British, they see the father-son…show more content…
It creates numerous changes in his life, good and bad. For example, this allows him to follow his heart and embark on a spiritual journey as he explores this new religion. However, Nwoye becoming Christian leads to many consequences for him as well. Sometime after Nwoye leaves, Okonkwo gathers his children and says, “‘You [Okonkwo’s children] have all seen the great abomination of your brother...If you turn against me when I am dead I will visit you and break your neck’ (Achebe 172). Due to Nwoye abandoning his family and their traditions, his father becomes very angry and portrays him as a bad example towards his brothers. Okonkwo teaches his children that following in Nwoye’s footsteps of giving up on family traditions does not make one manly, and threatens them by promising to kill them if they tried to do so. However, this change is not giving up as Okonkwo chooses to believe. By feeling pressure to be his father’s definition of masculine and witnessing the horrific events that aid in becoming manly, Nwoye becomes who he truly is by converting and going to the Christian school. His confidence prompts him to build his own passage for success, just as his father does. Achebe uses Nwoye to emphasize the importance of following one’s dreams and heart, no matter what anyone else thinks, and how there are many influencers that will guide one to the, in this case, right
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