Things Fall Apart sounds like a gloomy way to grab a reader’s attention. The title seems so daunting and radiates negative energy. Yet, in a way, it makes you really wonder. What falls apart? What are the “things”? Why did they fall apart? Even a short title can wreak havoc within a mind that’s still free to roam. But after reading your novel, Things Fall Apart, I began to truly grasp the subtle messages that you had left behind. I read the novel shortly after finishing a first-year, introductory Global History course where we had briefly touched upon African colonialism by European empires. However, no textbook reveals the African tribal groups’ point of views and struggles. Things Fall Apart not only showed the struggles of African tribal groups during the colonial period, but also elicited the internal conflicts within a single member and within a group.
I appreciated your novel because it provided me with an interesting narrative about the struggles of the African tribal groups . My freshman year Global History course taught me the facts about African colonialism (i.e. many European nations colonizing and claiming control of different regions in Africa). Our approach to the unit was more holistic and covered the global perspective of colonialism; however, we never looked at narratives by African tribal groups. Perhaps there were few that are readily available. Although your novel is a work of fiction, it appears to be an accurate reflection of the time period. The second part of the novel focuses more heavily on Umuofia after a Christian influence has developed during Okonkwo’s seven-year exile. In the end, Okonkwo’s traditional upbringing and values finally results in his suicide. When I compare your novel to the accounts of American colonist, I notice that the cultural values had a larger impact on Okonkwo than it did on American colonists. It’s no secret that people want their own freedom. Okonkwo’s response to change seems fairly typical especially because he believes that the system was working.
I feel like I can empathize with Nwoye in many ways. Okonkwo fears that Nwoye will be like Unoka, he fears that Nwoye will not succeed because he doesn’t show the dedication and diligence necessary in the tribal group to prosper. My father fears that I will follow a similar path. Both of my parents immigrated to America as teenagers; they’ve struggled and fought the language barrier and cultural barrier to provide me with a comfortable living style, a comfortable home environment. They fear that the comfort that they’ve been able to provide has made me (my sister, me, and our generation) complacent. Like Okonkwo, they worked hard for years to define their reputation (albeit for different reasons). Although I sense disappointment when my parents interact with me, I haven’t lost faith in my parents and my parents haven’t lost all faith in me, yet. Another way I empathize with Nwoye is through a similar attitude to assimilation. Nwoye accepts the Christian influence, something that differs from the religious beliefs of tribal groups. I’ve accepted and identify myself as a mix of Chinese and American cultures. However, I recognize that I’m beginning to distant myself from my ancestry. It’s unintentional. Unfortunately, I’ve begun to lose touch with my roots and many of the principles that I follow tend to fall on the opposite side of the cultural spectrum in relation to the Chinese culture.
Things Fall Apart changed my perspective when facing hardship. Okonkwo’s final decision was desperate; even though suicide was a sin in his culture, Okonkwo struggled to live with the adapting world. The Chinese culture is centered on a belief that venerating and honoring elders (living and deceased) is critical to success. One way to continue honoring your family is by following family traditions. I understand where Okonkwo is coming from; however, after reading your novel, I’ve become wary about my willingness to hold onto certain traditions. The world we live in today requires people to be adaptive and be willing to accept change. When there’s a readily available stream of “new” technology, an inability to adapt results in internal chaos and a feeling of disgust. And with suicide being a problem, recognizing that a solution that is so final should not be an option that’s brought to the table often.
After my freshman year of high school, a senior that I really admired was reading your novel and recommended it to me. I read your novel and I really admired and appreciated it. Reading Things Fall Apart was out of my comfort zone, and I was ready to expand my reading habits into a more mature setting and a wider variety of themes.
Sincerely,
Christopher Zheng