Deeper view

The Struggle Between Change and Tradition

As a story about a culture on the verge of change, Things Fall Apart deals
with how the prospect and reality of change affect various characters. The
tension about whether change should be privileged over tradition often
involves questions of personal status. Okonkwo, for example, resists the new
political and religious orders because he feels that they are not manly and
that he himself will not be manly if he consents to join or even tolerate them.
To some extent, Okonkwo’s resistance of cultural change is also due to his
fear of losing societal status. His sense of self-worth is dependent upon the
traditional standards by which society judges him.
This system of evaluating the self inspires many of the clan’s outcasts to
embrace Christianity. Long scorned, these outcasts find in the Christian
value system a refuge from the Igbo cultural values that place them below
everyone else. In their new community, these converts enjoy a more elevated
status. The villagers in general are caught between resisting and embracing
change and they face the dilemma of trying to determine how best to adapt
to the reality of change. Many of the villagers are excited about the new
opportunities and techniques that the missionaries bring. This European
influence, however, threatens to extinguish the need for the mastery of
traditional methods of farming, harvesting, building, and cooking.
These traditional methods, once crucial for survival, are now, to varying
degrees, dispensable. Throughout the novel, Achebe shows how dependent
such traditions are upon storytelling and language and thus how quickly the
abandonment of the Igbo language for English could lead to the eradication
of these traditions.
Varying Interpretations of Masculinity
Okonkwo’s relationship with his late father shapes much of his violent and
ambitious demeanor. He wants to rise above his father’s legacy of
spendthrift, indolent behavior, which he views as weak and therefore
effeminate. This association is inherent in the clan’s language—the narrator
mentions that the word for a man who has not taken any of the expensive,
prestige-indicating titles is agbala, which also means “woman.” But, for the
most part, Okonkwo’s idea of manliness is not the clan’s. He associates
masculinity with aggression and feels that anger is the only emotion that he
should display. For this reason, he frequently beats his wives, even
threatening to kill them from time to time.
We are told that he does not think about things, and we see him act rashly
and impetuously. Yet others who are in no way effeminate do not behave in
this way. Obierika, unlike Okonkwo, “was a man who thought about things.”
Whereas Obierika refuses to accompany the men on the trip to kill
Ikemefuna, Okonkwo not only volunteers to join the party that will execute
his surrogate son but also violently stabs him with his machete simply
because he is afraid of appearing weak.
Okonkwo’s seven-year exile from his village only reinforces his notion that
men are stronger than women. While in exile, he lives among the kinsmen of
his motherland but resents the period in its entirety. The exile is his
opportunity to get in touch with his feminine side and to acknowledge his
maternal ancestors, but he keeps reminding himself that his maternal
kinsmen are not as warlike and fierce as he remembers the villagers of
Umuofia to be. He faults them for their preference of negotiation,
compliance, and avoidance over anger and bloodshed. In Okonkwo’s
understanding, his uncle Uchendu exemplifies this pacifist (and therefore
somewhat effeminate) mode.
Language as a Sign of Cultural Difference
Language is an important theme in Things Fall Apart on several levels. In
demonstrating the imaginative, often formal language of the Igbo, Achebe
emphasizes that Africa is not the silent or incomprehensible continent that
books such as Heart of Darkness made it out to be. Rather, by peppering the
novel with Igbo words, Achebe shows that the Igbo language is too complex
for direct translation into English. Similarly, Igbo culture cannot be
understood within the framework of European colonialist values. Achebe
also points out that Africa has many different languages: the villagers of
Umuofia, for example, make fun of Mr. Brown’s translator because his
language is slightly different from their own.
On a macroscopic level, it is extremely significant that Achebe chose to
write Things Fall Apart in English—he clearly intended it to be read by the
West at least as much, if not more, than by his fellow Nigerians. His goal
was to critique and emend the portrait of Africa that was painted by so many
writers of the colonial period. Doing so required the use of English, the
language of those colonial writers. Through his inclusion of proverbs,
folktales, and songs translated from the Igbo language, Achebe managed to
capture and convey the rhythms, structures, and beauty of the Igbo language.
Generational Divide
Things Fall Apart spotlights two significant generational divides. The first
divide separates Okonkwo from his father, Unoka. Unlike his son, Unoka is
not a warrior, nor has he distinguished himself as a man in any other way.
Instead, Unoka prefers to drink and play music with friends. For a
hypermasculine man like Okonkwo, Unoka’s lack of drive is shameful, and
Okonkwo dismisses his father as a coward.
Just as Okonkwo is divided from his father, he is also divided from his eldest
son, Nwoye. Nwoye has much in common with his grandfather Unoka,
especially with regard to his lack of interest in war and his love of the arts.
Nwoye resists his father’s expectation that he become an accomplished
warrior. He also feels drawn to his mother’s stories, which Okonkwo sees as
an effeminate waste of time. Eventually, Nwoye escapes his father’s
expectations and his wrath by running away and converting to Christianity.
Although Okonkwo feels ashamed of both his father and his son, the novel
suggests that Okonkwo is perhaps more of an anomaly than either Unoka or
Nwoye.
Pride
Okonkwo’s greatest weakness is his pride, which is constantly under threat
both from within his community and from without. Okonkwo takes pride in
his achievements. This pride is justifiable, since he has accomplished a lot.
Not only has he proven himself among Umuofia’s fiercest warriors, but he
has also climbed Umuofia’s social ladder faster than any of his peers. Yet
Okonkwo’s pride also makes him quick to disdain others who don’t live up
to his high standards. For instance, Nwoye’s apparent lack of masculine
qualities leads Okonkwo to worry about his own legacy and be aggressive
towards Nwoye.
Okonkwo’s exile in Mbanta also deals a serious blow to his pride. When he
returns to Umuofia, he wants to restore his pride by defending his home
against European influence. Okonkwo explains his position with an analogy:
“If a man comes into my hut and defecates on the floor, what do I do? Do I
shut my eyes? No! I take a stick and break his head.” Okonkwo eventually
resorts to violence to defend his pride, and this violence leads to his tragic
downfall.
Repression
Throughout Things Fall Apart Okonkwo struggles with repressing his
emotions. He represses his emotions because, more than anything else, he
fears appearing weak and effeminate. Over and over in the novel Okonkwo’s
inner struggle to quash all emotional responses leads him to express himself
with excessive cruelty. The narrator comments on this internal tug-of-war
frequently. In Chapter 4, for instance, the narrator explicitly addresses the
theme of repression: “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly, unless it
be the emotion of anger. To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only
thing worth demonstrating was strength.” Okonkwo’s belief that anger is the
only appropriate emotion for a man to show causes significant problems for
him, his family, and ultimately his community.
For example, when Okonkwo kills Ikemefuna against the advice of Ezeudu,
he does so because “He was afraid of being thought weak.” But Okonkwo’s
brutal killing of his adopted son breaks the heart of his blood son, Nwoye.
This act deepens an already-existing wound between Okonkwo and Nwoye,
one that never gets healed. Throughout the novel, emotional repression leads
to damaging—and eventually, for Okonkwo, tragic—outbursts of anger and
violence.
Ethnographic Distance
The term “ethnographic distance” refers to a method in anthropology where
the anthropologists distance themselves from the culture they are studying in
order to make sense of that culture. At several points in the novel, the
narrator, who otherwise seems fully immersed in Igbo culture, takes a step
back in order to explain certain aspects of the Igbo world to the reader. For
example, when Okonkwo’s first wife calls out to Ekwefi in chapter five,
Ekwefi calls back from inside her hut, “Is that me?” This response may seem
strange to non-Igbo readers, so the narrator explains the cultural logic of
Ekwefi’s response: “That was the way people answered calls from outside.
They never answered yes for fear it might be an evil spirit calling.” The Igbo
world is full of spirits that may have evil intentions and answering “Yes” to a
call from outside could inadvertently invite one such spirit inside.
Throughout the book the narrator uses ethnographic distance to clarify
elements of Igbo culture to a non-Igbo reader. The narrator borders two
worlds: one African and one European.
These themes interweave throughout the narrative, creating a rich tapestry
of ideas and insights into African society, colonialism, and the human
condition.

Motifs

A motif is a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic

work. Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can
help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is rich with motifs that highlight its
themes and contribute to its cultural and historical depth. Some of the key
motifs in the novel include:

1. Yams: Yams are a staple crop in Igbo culture and are highly symbolic
in the novel. They represent wealth, masculinity, and social status.
The success or failure of a man's yam harvest reflects his standing in
the community and his ability to provide for his family.
2. Locusts: Locusts are a recurring motif that symbolize change and
destruction. When the locusts descend upon the village, they bring
both abundance and devastation, signaling shifts in the natural world
and foreshadowing the coming upheaval in the community.
3. Drums: Drums are used for communication, celebration, and ritual in
Igbo society. They symbolize the heartbeat of the community and play
a central role in ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, and festivals.
The sound of drums reflects the collective spirit and identity of the
village.
4. Chi: Chi is a personal god or guardian spirit in Igbo belief. It
represents an individual's destiny or fate and is often invoked to
explain one's successes or failures in life. The concept of chi
underscores the theme of fate versus free will in the novel.
5. The Week of Peace: The Week of Peace is a sacred period in Igbo
culture during which all violence and conflict are forbidden. It serves
as a symbol of unity and community cohesion, emphasizing the
importance of tradition and social harmony.
 6. The Oracle of the Hills and Caves: The Oracle is a spiritual
authority in the village who communicates with the gods and
dispenses justice. It symbolizes the traditional religious beliefs and
customs of the Igbo people, which are threatened by the arrival of
Christianity.

These motifs contribute to the rich tapestry of "Things Fall Apart,"

highlighting the complexities of Igbo culture, the clash of tradition and
change, and the impact of colonialism on African societies.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

One Hundred Years of Solitude is a 1967 novel by Colombian author
Gabriel García Márquez that tells the multi-generational story of the
Buendía family, whose patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founded the
fictitious town of Macondo. The novel is often cited as one of the supreme
achievements in world literature.
The magical realist style and thematic substance of One Hundred Years of
Solitude established it as an important representative novel of the literary
Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970s, which was stylistically
influenced by Modernism (European and North American) and the Cuban
Vanguardia (Avant-Garde) literary movement.
Since it was first published in May 1967 in Buenos Aires, One Hundred
Years of Solitude has been translated into 46 languages and sold more than
50 million copies. The novel, considered García Márquez's magnum opus,
remains widely acclaimed and is recognized as one of the most significant
works in world literature.
"One Hundred Years of Solitude" was written by Gabriel García Márquez as
a means of capturing the essence of Latin American history and culture
while also exploring universal themes of love, solitude, power, and the
cyclical nature of human existence. García Márquez was deeply influenced
by his upbringing in Colombia and the political and social turbulence of
Latin America during the 20th century.
The novel was partly a response to the literary movements of the time,
particularly the Latin American Boom, which saw a surge in the popularity
of Latin American literature on the international stage. García Márquez,
along with other prominent writers such as Julio Cortázar and Mario Vargas
Llosa, sought to redefine Latin American literature and challenge
conventional narrative techniques.
Additionally, García Márquez drew inspiration from his own family history
and the stories he heard growing up in Colombia. "One Hundred Years of
Solitude" is often seen as a reflection of Colombia's tumultuous history, from
its colonial past to the modern era, and serves as a metaphor for the broader
struggles and triumphs of Latin America as a whole.
Overall, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" was written as a testament to the
richness and complexity of Latin American culture, as well as a commentary
on the human condition and the inexorable passage of time. Through its
magical realism, vivid characters, and intricate storytelling, the novel
continues to resonate with readers around the world, cementing García
Márquez's legacy as one of the greatest literary figures of the 20th century.