Things Fall Apart: Main Ideas

British Imperialism

In this novel, Achebe showcases a strong disparity between the governance and morals of the British empire in comparison with that of tribal Igbo society. The empire makes its appearance behind the garb of missionaries and Christianity which bring the gifts of modern education and medicine. It then makes forays with economic benefits for locals and eventually establishes its governance and courts of justice in lands where it had no right to intervene.

Since British society and its principles are very different from those of tribal clans, there is an apparent clash and eventual destruction of the local ways. The novel, never obviously stating so, gently nudges the reader toward understanding the unfairness of imperialism and its exploitative ways that have destroyed the fabric of several traditional cultures, with the mere greed for power and economic benefits.

Tribal Society

Igbo society, in the novel, comes across as fair, intelligent, and progressive. There are a few instances of unjust practices, such as the arbitrary killing of twins, but the society is mostly pro-members.

They are very hospitable and accepting of the church missionaries, even giving them plots of land to build their homes, places of worship, and schools. However, they are wronged by the British empire. The tribal society is not complex but rather simple in its rules and regulations. They do not understand the shrewdness and long-term plans of a hostile imperial takeover which moves from religion to economics and then complete administrative control; often, this is achieved with violence and murder.

While several villages are wiped out in favor of the white man’s rule, some fight but fail to win. Tribal society is far less primitive and ruthless than the supposedly modern and civilized world of the white man, something that the author constantly points out throughout the novel by way of small incidents and character analyses.

Interpretations of Masculinity

All his life, Okonkwo has strived to build himself in a different manner from his father Unoka, considered a spendthrift and a lazy man, who despite being sensitive, had gathered many debts in his life before he died. This indolent behavior is considered effeminate by the clan, and he was termed an agbala—a word for a man who has not taken any of the prestige-indicating titles, or simply put, a “woman.” Hence, ashamed of his father’s legacy, Okonkwo has built the image of a hardworking, harsh man, who is not afraid of any cruelty. He associates masculinity with aggression and feels that anger is the only emotion that a man should rightfully display. For this reason, he frequently beats his wives, even threatening to kill them often, and berates his eldest son for being sensitive and not masculine enough, which is what finally leads him to embrace Christianity—to clearly break away from his father’s interpretation of toxic masculinity. When Okonkwo is confronted with the choice of killing Ikemefuna, though he loves the boy, he participates in his killing for fear of being thought weak. However, Okonkwo’s idea of manliness is not always the clan’s. The chief example of this is his friend Obierika, a respected man in the clan, who refuses to accompany the villagers on the trip to kill Ikemefuna and shows a more sensitive side as a man.