In the novel, a major theme is that culture is always changing and people must adapt with it or be left behind. Find evidence of this in the text and discuss how characters are affected by either adapting or remaining static. Please include page numbers to support your evidence from the text.
Nwoye was considered an abomination to his family for converting to the new faith. He was then shunned from his family and any others he once knew to be friends. He knew this would happen and accepted the consequences. "To abandon the Gods of one's father and go about with a lot of effeminate men clucking like old hens was the very depth of abomination". (92)
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo however, did not convert to the new faith and remained loyal to his native culture. You can see the effect this has on him throughout the novel. You can see it up until the very end when he decides to take his own life which is also considered an abomination. "It is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense against the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen." (128)
Nwoye knew, and accepted, the consequences, which were him being shunned by his family and friends, for converting to the new faith. "To abandon the Gods of one's father and go about with a lot of effeminate men clucking like old hens was the very depth of abomination". (92)
ReplyDeleteOkonkow remained loyal to his original culture. You can see the effect this has on him all the way through, till the end where when he decides to take his own life, which is also considered an abomination. "It is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense to the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen". (128)
"on one occasion the missionaries had tried to overstep the bounds. Three converts had gone into the village and boasted openly that all the gods were dead impotent and that they were prepared to defy them by burning their shrines. 'go and burn all your mothers genitals,' said one of the priest. The men were seized and beaten until the streamed with blood."(94)
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo was determined to keep things the same, no matter the cost. He could never adapt to change and accept the fact that it would happen. Just like many men, and women, of the older generation nowadays are set in their ways of what they had been originally taught. Okonkwo did not want to let go of what used to be and reach outside of his comfort zone, which later cost him his life at his own expense. "There were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation. The white man had indeed brought a lunatic religion, but he had also built a trading store and for the first time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia." (109).
ReplyDeleteHe lived in the past dwelling on the fact that he was not handed everything like other men and just made a bee-line forward instead of looking up and going with the flow of what was happening around him. "But he threw himself into it like one possessed. And indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father's contemptible life and shameful death." (12).
Whenever the missionaries came to town, Nwoye converted to Christianity. He was shunned by the rest of his family, because they refused to change their beliefs and their mindsets. Nwoye didn't understand, but he was happy to leave his father and he felt that he could come back later on to convert his mother and his sisters. Okonkwo felt that he had been cursed with a son such as Nwoye. (92)
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo refused to change his perspective on the situation, like many other people. "And even in the matter of religion there was a growing feeling that there might be something in it after all, something vaguely akin to method in the overwhelming madness." 'Okonkwo was deeply grieved and it wasn't just a personal grief. He mourned for the clan, which he saw was breaking up and falling apart.." (109-112)
Okonkwo didn't convert to Christianity, he stayed loyal to his original culture. Throughout the novel, you can see the affect that this has on Okonkwo and the life that he lives. At the end of the novel, he takes his own life, which shows just how much this really and truly affected him and what he did simply because of that situation he was in. It was considered an abomination for a man to take his own life. "It is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense to the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen". (128)
When Nwoye converted to Christianity it started an uproar in the town. Okonkwo was extremely unhappy about the decision that his son had made. Nwoye even wanted to convert his own mother and sisters. (92-93)
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo refused to change his religion, and he stayed with the original beliefs of his tribe. He is overcome with grief and sorrow towards the decisions regarding Christianity. He even goes as far as taking his own life because of the horrible things he thought he was going through.(127)
In the book, as everyone has pointed out, Christianity's entrance caused a bit of an uproar. Everyone thought they were going to die. When Okonkwo's son finally was caught among the Christians by a family friend, his father lost it. Nwoye left and didn't come back. The book says, "He [Okonkwo] saw himself and his fathers crowding round their ancestral shrine waiting in vain for worship and sacrifice and finding nothing but ashes of bygone days, and his children the while praying to the white man's god." (page 153) Okonkwo wanted the children to stay with his culture. He didn't want them to stray and join the white men.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo's son Nwoye was harshly affected by not staying static. Although he did break away from his culture, he wasn't upset about it. He went back to the church immediately after his father's confrontation and decided to become a missionary. (page 152)
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, when Okonkwo accidentally shot the boy with his gun, he accepted what he knew to be the punishment. He was banished for 7 years. He was static in his culture. He didn't fight it, he didn't think it was wrong. He knew it was what had to be done. Obierika began to think differently after that day. He began to question the culture. "He remembered his wife's twin children, whom he had thrown away. What crime had they committed? The Earth had decreed that they were an offense on the land and must be destroyed." (pages 124-125)
When Nwoye converted his religion and beliefs to Christianity, Okonkwo was raged and did not approve if it. He threatened to kill him if he didn't tell him where he had been all day. Nwoye left and never came back. "He was happy to leave his father. He would later return to his mother and his brothers and sisters and convert them to the new faith." (92)
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo chose to not to convert to Christianity, but instead chose to stay loyal to original beliefs. As others have mentioned, Okonkwo chose to take his own life in fear of what was happening and what was to come in the future. Taking your own life was considered an abomination. "It is an abomination for a man to take his own life. It is an offense against the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen." (127-128)
My Kindle has "locations" rather than page numbers. Bear with me.
ReplyDeleteThe major cultural change in the book is when the missionaries come in to work their magic. Nwoye and Okonkwo both react differently to the change.
Nwoye is captivated by the new religion. He leaves behind his false gods and in turn is disowned by his father and the rest of his family. "You have all seen the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother." (Loc 1810)
Okonkwo, on the other hand, sees this change as an anathema. He is completely against the religion of his son. "He seized a heavy stick that lay on the dwarf wall and hit him two or three savage blows." (Loc 1682) Okonkwo is even more so against the cultural change that, as everyone else has said, he takes his own life. "Then they came to the tree from which Okonkwo's body was dangling..." (Loc 2242)
As time passes, cultures change and sometimes completely new cultures are introduced. Changes in culture begin with people questioning their tradition's reasoning.
ReplyDeleteFor example, Obierika began to question some of the Ibo traditions when Okonkwo was exiled for seven years. (page 75) He grieved for his friend's loss but eventually accepted this law because there was nothing else for him to do.
When the tribe ordered Ikemefuna's death Nwoye was devastated. (page 37) He no longer felt that the Ibo ways were justified. This led to his intriguement and eventual conversion to Christianity soon after it was introduced.(pages 90-93)
Okonkwo, remained true to his culture throughout the whole book until the end. Unfortunately, in doing so he became angry and lashed out. He then became fearful and eventually took his own life and was shunned by the very culture he tried so hard to preserve.(pages 125-128)
Cultural changes causes a lot of confusion, grief, and hatred by some. However, to others it can cause happiness and a sense of fulfillment.
“'Does the white man understand our custom about land?' 'How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.'” (Page 176) Here, Okonkwa speaks about how he feels violated by the change. He chose his personal beliefs over adapting. He feels his kinsman have betrayed him and their Gods. He's genuinely upset about the huge transition his people are making without him; however, he intends on maintaining strength in his belief system.
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo didn't want to convert to Christianity so he got left behind and when he returned to his home village he arrived to find that things not the same as they were when he left. "Umuofia had indeed changed during the seven years Okonkwo had been in exile. The church had come and led many astray." (106)
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo was one of those people that was not changing what he believed in just because everybody else was doing it. However, he did accept the fact that thing were eventually change with the people that were around him, but he was to set in his ways and he was not going to change. He strongly believed that everything should not just be handed to you, but you should have to work for what you have. He didn’t receive anything from his father when he died, because he really didn’t have anything to give to him. He didn’t care what was happening around him and what everybody else was doing. He was going to do what he wanted to do and if people didn’t like it, he didn’t care. “But he threw himself into it like one possessed. And indeed he was possessed by the fear of his father's contemptible life and shameful death.” (page 12) “There were many men and women in Umuofia who did not feel as strongly as Okonkwo about the new dispensation. The white man had indeed brought a lunatic religion, but he had also built a trading store and for the first time palm-oil and kernel became things of great price, and much money flowed into Umuofia.” (page 109)
ReplyDeleteWhen Nwoye and other members of the town converted to Christianity it started to upset people. Okonkwo was enraged when he found out from a family friend that Nwoye was with the Christian converts. Okonkwo went as far as threatening to kill him if he didn't tell him where he was. This upset Nwoye so he left and planned on returning to his family and converting them as well. (91-92)
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo chose not to convert to Christianity and he struggled. He had big plans for his family and himself after they return home, but his plans were ruined when the white people came to the village. Okonkwo couldn't deal with everything falling apart and took his life. (127)
"The white man is very cleaver. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart". (p.176)
ReplyDeleteAchebe ties it all together for Okonkwo and his clan with this quote from the 20th chapter. The changes that have happened over the book he is realizing have changed life as he knows it.
"He [Okonkwo] saw himself and his fathers crowding round their ancestral shrine waiting in vain for worship and sacrifice and finding nothing but ashes of bygone days, and his children the while praying to the white man's god." (153) Okonkwo liked the idea of staying with culture and he expected his children and others to do the same. Although his son converted to Christianity, Okonkwo never changed his cultural beliefs. By doing so Okonkwo ends up killing himself in the end. - Kayla Johnston
ReplyDeleteOkonkwo wanted nothing but to keep things how they were and remain the same. He wanted to avoid change as much as possible. The missionaries came in and changed many of the Ibo people's religion to Christianity and cause many changes to Okonkwo's world. His son even converted and I believe it was at that time that everything was really falling apart for Okonkwo. I don't think change itself was what made him kill his self, but his unwillingness to change when everyone else was changing all around him.
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