The Downfall of the Ibo in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
When British colonialists reached Igbo land, the unity of the Igbo people came under threat because of one simple fact: the flexible or the autonomous nature of the Igbo people. This autonomous nature is reflected in Uchendu’s statement that the old generation and the new generation do not have anything in common. Uchendu is a symbol of past generations who value social integrity. The unity of the younger generations, as portrayed in Achebe’s novel less strong compared to the unity experienced by Uchendu in his life. And when the colonialists finally arrived in their land, their unity was shaken because of this kind of autonomy and flexibility. The need for the preservation of old cultures is reflected through characters such as Obierika, Okonkwo, and Uchendu. These characters- and many others in the novel – represent the old traditions and are opposed to the powers that want to distort their cultures.
When white people set foot in Igbo land, Achebe presents unconscious conscious characters. The conscious ones are those who struggle to save their community from external intrusion, and they perceive the unconscious one as being worthless beings. When Okonkwo is visited by Obierika at Mbaino, for instance, he informs him that “Abame is no longer the same because the white people have destroyed the majority of the clan.” The flexibility and autonomy in the community also made it difficult for the Ibo people to defend themselves. Okonkwo and Uchendu are distressed that Abame villagers cannot defend themselves. Uchendu attributes the community’s downfall to the failure of the community members to arm them and defend their land even after they are warned by the Oracle. Obierika asserts that the clan members “have paid for their foolishness.” In other words, Obierika was implying that the Abame clan deserved what it was going through.
But despite Obierika and Uchendu’s belief that the clan deserved what it was going through, the two characters are deeply saddened by the fact that the clansmen are unable to respond to their attack. Two years after the white people reached their land, they introduced their own systems of administration, their own educational systems, and their own religion. The colonizers penetrate the community by targeting the worthless being that Achebe describes as efulefu. These worthless beings of the unconscious mind embraced the white man’s religion, education, and system of administration. The adoption of the colonizer’s culture by some Igbo people, therefore, disturbed the collective power that the community might have used to defend themselves.
The unity of the Igbo people was profoundly altered by colonialists. While Okonkwo is presented as the emblem of the community’s cultural conservation, the character Nwoye is presented as one of those who wholeheartedly accepted the colonizer’s culture. Nwoye’s actions are understandable because he continuously criticizes the culture of his own people, such as the killing of twins. Through religious songs, the white men were able to attract the younger generations to their religions. Each time Nwoye began to be disturbed by thoughts about the killing of innocent beings, he found solace in hymns of the white men, which he perceived to be more sympathetic towards the twins. It was also possible for the Igbo people to be colonized because they did not have kings. The missionaries then focused on convincing the title elders. Even though it was difficult to convince the title (such as those in Umuofia), elders from Mbanta accepted the white men’s offers and even decided to “give them a portion of the Evil Forest” where they constructed their churches. The elders believed that by giving them land in the evil forest, they would disable the powers that they had over their cultures.
The colonizers also managed to convince the Igbo people to join their white religion by speaking against their cultures, such as the killing of the twins. When they spoke against the false gods and their animistic beliefs, they are met by opposition. With time, however, they were able to prove their rationality, and Igbo people began worshipping their god. They employ the services of interpreters – such as Mr. Kiaga – who inspire the younger generations, children, and women who have suffered because of cultural traditions to join their cultures.
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