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Things Fall Apart Essay
There is a great deal of differences between the clan and the white missionaries beliefs. This is what becomes a problem between the two. When two different beliefs are put head to head there is no knowing what will happen. In this case the differences between the two resulted in making Things Fall Apart. The character in this book, Obierika, has made a statement that describes best what happens when a clan is converted between two religions. The statement “The white man was very cleverhe has put a knife to the things that hold us together and we have fallen apart.”(Achebe, pg 176)
This statement is a definite example of what happens when a stranger walks into your home land and tries to make things different. The missionaries in this book came to Umuofia, where the clan lives, not knowing anything about the culture, traditions, or religion of the natives. The missionaries tried to change the beliefs of the clan. In some cases it worked. Little by little people started to convert. Once this happens things will never be the same. It will be brother against brother, father against son, family against family, and neighbor against neighbor.
The change that took place happened very quickly in Umuofia as change often does and like it was doing in all of the neighboring tribes. The white missionaries stood firm in their belief and religion and when brought to a tribe that has not seen change or has heard of any other religion especially the white mans faith it is very difficult to adjust; Especially when others have. To bring a new religion and also a government to a place that does not have such an establishment, change can be very intimidating and disrespectful to ones culture.
As more members of the clan were converting to the new faith the rest of them felt as if they have been betrayed by their fellow clansmen. They could not see how one that has lived their whole life believing one way could just drop it and believe another mans faith. Maybe the result of the clan falling apart was not all the white mans fault but the change itself that was found intriguing.
As members of the clan hearing stories of what the white man was capable of, it was hard to fight against them. Especially when they would be fighting against some of their own people that they have cared about, lived with, and grew up with. It made them intimidated,