In “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe the people of Nigeria are being colonized by Britain and trying to be converted to Christianity. For people that have only been familiar with one religion, learning new ways can be very controversial. When a civilization is predominantly led by chiefs of tribes these teachings make their status seem weak. All of the Igbos customs are based on religion, gender, and reputation.
In chapter seventeen of “Things Fall Apart” Okonkwo and his son, Nwoye, get into a altercation. The reason being is Nwoye wanted to convert to christianity. To his father, this was considered ultimate dishonor. Although Nwoye felt as if it were the right choice, his father it, “Answer me!” roared Okonkwo, “Before I kill you!” (Achebe). Which expresses the importance of religion to Okonkwo. In this family, turning against customs is almost forbidden rejected but Nwoye thinks otherwise. The boy is content with leaving his father after all that has occurred. “Nwoye did not fully understand. But he was happy to leave his father. He would return later to his mother and his brothers and sisters and convert them to a new faith.” (Achebe). Okonkwo’s beliefs are far from christianity, as …show more content…
Respect depends on who you are, and where you stand, reflects how much respect you receive. Having full honor will give them almost complete control. Failing is unacceptable to tribe leaders. In “Things Fall Apart” they said “Okoye … was not a failure like Unoka. He had a large barn full of yams and he had three wives. And now he was going to take the Idemili title, the third highest in the land” (1.12). Since Okoye is doing all of these of jobs as it’s helping him to receive the idemili title in the tribe. This is showing that he is striving to get a higher title. These kinds of achievements will earn honor from most members of a tribe. Gaining respect from the Igbo people means having possession of abundant land, or