Michael R. Rynne Ms. Falvey English STEP II 1/10/23 Things Fall Apart The established society and identities of the Igbo people are stripped away as British missionaries begin to appear and ruthlessly claim the territory. The novel Things Fall Apart by China Achebe dives deep into how the British missionaries carelessly destroyed societies while “spreading” Christianity throughout Afro-Eurasia. The novel takes place in Nigeria in the 1809s surrounding a tribe known as Umuoifa. The protagonist, Okonkwo, is a successful and prideful man who is a leader in his village. When his gun misfires during a celebration and he is exiled, everything changes for his life and many others. The British missionaries, in search of converts for Christianity, begin to appear as a sudden intimidating force threatening the traditional values of the tribe. Although modernity presents demoralizing changes to connect with the outside world, the traditional religion of Igbo society forms a strong base for cultural values to flourish. In part 1 of Things Fall Apart, religion is established as an integral part of the Igbo culture, the religion of the Igbo. They have a great devotion to a supreme being or God, Chukka, as well as many other gods responsible for various features of life and nature. In addition to polytheistic belief the Igbo have great faith in their ancestors and regularly make sacrifices to pacify them. Religion is a key part of the lives of the Igbo as it is closely knitted to their social and political structure. The oracle, Agbala, is a widely respected being capable of examining what the future held or consulting the spirits of departed ancestors. The people regularly have many religious rituals and sacrifices and are deeply spiritual in almost every aspect of life. As well as Okonkwo’s own father, Unoka, in dismay. Unoka goes to her regarding his recent lack of crop yield because he believes he does nothing wrong. He begins to complain when she stops him, “‘Hold your peace!… You, Unoka, are known in all the clan for your weakness… Go home and work like a man.’ Unoka was an ill-fated man. He had bad chi.”(Achebe 17-18). The Igbo people also have a strong belief in determined destiny in the form of a personal god or chi. The individual’s actions, good or bad similar to karma, affect their chi resulting in unfortunate events in one’s life. Unoka is a man doomed to bad chi; therefore he will always suffer as weak in society. When one’s life goes wrong it is often seen as a problem with their Chi instead of external afflictions. Insert quote when the priestess is yelling at Unoka. Religion is a deeply ingrained aspect of the Igbo and plays a very significant role in building communal values, beliefs, and social norms. In Things Fall Apart, the traditional religion of the Igbo community is depicted as a complex and highly influential part of society. During the period of colonization illustrated in the novel, the traditional religion of the Igbo is challenged and ultimately corrupted by the influence of European Christianity. The white missionaries who arrive in the Igbo village of Umuofia seek to convert the Igbo to their own “superior” religion, and they view the traditional Igbo beliefs as idealistic and superstitious. The missionaries unfortunately show positive effects in making a number of converts, including some of the most meaningful members of the community, such as Okonkwo's son, Nwoye. The adoption of Christianity by some members of the Igbo community leads to a schism within the community, as traditional believers and converts come into conflict. The traditional believers see the converts as betraying their culture, while the converts view their new faith as a way to improve their lives and gain favor with the colonial powers. The people cast out by society or, “osu, seeing that the new religion welcomed twins and such abominations, thought that it was possible that they would also be received… They were the strongest adherents of the new faith. And what was more, nearly all the osu in Mbanta followed their example.”(Achebe 155-157). The missionaries emphasize an all welcoming religion in order to gain more converts. The osu see this as an opportunity to abandon their old way of life for change. The sudden change in religious focus due to colonization leads to substantial changes to the traditional ways of the Igbo people. The arrival of the missionaries and the introduction of a new, tempting, religion led to a breakdown of the traditional religious beliefs and practices that had previously been a central part of Igbo society. While the modern religion brought by the missionaries comes with demoralizing changes to grow in connection with the outside world, the argument can be made that the traditional religion of the Igbo people allows for a strong foundation for cultural values to flourish. The traditional Igbo religion is deeply ingrained in the culture and a fundamental way of life and plays a central role in their social lives. It maintains the peace and cooperation of the community by giving the people meaning and purpose in life. The new Christian religion is seen as foreign, imposed by beliefs that do not have the same cultural roots or significance. It is immediately associated with dehumanization and destruction from the presence of colonization in the village of Abame. Christianity brings the disruption of traditional, social, and basic religious values. The Igbo’s traditional religion is more inclusive and respectful of diversity with the coexistence of the many deities and spirits that promote the thought-out complexity of the spiritual world. The traditional religion of the Igbo places a strong emphasis on personal responsibility in meeting one’s goals for personal benefit and harmonization with the environment. The modern Christian religion is forced on people with intimidation, punishment, and manipulation. The Christian impression was not of acceptance and purity but one of ignorance. The modern presence failed to respect the different cultural beliefs and used degenerate terms such as, “heathen” to refer to the Igbo Religion. A Christian missionary talking to a convert claims, “The heathen speaks nothing but falsehood. Only the word of our God is true."(Achebe 157). The missionaries don't look beyond into the faith but only believe against it because they are automatically right.The traditional values of respect and inclusion foster a favorable environment and culture and faith to grow, while the Christian moderation values are selfish, primarily focused on numbers instead of the true message The destruction of traditional religion brought with the introduction of modernity to the Igbo ultimately removed the strong flourishing of ideas and cultural prowess in society. The Igbo established complex religious values that have deep cultural roots and significance. They benefit from their traditional views and way of life. The Christian missionaries refuse to syncretize and instead demoralize the tradition as they only focus on converts. The presentation of modernity was immature and only promoted negatives within Igbo society. The strong traditional values performed the opposite as ideas, religion, and society all flourished under the strong respected history. Despite the challenges posed by modernity, the traditional religion of Igbo society serves as a foundation for the continuation and preservation of rich cultural values. “Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break." -Chinua Achebe