Review: Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Before reading Things Fall Apart, I never knew Africa has such great literature. Don't get me wrong. I knew nothing about Africa before. What I knew was what I saw in the media. Media stereotypes Africa as a way that we think they are dumb and need the help of other countries. But this book changed my thoughts of Africa. After reading this book I realized how delusional I had. I felt ashamed and realized the power the media have.

I am a big fan of postcolonial literature, diasporic literature, mainly anything that deals with colonization. As a fellow Bangladeshi, I know the impact of colonization. Everything in Bangladesh screams the movements of colonization. Achebe's book "Things Fall Apart" is a remarkable tale that gives us a beautiful and unique culture Africa had and how it was ruined by the Europeans.

This novel tells us about Okonkwo, an Igbo man from Umofia. The novel deals with the struggles of Okonkwo, the rise of him and also the fall of him. This novel is very brutal. Okonkwo struggled from a very early age as his father was unsuccessful. Through hard work, Okonkwo makes a name for himself and became a member of the high rank in the village.

Okonkwo's biggest downfall was his fear of looking weak. He kills an innocent child whom he treated as his own son and the child thought him as his own father. Okonkwo's other downfall comes when he accidentally kills one of the relatives of a deceased at the funeral.

His tribe banished him for seven years. When missionaries start to proselytize, his son Nwoye converts. When Okonkwo returns to his village after seven years, the village completely changed. It was now under the white government's rules. Okonkwo and his fellow tribesman revels they were brutally tortured. Out of rage, Okonkwo kills a white messenger to declare war.

But soon realized that Umofia won't go to war. They will follow the white missionaries.

The end is very satire. Okonkwo's death wasn't something I was expecting. He kills himself by hanging. According to his tribe, they don't touch the deceased who commits suicide. His body hanged as the white missionaries decide what they would do about the body.

A white missionary later talks about Okonkwo as a rebel in his book in a small paragraph. From a great man, he becomes nothing. Just because of the skin color white missionaries thinks they are superior. They ruined such a beautiful culture Africa had.

This book is tragic, it shows the harsh reality of colonialism and how every country has a different culture, a language that has its own values. It's simple, easy to read. I think it's also one of the best books for postcolonial literature.

Give this book a try. This will change your perspective on many things about Africa.



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