Thursday, March 8, 2012

Things Fall Apart

So a few nights ago when I was reading the end of Things Fall Apart, I got really upset and frustrated. I hated stupid Mr. Smith and all those court messengers. At first when the "western" characters started showing up, it was still kind of okay but then as the title says things started falling apart. After Okonkwo killed the messenger, I was really upset that the other clansmen started asking why he did that instead of joining him in battle. The thing that really made me furious was the end. Okonkwo took his own life and the STUPID messenger was just ohh okay, here's a good story for my book. He might even be worth a whole chapter, oh wait just kidding he's only worth a paragraph. SEROIOUSLY? Someone just killed himself and that's all you care about?

I think I got so angry becuse Achebe does such a good job of explaining the Igbo ways and patiently developing the story and characters. Even though Okonkwo appears tough and ruthless, as a reader you really grow to love him. Achebe sets up such a beautiful culture that the reader feels the pain of the destruction at the end.

6 comments:

sara pendleton said...

I think that's kinda the point/why Achebe's an awesome writer: the ending is just... it objective, it's very matter-a-fact but at the same time you just get so mad at the situation. And then the ending with the white guy talking about the book complely highlights a disconnect: it's expecially ironic because essentially this is a whole book about Okonkwo which is so powerful, intresting etc and here is outsider who completly missed everything... I think the saddest part is how the europeans dont value the rich, complex Igbo culture, they just come like locusts and destroy everything. Then ironically Okonkwo dies disgracefully just like his father...

alyb said...

The ending really bothered me as well. It was definitly ment to do that though. The fact that Mr. Smith was like "maybe i can write a paragraph about him" also made me really mad. It made me question what other terrible things he must have done that would be worth more than a paragraph. Okonkwo just seemed like a blip to him suggesting that he did much worse things...

alyb said...

The ending really bothered me as well. It was definitly ment to do that though. The fact that Mr. Smith was like "maybe i can write a paragraph about him" also made me really mad. It made me question what other terrible things he must have done that would be worth more than a paragraph. Okonkwo just seemed like a blip to him suggesting that he did much worse things...

Ravin S said...

I think Mr. Smith is representative of the British imperialism that we spoke of right when we started talking about the story. From the British/European perspective, Okonkwo died an objective death. He furiously killed a messenger probably out of anger and then killed himself. A British writer wouldn't portray Okonkwo's true personality and the conflicts he faced

ParkerC said...

Yea the missionaries don't seem like a big deal but they quickly change everything. And the natives can't really do anything because they dont have the technology, so the frustration seems very real

sara pendleton said...

I don't think there's really any way for a westerner who doesnt know Okonkwo or understand his culture to know that colonization killed Okonkwo. I don't know if they could know the implications of his death (like the dishonor that is assoicated with it in Okonkwos culture.) It's really ironic that the westerner completly misunderstands the situation that he thinks he knows so much about: he thinks he's practically do a public service by uprooting this complex and rich culture and the greatest irony is that the imperialists who claim to be creating order among the Igbo people are actully creating divisions and chaos. He's so arrogant it makes me sick.